Don't Love Me ✓

28

•Rosa’s date outfit on the top.•

~

“Don’t lead him on.”

“I won’t.”

“You always say that and then situations like Kyle’s keep on popping up.” I smiled sheepishly at her and rubbed the back of my neck.

“I want your ass back before eleven and no ending up pregnant, got it?” I widened my eyes and slapped her arm as my cheeks changed their colour while she just kept on laughing.

“Gracie! Filter!”

“Wait a minute, actually, you know what, please do end up prego.”

“Why?!”

“That’s because you won’t have any other option then to get the treatment if there is a mini you on the way.” I shook my head at her and gave her a ‘are you crazy’ look. Turning towards the mirror, I applied some nude matte lipstick and rubbed my lips together.

Ten minutes later, the bell rang and my heartbeat accelerated. I turned towards Grace and she passed me a wide smile before ushering me out of the door, completely embarassing me before my date, aka, Caden Matthew. I looked at him with a small smile and admired the view before me while he did the same. He looked dashing in his blue jeans and maroon t-shirt paired with some white sneakers.

“Someone is looking handsome.”

“Well, I had to compete with the queen of beauty.” He said, taking out a red rose from his back pocket and bringing his hand forward.

“Cheesy.” I said with a small laugh and accepted the rose as the butterflies inside my stomach started fluttering. Usually, people get this giddy feeling and butterflies in their teenage, but I was feeling all of that now, when there was no scope for a relationship in my life, but atleast I got to know that it was all just not in the books and movies.

“Let’s go.” He held my hand and we started walking towards his car. He pulled the door open for me and I kissed him on the cheek saying a small ‘thank you’.

“Well, if just opening the door got me a kiss on the cheek, then I am really excited to know what we would be doing by the end of our date.” He winked at me and I shook my head while chuckling before getting into the car and buckling my seatbelt. Soon, the car roared to life and we were off to wherever we were off to.

“You are looking really beautiful today.” He said a few minutes into the drive and I knew for a fact that if he’d continue doing and saying such sweet things, then I won’t be able to stop my heart from shattering into pieces because I had neither the time nor the health to fall for someone.

But I already was.

“Thank you.”

Not even ten minutes later, the car stopped near a park and it was not just any park, it was the park which contained a lot of good as well as bad memories; it was the park where I used to come with my parents and it was also the park where Caden touched me inappropriately.

I turned my head towards him and fear started to crawl within me all of a sudden. I was never the one to look at the negative side of a person, but thinking rationally, what if Caden faked his friendship with me since the very beginning just to get his revenge on me? What if he was going to finish what he started that night?

All the negative thoughts started flooding my brain and I tried shaking them away. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even realise when Caden got out of the car and held the door open for me. He brought his hand forward for me to take and I did the same passing him a small smile, not letting him know all the chaos that was going through inside my head.

We entered the park and as usual, there was no one in here. He guided me towards the same bench where all the bad memories between us had happened and my heart started beating frantically. Surprisingly, the bench was covered with red and white petals and there were balloons all around it.

I looked up at him in confusion and he passed me a small comforting smile before gesturing me to sit on the bench. I did what he said, my nerves still all over the place, but then he got on both of his knees and joined his palms together like one does while apologizing to someone making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

“Rosaline, I know we didn’t have the best start, I know that I have hurt you in many ways, emotionally and physically and that is why I want to start our date with an apology. I know that just a small sorry does not suffice to what I did, but trust me when I say that I feel really bad and guilty for treating you the way I did and I can understand if you don’t want to forgive me, but it would mean a lot to me if you do. The reason why I brought you here is because I want to erase all the bad memories between us and replace them with beautiful memories. I want us to have a new start, can you please accept my apology and forgive me?”

A tear escaped my eyes and I bit back a sob. Oh, how cruel of me to think that he was going to do something bad to me. I kneeled before him and held his hands. Lowering them down, I hugged him tightly, wrapping my hands around his neck. Without any hesitation, he hugged me back and held me close by the waist.

This moment right here was pure bliss.

“Sunshine?” He called, his hands still wrapped against my waist.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to mess anything between us, but I have something to tell you.”

“Go on.”

“I like you.” My heart stopped beating for a moment and all I could do was take deep breaths.

“Caden.” I pulled back and stared into his dark orbs. They were moist and filled with sincerity. I did not want to reject him, oh, how I wanted to have him as my partner, but just like the rose he gave me, I was going to die way before anyone’s expectations and if I did not want to hurt him anymore, then I’d have to stop this right here, even if it hurts my heart and  soul.

“I ruined the moment, didn’t I?” He painfully chuckled and I felt like someone stabbed my heart with a knife.

“You cannot like me.” I whispered, making him grab my face.

“I already do.”

“Don’t.”

“Is it because of Steve?” I let out a small shaky breath as he rested his forehead against mine.

“He is just a good friend.”

“Is there anyone else?” He asked, our breaths mingling.

“There is no one else, I just don’t want to date anyone right now.” He placed a small kiss on my forehead as yet another tear rolled out of my eye.

“If I can’t change your mind in a week, then I won’t pester you again.” He whispered and I nodded my head.

Little did he know, I indeed had one week to make a decision.

•••••••

Erm, hi?