DUSK

CHAPTER TWO

^^^^^

"you still haven't told her yet, have you? You ass!! You said you would call it quits last week!" Jared, my best friend, all but yelled at me.

I've been looking for a reason good enough to break up with Chloe for the past week with no luck. I'm not heartless but I just don't see her like that anymore and I just realized that I like someone else. I scowled at him.

"Dude, you don't have to yell, I can hear really well. I'm going to do that but I just don't know how it's not like I can just go to her and say 'I don't like you anymore' without being the bad guy." I tried to reason with him. I must admit, Chloe is an amazing girl; she's sweet, great and definitely one of a kind but it doesn't feel right. Every time I hang out with her, it feels like I'm hanging out with one of my friends. It's just not as cool as it used to be.

"If you want, I can do it for you." Jared's voice broke me from my thoughts. If it was anyone else, I would've jumped at the opportunity but it's Chloe we're talking about so that's a no.

"Naah, I don't want to hurt her feelings any more than necessary. She's been through a lot and I can't add more to that". I grabbed my car keys and I was about to walk out when Jared held me back.

"Where are you going?"

"To Chloe's." was my simple reply. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"But we usually hang out at the joint today. Saturday's always a 'guy-day' and Clayton and Reece wanted us to try out a secret menu." He argued out. "Or did Chloe have another breakdown and you're rushing to her rescue," he said, his features darkening with every word.

By now I'm sure you guessed that Jared doesn't like Chloe that much. He thinks she's whiny and seeks attention through her pitiful adoption story.

"I'm going to tell her that it's over you, dumb idiot." I counter irritably making him put his hands up in mock surrender.

"I'm heading over to the joint, how about you hitch a ride with me then I'll come pick you up in an hour or when you're done or when she starts acting like the deranged bitch she is" he murmured the last part even though I heard it. I sighed and reluctantly nodded, following him to his car where I got on the passenger side.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Jared like a brother but he was always so judgemental of Chloe in a way that none one really understood. I mean, Reece and Clayton were okay with her and never really judged her. Jared was like a brother to me and the fact that he never liked Chloe was something strange to me especially since he liked everyone else, even her friends; Emma, Sapphire and even that weird Ashton who was always around Chloe, he never left her side and I'll admit, at first I was jealous of him because grudgingly, he is a good looking guy who constantly hangs around my girl. That definitely didn't sit well with me but then I learned that he has the hots for Emma that made me relax a bit.

Anyway, I was really trying to find an acceptable reason to break up with Chloe but I came up with nothing.

"Hey man, we're here" Jared, again, brought me back from my thoughts. I sighed before opening the door and stepping out of the car. He gave me a reassuring grin but I could only grimace before turning to knock on her door.

"This is it." I murmur to myself.

A few minutes later, the day swung open and Chloe appeared.

"Took you long—" she trailed off looking confused.

"Hi, did I interrupt something?" I asked curiously and watched as she tried to sound normal.

"No, sorry, I thought it was Emma at the door. I'm having brunch, come join me." She said pulling me into the house.