Reality || L.H.

Chapter 4

"I just can't believe the nerve of that guy!" Calum exclaims on the other end of the phone. I called him to talk about Blake's recent reappearance when I had a break in between classes but not enough time to go home. "He's a real asshole and if you'd let me beat him up, I would, Kat, believe me."

I laugh humorlessly, frowning slightly as I run my fingers over the grass beneath me. A soft breeze picks up and I relax slightly. "I believe you, Cal. Between you and Luke, I bet Blake wouldn't think twice about skipping town. Actually, it's a bit of a shame since I'd much rather forget about his existence. I mean, I spent two years trying to get over the guy."

"I know and I'm sorry that this had to happen," Calum says sadly. "God, I wish I could give you a hug right now."

"Let's do a rain check on that," I say with a smile. Glancing down at my watch, I add, "Look, I gotta go, but I'll talk to you later, okay?" I hang up on Calum, shoving my phone into my pocket as I walk to my next class. I freeze in my tracks when I spot a familiar figure standing in the shadows a tree. Blake's gaze follows my movements as I start toward my class again and I grit my teeth, deciding to abandon the effort and just march over there. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demand sharply as I storm towards him. "You know stalking me isn't a good way to get me to forgive you."

Blake at least looks a bit embarrassed. He scratches at the back of his neck, ducking his head. "I had to see you and I asked around until I found out where you went to school... I wasn't really thinking straight, I just knew that I had to see you."

"Well here I am," I say sharply, watching in satisfaction as he winces.

"Kat, I know what it looked like when you walked in. But I promise that I wasn't kissing her. I was trying to push her off of me. I would never cheat on you, please, you have to believe me." Blake stares down at me with pleading eyes, begging me to trust him, to forgive and forget what was just about one of the worst days of my life.

I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. "I have no reason to believe you, Blake," I say. "You understand that don't you? And it hardly matters anymore. It's been two years. Two years. I've finally gotten everything back in order. I have a boyfriend now and it's not you."

At the mention of Luke, Blake flinches again. I would feel bad for him if he wasn't the cause of so much pain over these past two years. He can't simply just waltz back into my life and expect me to throw myself at him.

"I know, I know. And you know I want you to be happy, Kat, but I still have feelings for you." He takes a step closer and I take an involuntary one backward, but he hardly seems to notice. "I left because I thought you would need the time to calm down before I tried to explain. So I came back about a month after you walked in on us and... You weren't ready. I stopped by your house and heard you screaming and crying and so I left again."

Blake's familiar brown eyes plead with me, his expression looking torn in two. It takes me back to old times. Driving around town with the windows rolled all the way down, curled up on the couch with a movie playing that we weren't really paying attention to, walking down the boardwalk with our hands intertwined. Two years worth of memories flash in front of my eyes and it's hard not to long for the simpler times.

"Ever since I left, I've never been able to stop thinking about you, Kat," Blake continues, taking another step forward. This time I don't back up. "I'm still the boy you fell in love with four years ago. The same one who went streaking down the hallways in high school for on stupid dare to get your attention. The same one who you accidentally pushed off the bleachers at a soccer game. You know me, Kat. I haven't changed."

"But I have," I whisper. "You don't know what there is about me to love anymore."

He smiles, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. "Show me then. Show me what makes up the Katherine Fuller you've become. Humor a school boy still chasing his first love."

I shiver, wrapping my arms around my waist. My phone buzzes with a reminder to get to class and I bite my lip. "I have to go," I say, slowly backing up. Blake watches me with a soft smile as I turn and run across the campus to get to my next class.

His brown eyes keep flashing in front of my vision and making it hard to focus. I fell out of love with Blake after months of trying to get him out of my head. It wasn't very hard to keep my thoughts from straying to him after those first few weeks. But now, when he's right here, I can't seem to escape him. God, it was so much better when I forgot all about his existence.