✓ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭, mattia polibio

part thirteen

Adeya

I kept my poker face as I walked from class to class. I was not going to let anyone see me broken any longer.

This idea of mine was working great, until I saw Mattia in study hall. I walked in, not completely prepared for the class ahead of me. I took a deep breath as I walked into the room.

All eyes on me, including the big brown ones that I had fallen in love with. He stared at me and I stared at him. I didn't break eye contact from him as I walked to an empty table.

We stared at each other for a good 3 minutes until he stood up. No, he didn't walk towards me. He stepped onto the table he was sitting near.

"Hey everyone!" He said. Our study hall was packed, due to there being half the seniors in there. So, about 60-70 people in the library. It went dead silent in a matter of minutes. "I have something to say."

"Mattia.. Stop it." I mouthed to him. "Now."

"Now, the past few days have been pretty interesting to you, I assume. I mean, all of you have seen me cry, you have seen me break down, you have seen me flip a desk and so much more.. I blame Adeya Jones."

All eyes snapped towards me. What was Mattia doing? What kind of shit was this?

"Yeah, it is all Adeya Jones' fault. Don't let her pretty hazel eyes and sweet innocent face fool you. She can make you go crazy in just a small month."

"Stop." I said a little bit louder so a few people actually heard me.

"So, you see. I, Mattia Polibio , fell in love with Adeya Jones. She is all I can think about. Even in my sleep I have dreams about her. I fell in love with everything about her. Her little freckles on her nose that are hardly noticable, the way she furrows her eyebrows when she's deep in thought, the way she looks at the ground everytime I compliment her.

I even fell in love with her flaws. Or, her single flaw. Adeya is full of many perfections, but there is one flaw. That is, she won't listen to her heart. She loves me just as much as I love her. I know it, she knows it. But, she won't just listen to her heart. She is keeping up a wall. Why Adeya?" Everyone turned towards me.

I did something I normally don't do. I commented. I stood up on the single table I was sitting at.

"My name is Adeya Jones... And I fell in love with Mattia Polibio." Everyone in the room made an 'aww' noise. "No, no, no. It's not that sweet." I half laughed at them.

"Only a few of you actually know what happened, but I'm going to just flat out say it. I was his little bet. Yeah, a bet. He had a bet going with his friends to see if he could sleep with me in less than a month.

I was all a bet. Our 'love' was just a bet. Does that sound like true love? No." I glared at Mattia. "He used me.. Why Mattia?"

"Adeya, I never used you."

"I was a bet." I snapped back.

"When I saw you across the room the first time, you were a bet. But the second I talked to you, damn, I was crazy about you. You- you had like a spell over me. I could only think about you.

I fell so deeply in love with you. And, now you hate me... And that kills me inside. You hate me and there is nothing I can do about it. I tried Adeya, I tried so hard. But- I know I fucked up.. And I hate myself for that. I will regret it for as long as I live. Please, forgive me."

"No." I said, as much as it killed me.

"Adeya Jones is to blame for my outrageous behavior. She is the one who makes me crazy. I am so crazy about her.

Everything about her is just... perfect. Alright guys, how many of you thought Adeya was hot when she walked in the first day?" He said.

I looked around the room to see many shy hands raise. "My point exactly. Out of all of you, she picked me. She loved ME.

That was the luckiest thing that could ever happen. Adeya loved me, out of all people. That's the best feeling, having someone love
you so much.

And I fucked it up. I didn't really have any other way to tell you this Adeya, you won't speak personally with me for long, and it makes it harder for me to cry in front of all these people." He began getting choked up.

I shook my head slighty. "Mattia... What have you done." I said before leaving the room, before bursting out in tears.

He loves me. He loves me so damn much and I love him just as much. How dare he.

I told him not to fall in love with me. I told him!

I felt a familiar hand grab my shoulder, turning me towards them.

"I- I didn't mean for you to cry." Mattia said, his voice cracking. "Please, don't cry." He said, as he was also crying.

"I'm not suppose to love you!" My voice got higher. "I'm suppose to hate you right now. I'm not suppose to have butterflies just because you're talking to me... I'm not suppose to still love you."

"I didn't mean to make you cry. I never wanted you to cry. It was never on purpose Adeya, I never meant to hurt you."

"I know Mattia. I know."

"No.. You don't. You don't know how much I love you. You don't know how crazy I am about you."

"Yes.. I do.. Because I'm just as crazy about you."

Mattia put his hands on my waist, and leaned me against a locker. He stared at me for a minute.

"I'm going to kiss you." He licked his lips.

"I'm not going to stop you."

The second the words left my mouth, Mattia's lip were so lightly pressed against mine. I gripped onto his arm, never wanting him to leave me. Everything was so right.

I knew I belonged with Mattia. I knew it all along.

He pulled away, but it was too soon for me. My lips attacked his the second he moved away. I felt him smile. I pulled him even closer to me than before. I could stay like this forever, but when I knew it had been long enough I pulled away.

"I love you." I said, wrapped my arms tight around Mattia's waist. I had never had a tighter grip on anything in my life.

I buried my face in his chest.

"I love you so fucking much."

I longed for his touch. As much as I never wanted it to leave my body, I knew it deserved better. But, Mattia was better for me. I love his presence and I love him. I love that little smile he gets when I tell him how happy he makes me. This boy deserves the world. I can't give it to him if I'm doubting our relationship.

My heart is telling me to move on, but my mind is telling me to stay. I'm stuck between love and hate. Fuck Mattia, why'd you have to make me feel this way? I want to believe that I was more than just a bet. But he could've called off the bet if he really did love me. He doesn't care about me. Does he really care for me? Does he really love me? Is this just a game again? How can I love someone who built their own love for me based on a bet? That's all I'll ever be to him and his friends. A bet.

...While I was deep in my thoughts, I realized..

I need to listen to my heart.

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I'm so happy that people are actually enjoying the story. I thought no one would read but thank you so much for 8k reads! 🥺