Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 22

It's been two weeks since I last saw Yann. I don't know if I actually miss him, but I do know that I want to see him. I miss seeing him. Or maybe I just miss him and I refuse to admit it to myself.

In the morning, I've started waking up early to catch him swimming in the pool but I never see him. At night, I stay up late, thinking he will come sneaking in the back while everyone is asleep to swim but he never comes.

We've been going out a lot – Ellie, Will, James, Lucy and I – hanging out at Will's or at Ellie's or simply going to the river, but Yann is never part of our group. Whether because James is there and the two can't stand each other or simply because he turns down Ellie's or Will's invitation. Lucy is disappointed and misses him even if she never really knew him. Lucy gets attached pretty fast to people (I'm afraid she's going to get her heart broken one day if she doesn't change but that's not the point).

I even thought Yann had left town but Will and Ellie told me he was very much there, just not out. I wonder if his sudden repulsion for outdoors has anything to do with me though I'm not sure how.

The past two weeks, I've been out and everywhere, showing Lucy around town, playing with her, spending time with her like two sisters do – in spite of our age difference and the fact that she loves games I don't. I try to make her happy nonetheless, I want her to leave Harlem with happy memories.

Each day I don't see Yann is a day I replay our last encounter in my head though it had absolutely nothing special to it.

It went something like that...

I fall – thankfully on the bed – as I struggle to put my sneakers the next morning at 6:30, thoughts of Yann's face still fresh in my mind, with that look. I look around the room and try to forget about him as I look for my sweatpants. With Lucy sharing a room with me, my belongings are dispersed everywhere, clothes with underwear in the same drawer and underwear on hangers in the closet.

"Lucy," I call in exasperation, "where are my sweatpants?" I rummage through everything in the room to get my hands on one – any – pair of sweatpants I own to go do my morning jogging but my hands fall upon no sweatpants.

"You didn't answer my question," she whines as she comes behind me.

I keep looking furiously, throwing clothes everywhere. "You know, my roommate wouldn't have dealt with you. You'd be dead by now."

"I thought that Ellie was your roommate?"

I spin on my heels and send her a death glare. "The one before Ellie. Now, my sweatpants."

"How could I know where they are?" She shrugs at me. "I wanna come with you."

"You won't keep up with me," I snap. "Where are the damn sweatpants?" I whisper to myself.

"I'll take my bike."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaim in irritation, "you won't stop, will you!"

"Can I come?" She inquires in this charmingly devilish voice of hers, that voice she uses to have people at her mercy. Was I ever like that?

"Damn it! Yes, yes you can come! Once I find my sweatpants." I say again and start once more exploring the jungle that is our clothes on the floor.

Ten minutes later – I feel late, it's already 6:42am – I am with my head inside the closest when I feel something land on my back. Already pissed off, I turn to start screaming at Lucy but before I can begin the bellowing, I take a look at what she's thrown at me: a pair of sweatpants.