R E J E C T S

CH.44: WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER

There was a clanking sound coming from the window around midnight.

I got out of Rob's bed which was actually not that easy to do for our legs were intertwined with each other's and he was hugging me like a pillow.

He even mumbled 'panda bear' in his sleep. I mean, should I be insulted or... am I just that huggable?

Anyway, I managed to get out of bed without waking him up to check outside the window.

It turns out that Luke was throwing rocks right outside...

'What are you doing here?!' I sent him a text for I was afraid that I'd wake Mrs. Wadge up if I shouted at him.

'I came to pick you up :)' He replied.

'In the moonlight you look just like an angel in disguise...' I got another text from him.

I just arched an eyebrow while I glared down at him.

'You look like a lost puppy...' I replied which made me crack a smile.

He made a heart symbol out of his hands in return.

'Now you're just cheesy.' I sent him another message.

'Come down and meet me at the backyard?' He replied.

'Alright.'

Well, I did promise him that I'd come home today.

It's just that Rob insisted that I stay for the night so that he wouldn't have any nightmares anymore.

So I decided to just leave him a note which says,

'Thanks for the soup! Have to go.
-Cher'

Then I texted Luke the words 'Catch me.' which he replied with a 'huh?'

He eventually got my message once I opened the window and sneaked my way out through it.

"Uh, I think it's best if you use the main door..." I heard him say from down below.

"Don't be such a wuss! It's only the second floor plus it's faster this way." I said.

"Okay, come at me then." He smiled like a kid.

What am I? A falling sumo wrestler? It's as if he's saying 'Come at me, bro!' and thinks that I'm too fat to be jumping around.

He spread out his arms in the open, waiting for me to finally make the jump and so I did.

Only it wasn't exactly what I was expecting like the kind of scene in the movies where the guy catches the girl who just falls into his arms, bridal style.

Instead, I landed on top of him and he landed on his back...

"Ouch." He whimpered.

I immediately got off of him to help him up.

"I thought you'd be as light as a feather." He coughed.

"Well, this wouldn't happen in the first place if only you had enough upper body strength to catch me from free falling." I retorted.

Then we randomly burst out into fits of laughter.

"Okay, I think we should go home now." I tried to compose myself after laughing for a minute or two.

"Yay! I finally get to drive you home!" He says excitedly.

"Shh! Wait, you have a car?" I tilted my head to the side as I covered his mouth with a hand.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time. You just wouldn't let me drive you to places for some reason that I can't quite understand." He started walking towards the direction of his car.

"No way! You drive a convertible?! I never knew you were a rich kid..." I took some time to admire the blue convertible that laid out right in front of me.

"Not that rich. I think your boyfriend's a bit richer than I am." He shrugged before getting inside his car.

I immediately hopped in right beside the driver's seat to admire the car from the inside.

Just then, he leaned in real close to buckle my seatbelt for me then he touches my forehead in a brief manner.

"Oh goody, your fever's gone. Is it alright if we drive around town for an hour just for a spin?" He asked for my permission.

"Yes, please." I smiled like an excited kid.

"You're so cute that I could eat you up right now." He blurted out which made me shot him a look.

"I meant it in a non-literal sense... or a perverse sense. Anyway, I should just shut up and drive." He started the car after failing to explain himself.

"Good call."

******

"I'M FINALLY DRIVING CHER HOME! WOOHOO!!!" Luke shrieked as he drove.

It's not really a big deal but... whatever makes him happy.

I love the feeling of the cool wind brushing through my face and Luke's stupid smile.

But then again, nothing really lasts forever so...

"I don't know how to say this," I began once we were already parked outside my apartment building.

"What is it?" He asked expectantly.

"You need to move out." I sighed out loud.

I was going to break the news to him sooner or later so why not now, right?

I had to do it after one good memory at the very least.

I was getting way too attached to him like I am with Robbie and it's just not right.

I realized this when I was sick and he was taking care of me. Technically, Ashton did most of the work but you get what I mean.

To be honest, Luke was never part of the plan.

The plan was to live all alone and secluded but then Robbie happened and then Luke followed and then after that, I had no control over things anymore.

It's better to push him away now than later... I don't want to hurt him any further.

*LUKE'S POV*

"So that's it? It's over?" I sighed.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Cher refused to look me in the eye then she steps out of the car.

"I don't understand any of this!" I got out of the car as well.

"I'm letting you go for real this time." She says as she continued walking towards her apartment.

"Wait! How about you look me in the eye while you say it?" I spun her around as I got a hold of her arm.

"I'm... letting you go." She glared back at me with a stone cold look.

"Just like this?! No, this can't be it. If you wanted to give me a good memory of you that would last then you shouldn't be doing this right now..." Anger started filling me up.

"I'm just saying that we should stop playing around." She says.

"Oh that's what you call all of this? Well, if you really wanted to leave me a good memory then at least let me do this..." I crashed my lips into hers and gave her one heck of a passionate kiss for her to remember me by.

"Because honestly, I don't know how to say goodbye to you." I looked her in the eye once our lips parted.

The kiss simply meant, 'if this is what you truly want then...'

There's nothing I can do about it for she's got me completely wrapped around her pretty little finger.

I had to fight back the urge to cry because it's really not a manly thing to do right now... I'll cry my heart out once I get home.