From My Enemy To My Love (boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 19

Vincent Kinsington

I sat in my car - in the dark. I stared out at the other cars in the parking lot. It had already been an hour and I still couldn't decide if I should go in or leave. I was torn between the soccer game and my grandma's retirement party and just staying at home. I had eventually left my apartment and I had driven to my destination and here I continued to sit in the parking lot an hour later.

People started to come out, go to their cars and drive home. I had come here, I might as well get out before I lost the opportunity completely. I opened the car door and got out. I had to park far away since I arrived late and the parking lot was already crowded. I crossed the parking lot until I stood to the side of the main entrance where everyone was coming out.

The crowds died away until there was only an occasional person or small group of people coming out.

Mateo came out and immediately stopped when he saw me. He was alone so I could enact my plan. He approached until he stood directly in front of me.

"You came," he said with a tentative smile. "You should have come in."

"I just got here," I lied.

"I see," he said. "I'll go in and get Alex and we can go out to dinner."

"Wait," I said before he could leave. "I've heard...this is a sensitive topic and probably none of my business, but Alex brought it up first so...I'm just going to say it. He's frustrated that you haven't slept together yet."

Mateo froze. His jaw clenched tight, but he didn't say anything.

"You've been dating each other for awhile now and I know you have a roommate and he lives with his mother. He actually asked if the two of you could borrow my apartment, but I'm not really comfortable with that."
"Neither am I," Mateo said.

"So I think you should take him to a hot-"

No.

What was I doing? I was about to betray my friend. I was about to hurt him in a worse way than Mateo ever could. Alex and I had been best friends since we were two. How could I use his greatest pain against him like this? How had I ever thought this was okay? My obsession with breaking them up had become so great that I didn't consider how I personally was hurting Alex.

I turned to walk away - to go back to my car and just leave - but Mateo's hand gripped my arm and spun me back around.

His face was red in anger. His brown eyes burned. "Were you seriously just going to suggest I take him to a hotel?" His voice was dangerous.

I shook my head. My fingers began to ever so slightly tremble. I had to get away from everyone. A panic attack was coming on. What had I done? How could Alex ever forgive me for this?

Mateo shoved me hard and I stumbled a few steps back, but I didn't try to fight back or justify myself. I had been wrong. So very, very wrong.

"You know that is where Jason took him." Mateo took a step towards me, his hands balled tightly into fists. He was going to hit me. And I deserved it. He brought his arm back quickly to hit me, but it stopped there in the air. "Our first time will be special," he said. "I will never let our first time happen in a hotel." His arm dropped back by his side, but he took another step towards me.

My heart beat erratically against my chest. It hurt. It was painful. My stomach rolled with the sudden nausea.

"I thought you were a jerk," Mateo said. "But Alex always believed in you and this is what you are going to do to him? This?"