Loved You First (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 7: Back-up Roommate

Paris' POV.

"What are you doing?" I ask once I got inside our shared bedroom.

He didn't look up and continued to do whatever it is he's doing. "What does it look like?"

I gulped at the coldness of his voice. It was in fact, terrifying to see Shane be mad at someone else, but to be the reason of his anger is another story. Nevertheless, I took a step closer and tried to lighten up the mood. "You're on cleaning duty?" I tried with a small smile, hoping he would lighten up as well.

"No." He says, glancing at me for barely a second. "I'm packing my bags so I could leave this place. So I could leave you."

Ouch. Okay, maybe I deserved that but he didn't have to be so harsh about it.

"Come on, Shane. It was an innocent joke. I — I didn't really think what I was saying." I reasoned out.

"That's the thing, Paris!" He finally stopped putting clothes in his luggage to turn to me. I honestly preferred talking to his back. "You rarely speak before you think. You always think of the consequences before you do something. What's different about a while ago?"

I really dont want to admit it but he's right. Whenever one of us gets into a fight, I always think first if we should fight back or not. I really didn't know why I acted like that.

"I was protecting you." I said, my tone almost desperate for his forgiveness. As cheesy as it sounds. "I wanted to test if she really was worth your time. Or if she could handle herself and not just another one of the girls who liked you for your money. I just wanted to know if she was good for you."

And maybe because I was a little jealous.

"And who are you to tell me she's the right one? Are you my subconscious? No. You aren't, Paris. Now please, would you stop being so manipulative and just for one fucking moment stay out of my life. Stop acting like my parents for Pete's sake." He said and turned to his luggage to carry it out of the room.

It was a low blow but I knew how much he hated his parents with a burning passion and to be compared to the people he loathes isn't really in my bucket list. I moved out of his way to let him pass through the door but he stopped just inches beside me.

"You want to know if she's good enough for me?" He repeated my words with disgust and scoffed. "As if. You don't have the right to tell her  she's a slut. You didn't have the right to, I quote, test if she really was worth my time. I came here for a reason. And that reason is to find the girl of my dreams. The one that I would love and love me back. You don't have the right to ruin it just because you freaking want to protect me. Because I don't need it. I don't need you." With that, he turned around and walked out of the room with one last look of distaste.

Maybe he was right. Who am I to judge him and to treat the girl he likes like trash? Who am I to tell him who and who not to date? After all, I was only the girl who liked him for seven years who may or may not be jealous of every female species that came near him within a three meter radius.

I was left alone in the room with tears in the corners of my eyes with his last words repeating inside my head like a broken record.

I don't need you.

∆∆∆

"He needs – "

"Time, Paris. Give him time. He's hurt." I completed, rolling my eyes. "You've been repeating that for a thousand times, Ian. I get it, okay?"