What's Meant To Be (shirbert AU)- Francheska Iliev

Part 10 (Annes POV)

     I had just walked away. I couldn't stay there knowing every second I was betraying Diana and Ruby. As if things couldn't get any worse, I had accidentally told him that Ruby was in love with him, If she ever found she would hate me. "Ughhh"! I shouted in frustration as I kicked at a tree, which hurt like a bitch, I grunted in pain and clenched my jaw tight.

     "Um..." I turned to see Gilbert walking down the path with a hand behind his neck which was something he seemed to always be doing when he was nervous. "Need ice or something for that"? he asked concerned.

     "I'm fine Gilbert, now please go away" I said sitting down on a log and avoiding any eye contact with him. He sat down next to me avoiding my request. I finally gave in and looked at him, I never noticed how beautiful his eyes were. Hazel, with long lashes. I turned my head forward again noticing we were just staring at each other. I saw him smirk from the corner of my eye and rolled my eyes at him.

     "So you don't hate me"? He asked, did he not hear anything I had said to him, I basically admitted that I ... I wouldn't finish that thought.

     "Did you not hear anything I said to you back there"? I responded softly. I looked at him again, "I can't hate you, Gilbert", "but you belong with Diana" I forced the words out, "she loves you" I continued. I opened my mouth to add more but he interrupted.

     "And what you said about Ruby"? I could tell he felt weird even saying it.

     "Diana loves you" I repeated blinking slowly and then taking my eyes off him again. I could see him clench his jaw and narrow his eyebrows from the corner of my eye. He looked like he was debating something, Before I knew it he grabbed my chin, making me face him.

     "I know she loves me, and I feel awful about it, but I can't return those feelings because ... because I don't love Diana" his grip on my chin softened, he started to lean in but I couldn't—I couldn't do that to my friend.

     "I can't" I whispered closing my eyes for a couple of seconds. I swallowed. "I can't do that to her" my eyes started tearing up for the millionth time today. He let go of my chin. Before he could respond I got up from the log and ran home, praying tomorrow wouldn't come so I wouldn't have to face him at school.

~~~

     I walked the usual path to school 20 minutes earlier so I didn't run into Gilbert, or Diana. I couldn't face her after ... it didn't matter, I didn't cross that line, even if it took every bit of restraint not to. When I get to school, I will tell Cole everything that happened with Gilbert, hopefully he would know what to do, since I had absolutely no idea. I couldn't stop thinking about it, it's like I could still feel his hand gripping my chin. I tried to shove the thought out of my head, I failed.

     "Anne"! Cole shouted from across the room when I entered the classroom, I waved at him to come outside. "Is everything okay, Anne"? He asked me narrowing his eyebrows. Then a smirk appeared on his face "is this about how Gilbert ran after you? Did something happened? I knew he liked you"! He rambled on excitedly and started listing off reasons why he had known.

     "Cole! Keep you're voice down"! I whispered, we both broke out with laughter.

     "So, what happened"? He asked eagerly, like he couldn't wait to find out.

     I didn't know where to start "we were arguing, he was annoyed that I was ignoring him and thought I hated him, so I ran up to him, we were two inches apart and I told him I couldn't hate him even if I tried–" the memory brought up butterflies, and my cheeks immediately heated.

     "Anne Shirley-Cuthbert you really admitted you liked him, I thought it would never happen"! he exclaimed.

     "Again Cole keep your voice down. Anyways, I had accidentally let it slip that Ruby liked him and we stood in silence, really close. I thought he was going to kiss me and I walked away–" Coles mouth now hung open in shock.

     "You walked away"? "Anne, what is wrong with you"? he interrupted, again.

     "Cole, i'm not finished". "So he found me again, and we had this talk ... I told him Diana loved him and I couldn't betray her like that" Coles eyes were open so wide I thought they would pop out of his sockets any second, I couldn't help but laugh. "Then, he gripped my chin to make me look at him ... he started to lean in and I told him I couldn't do that to Diana, and I ran away" Cole was impossibly more wide eyed than before, and he looked like he need a couple days to process that information. "So ... tell me what to do" I added.

     "Again, you ran away"? "What the hell is wrong with you"! He yelled. I shot him a glare, "okay, okay". "Look, Anne, Diana does love him, but he doesn't love her, nothing will change that. If she's a real friend, she would be happy for you, Ruby too." He said, "you like him, don't even attempt to deny it, you should do what makes you happy, Anne" he said with a soft smile, then went back to his sketch book.

     "Thank you Cole" I replied.

~~~

     My eyes kept darting towards Gilbert in class, I could't help it, it was like I had no control over myself. How did I end up falling for the one guy I swore I would never talk to after he teased me, it made no sense. We were waiting for mr. Phillips to come out of the back room he was always in before class, when Josie Pye walked to the front of the room.

     "Anne, you must really like Gilbert huh, it seems like you just can't keep your eyes off him" she said with a delighted smile. Everyones heads whipped towards me, including Gilbert, Ruby, and Diana's. Josie must have been eavesdropping on me and Coles conversation outside. "From what I heard you tell Cole, the feeling must be mutual" she said with the same evil smirk as she looked at Gilbert, he just looked at me nervously with a clenched jaw. "Poor Anne doesn't want to hurt Diana's feelings" she continued pouting her lips. "What about Ruby Anne? You just happened to tell Gilbert she was in love with him"? She laughed, Ruby looked at me with a furious expression, I turned towards Diana who was next to me, hers wasn't any different, her eyes kept darting between me and Ruby, like she didn't know who to be more mad at.

     "Josie, that's enough" Gilbert said angrily, Josie just laughed again.

     "Aww look at you protecting your little girlfriend, too bad you didn't treat Diana the same, or did you forget what you said? Should I remind you"? Josie said with that stupid smirk still planted on her face, all I wanted to do was smack it off of her.

     "Stop that, Josie"! I yelled at her, I've had enough of her bull shit, but she obviously didn't care.

     "I don't love Diana ... isn't that what you had said, while your hand was holding Anne's chin"? Everyone was frozen still, my eyes burned. "What am I wrong"? She asked delighted with herself, proud even. Diana and Ruby were glaring at me now, I didn't know what to do. I wasn't going to run out this time though, I had done enough running.

     Thankfully mr. Phillips walked into the classroom "everyone in your seats, now"! I wanted to just disappear, if I had just continued hating Gilbert none of this would have ever happened, but no matter how much I wanted to, I didn't hate Gilbert Blythe ... because I was in love with him.