Waiting on You

Chapter 20

One year ago.

I only had a few more hours left of school until I was free. Until Christmas break would lift the weights of school right off my back.

Looking at my phone to check the time, I walked into the library, heading towards my usual seat. The seat I had sat at when I was a sad little freshmen. I still was a little freshmen, but at least now I wasn't sad.

The smell of old books wafted through the air, making me crinkle my nose in both delight and disgust. Even though the smell of mildew and dust wasn't exactly the best, it was still comforting and familiar.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw that my table was already taken. Jacob sat in my seat, a book in front of him. But he wasn't reading.

When they saw me, Chelsea scowled, her eyes bright with wickedness. "Look, it's Riley."

I look down at my shoes, feeling completely naked. "It's Rory," I mumble.

Chelsea rolls her eyes, turning back to Jacob with a sickly sweet smile on her face. "I'm gonna go meet up with the girl and Zander," she chirps, putting a hand on his arm. "You coming?"

Jacob smiles. "I'll catch up with you in a sec, Chels."

My cheeks burn bright red with jealousy and anger. Of course he was with Chelsea, she would do anything to take him from me. Hopefully it wouldn't work.

"Hey," Jacob grins at me, inviting me to sit down next to him. He leans forward and kisses me on the cheeks, making the sick feeling in my stomach fade away slightly.

"What were you and Chelsea doing?" I ask, my voice shaky and dry. I lick my lips, trying to push any negative thoughts from my mind.

He cocks his head, staring down at me. "What do you mean?" He asks, raising one of his perfect eyebrows.

"I mean," I start, sitting back in my chair in attempt to look casual. "For some reason I felt like I was... Interrupting something."

Jacob scoffs, shutting his book. "Your starting to sound like a crazy girlfriend, Ror."

So many different comebacks and comments churn through my head, and I feel my brain selecting one and bringing it to my lips. My mouth begins to form a word, but something inside make me stop. I didn't want to say anything wrong. I couldn't mess up in front of my boyfriend, especially someone as perfect as him. Maybe I was being a crazy girlfriend.

I swallow back my words and look down at my toes, where I had started to realize I had been looking way too often.

"Sorry," I mumble, touching his hand. "I was just wondering."

He smiles, squeezing my fingers in his. "It's okay. You don't have to be jealous of Chelsea. She's just a friend."

Was I really jealous? Had I really become this person? I shook my head. "Okay."

People start to trickle out of the library, and I can't help but wish that I was with them, instead of having this awkward conversation with someone who I couldn't really talk to. I wanted to run. I wanted to go back in time, to that day when I had first met Jacob, so that I could remind myself how much I loved him.

Then he smiles at me, he gives me that charming, genuine smile that made my heart skip the same way as the day we met, and in that moment, I knew that I was going to be okay. We were going to be okay.

"I have to go," Jacob says in a voice as smooth as velvet. "I told Chelsea that I would meet up with her and some of our friends." He stands up, planting a kiss on the top of my head.

He gathers his books, then bends down to look into my eyes. "Remember, don't be jealous." With that he walks away, leaving me by myself in the library, feeling the way I did at the beginning of the year, the lonely freshmen that felt all alone. I thought I was back then, but now, I knew I was.

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"Um, sorry to interrupt, but... Who is this?"

Juliette's head pops up from her magazine and she gives me a confused look. "What?"

I clear my throat, nodding to the petite brown haired girl in the corner of the booth next to Jules.

My best friend pauses a second, and then a smile spreads across her face. "Oh yeah," she bends towards me, as if telling me a secret. "That's Bel. She's new."

I look over at the new girl, who waves enthusiastically at me. I give her an uneasy smile in return. "Okay then."

I had not expected Juliette Bale to walk in to the diner with a girl. A magazine, yes, but not a human being.

Bel blushes. "I've actually been here my whole life," she says. "So... I don't really know why she said I was new. But, that's okay.

I try to hold back my laughter. Juliette wasn't one to talk about other people over herself.

"What school do you go to?" I ask the "new girl", suddenly realizing how awkward the situation truly was.

Bel seems relieved to be included in the conversation. "Hamilton. Not where you guys go."

"That's what I thought," I say, flipping through the menu, even though I knew everything on it by heart. "So where did you two-"

"Meet?" Juliette interrupts, setting down her magazine. "At the grocery store. We both wanted the last box of Oreos so we both grabbed for it."

"She took it," Bel says, sipping from her straw.

I smirk. "Yeah, that's what I would have expected."

"Anyways," Jules gives me a silly grin, nudging Bel. "We ended up walking home the same direction and kinda... Had fun."

"How romantic," I chirp.

"So," Juliette's eyes peer at me from above her menu. "How's pretty boy?"

I sigh, remembering the incident from earlier. "I wouldn't know, actually," I admit. "He hasn't really been talking to me."

Jules slams down her menu, flipping her red curls over her shoulder. "You know I never liked him, Rory. You deserve better, you know-"

"Woah, woah," I hold up my hands, trying my best to calm her down. "We are still together. And I am happy."

She shrinks back, almost defeated. "Oh."

Suddenly I knew that I not only had to convince my best friend that I was happy, but myself. And I didn't know if that was the life I wanted to live. Maybe sometimes you just have to let destiny take control, I thought.

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Sorry for the wait! I've been pretty busy😕 I have already started writing some big chapters in the story that I will publish soon😊