Book 1: Beyond Me and You

You Have to Stop Being Selfish

Dinner was over and I helped Kayla clean up the table. Dean and Caleb went to the living room after dad thought it was a good idea they talk and get to know each other. 

"Caleb seems like a nice guy" Kayla says as she rinses a plate. 

"Yeah he is" I respond as I take the wet plate from her hand and begin to dry it. The silence from the living room is overwhelming and my curiosity makes me want to know exactly what is going on in there. 

"The boys are...well they're boys" dad said as he came into the kitchen. 

The idea of Dean and Caleb being left alone made me go into panic mode and I quickly handed dad the drying rag and ran to the living room. 

To no surprise I find Dean and Caleb glaring daggers at each other. The tension in the room is sharp and suffocating. 

"Caleb" I say taking their attention away from each other. "Let's go" I say as I grab his arm and drag him up to my room. 

"What are you doing?" Dean asks as he follows closely behind. 

"We have homework to do. Bye" I say before I close my room door in his face. As I lean my back on the door I can feel his presence on the other side of it. Almost as if his back is on the door as well. 

The silence in the room between me and Caleb is comfortable. He knows how I feel about Dean, but he also knows my thoughts on the situation. After a few minutes of silence I decide to speak up. 

"Let's watch Wreck-It-Ralph" I say as I get up and turn on my tv. I put the movie on and we sit in silence as we watch the movie. I never knew Caleb would understand me or that I'd be able to sit next to him without any tension but nothing is for certain with the future. 

After watching the movie Caleb decides to leave without letting me walk him out. I have no idea on whether he was being nice or he wanted to avoid me bringing up the report. After half an hour of constant typing, I manage to finish the report and hit print. 

I open my room door to make my way down to the printer in dad's home office but I'm met with Dean's strong chest as he holds the paper in his hands. Without looking at him I grab the paper but he grabs a hold of my wrist. 

"Lark. Why?" he asks with a desperate tone. I take a deep breath to calm myself. 

"Dean. We have to let go. What we had is done and it's time we both move on." I manage to say smoothly. 

"But I love you" he says desperately. The shake in his voice causes my heart to shatter but I can't let myself give in. 

"Well I don't, not anymore. I did at one point, but I love my dad even more. I'm willing to give up my happiness for him" I say but my voice shakes at the end. My emotions are overflowing and I'm slowly losing control of them. "Dean. You have to stop being selfish" I blurt out. Too scared of letting my emotions show I try to hurt him. I continue to stare the floor and watch as his feet hesitate to step forward. 

"I'm not selfish. But when it comes to you I can't help but be selfish" he says causing me to look at him in shock. When my eyes meet his I feel myself losing control. 

His hand reaches out to grab my shoulder but I step back. "I hate you" I say before I slam my room door in his face. 

"Lark!" he yells from the other side of my door but I'm already on my bed crying. I said some hurtful things and I didn't mean them but I had to do something. I told Dean I didn't love him and he seemed to believe it. The pain evident on his face made me cry even more. I was the one that was hurting him over and over again. Yet, all he did was tell me he loved me. 

No matter how much I want to make him happy, I can't give him what he wants. Not anymore..

The bell rings signaling the start of class but I find myself in the now empty hallway. Yesterday's confrontation replays in my head over and over again. Too busy with my own thoughts, I was no longer paying attention to where I was going. As I turn the corner I instantly come in contact with a strong chest and bounce back losing my balance and preparing to hit the floor, but the impact never comes. Instead I am held against the same body that made me fall. 

"You have to be more careful" he says as I try to recover from what just happened. 

After a few seconds of shock I manage to come back to my senses. "I'm sorr-" I begin to say but stop when I look into the same emerald green eyes I've meet once before. 

"You!" we both yell as we create some distance. 

"Well well well. It looks like we were meant to meet again crazy girl" he says with a smirk plastered on his face. 

"I guess I'm just that unlucky. And who are you calling crazy girl?!" my reaction is fast as I give him my most intimidating glare. But it doesn't seem to work since he just stares back at me and smiles. His dark brown hair is no longer hidden and you can see how it is perfectly disheveled. 

How ironic. 

"Alright calm down now" he says as he jokingly raises his hands up. "One. I don't know your name. Two. You were the one walking by yourself, at night in the maze."

He has a point. 

"I'm Larkin" I say as I hold my hand out. 

"Hi Lark. I'm Nathan" he says as he shakes my hand, but after a few seconds he just holds it in his as he stares at me. Felling a bit flustered I panic once again. 

"It's Larkin" I repeat firmly. 

"Okay Lark" he says once again with a smile.  

"Alright Nate" I say with a smile hoping he'll get just as annoyed. 

"Great. That means we're friends." 

_________

Hiii!!!!!

Second update of the month. Thank you so much for reading this far

Let me know what you think of the story so far :)