The anger that was building inside of me dissolved and, it was replaced with concern after Romeo spoke out those words.I chewed on my bottom lip. I was right, something about him just seemed off. Perhaps, he would open up to me. Even though we were no longer in a relationship, I still wanted to know the part of his life that he kept hidden. "Can you stop looking at me with those piercing eyes? It's not making this any easier." He uttered, sighing in frustration. I rolled my eyes, averting my gaze from him. I think it was kind of stupid that my heart fluttered a little when he described my gaze as "piercing". The way he spoke, in his low and deep voice sent a shiver down my spine making me feel weak in the knees. Indeed, I was a goner for his voice. Just his voice, not him. I would never admit that I still felt a certain way about my ex. It would be too embarrassing, after all I claimed I was over him. I snapped out of my thoughts and I turned to him. "What's going on with you, Rom
The words "I'm sorry" spilled out of my mouth over and over again, as if I were saying a prayer. I hurriedly slammed the door shut and fled the room. My eyes were still widened. How could I not be shocked? I thought I'd find Romeo having sex with a girl, but instead I walked in on something I never could have imagined. The last thing I expected to see was a lady giving his father a blow job.My stomach was churning. God, I felt like I was going to be sick. There was no doubt - the woman in that room wasn't Romeo's mother. What on earth had I walked into? I couldn't make sense of it. Mr Sparks, a married man, was having an affair in his own home. A small, twisted part of me felt a sense of relief. I was happy I didn't walk in on Romeo and another girl in the act. That would have been too much to bear.I needed to go home. I needed to get away from this house. I knew I'd had enough for one-day. I would leave the workbook and painkillers on the table, Romeo would find them later. As I
I watched the last trace of Romeo's car disappear from my view, my hands were still clenched tightly that my fingernails dug into my palm.Romeo meant it when he said he didn't want to talk about what happened. After he said he didn't want to talk, I got out of his car and watched him drive away. I stepped into my house. I was hurt. I was hurt that Romeo couldn't trust me enough to share his feelings. But then, I shouldn't blame him for not sharing anything with me. What did I really mean to him? I was his pathetic ex-girlfriend who claimed to be over him, yet still couldn't let go of some of my feelings for him. I was pulled from my thoughts by the sight of James' gleaming white car, parked in the garage. Damn, I forgot about the party. I couldn't consider ditching the party now, not when my date was already here.I also noticed my mom's car in the driveway. She must have gotten home early. I wasn't nervous about James being alone with my mother. She had met him many times and alwa
"Are you okay?"James' concerned voice pulled me out of my daze, jolting back to reality after the shock of seeing the video of Samantha and Romeo. I looked up from the phone with my eyebrows furrowed.I gave a tight - lipped smile, trying to hide my emotions. I was feeling different emotions right now, a mix of anger and confusion. I didn't want James to notice. So I faked it till I made it. "Are you really okay, Ivy?" My mom's voice echoed in my head. I could feel her concern too.I smiled, though it felt forced. "I'm fine, mom, really." Then I turned to James. "Shall we get going?" I questioned him.James responded quickly, eager to make his exit. "Definitely! Let's get the party started!"I nodded, trying to shake off the negative vibes from the video. I took a deep breath, determined not to let anything spoil my mood. I was going to have an amazing time, no matter what.As we entered his car, James turned to me, his brows furrowed with concern. "You seem pretty distracted after
My bright eyes lit up. I beamed with satisfaction, knowing that James' response was exactly what I'd hoped for. What I loved most was that James didn't question my motives. He didn't ask why I kissed him or seek an explanation. He just accepted it for what it was. He wasn't aware of what I was doing. Despite the thrill of the moment, I couldn't shake the creeping guilt I felt. I'd used James as a pawn in my game. I kissed him to get back at Samantha and my ex boyfriend. I hated that I'd used his feelings for me to further my own agenda, even if it wasn't intentional. I would surely make things right, but at least I'd accomplished what I'd set out to do. The room fell silent. All eyes were on us, I caught the glances of the students who were familiar with my history with Romeo. They watched with bated breath, eager to see how this would play out. The other students looked around in confusion while some just minded the business. I was sure the other students were from other schools.
I couldn't help but touch my forehead, trying to hide the fact that I'd been staring at him for too long. I was just standing here, making eye contact with him. The strangest thing was, he wasn't breaking eye contact either. We were both standing here, lost in each other's gaze. I knew I should get out of the restroom and join my date, but for some reason which I wasn't sure of, I couldn't bring myself to move. I should not be alone with my ex. My brain told me to move on, but my body wouldn't listen. I leaned against the wall. I watched as Romeo finally broke our eye contact and reached into his pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. As he took a drag from cigarette, the tip flared a deep red, almost like a warning sign. I hated the smell of cigarette smoke. I hated when people smoke. But, I couldn't keep my eyes away from him. I wondered how he looked so hot and attractive while doing that. Suddenly, his forest green eyes locked into mine. He gave me a small, sly smile sprea
"Damn it," I mumbled, not quite under my breath. I looked back over at them and saw that they were still doing whatever they were doing since the beginning of the philosophy class. My frustration bubbled up and before I could think better of it, I slammed my fist onto the table. I instantly regretted doing that as pain shot up my arm."Ouch," I winced.All eyes turned to me. I was sure those two who caused this were staring at me too. "What's gotten into you?" The philosophy teacher asked, his voice stern. He hated any disruption in his classroom. I shut my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. I hated that I was the object of the attention. I was furious at the way Samantha and Romeo had put me in the spotlight like this and ruined my monday. All I wanted was to focus on my philosophy class, but how could I do that when I was still reeling from what happened at the party? It was all I'd thought about all weekend. And, I was here, trying to focus, but Samantha and Romeo were a
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of the wind. I could feel the chill in my bones. Tension filled the space between us. I could feel Romeo's eyes on me, even though I was facing James. I knew he was grappling with his own feelings at that moment.Perhaps, it was time to get a bit of revenge on Romeo. He'd been messing with my head for far too long. He'd been making me act like a fool, and I was sick of it. It was time to turn the tables. Even if I had no intention of accepting Romeo's offer, I knew that saying "no" would only have little effect on him. He would just shrug it off. But, going home with James, and letting Romeo see me do it would bruise his ego. I could imagine his face falling as I climbed into James' car. I beamed a smile and moved closer to James. "Hi, James," I said. James smiled back and held out his hand for a handshake, but I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a big hug. James' reaction confused me. He didn't hug back for a few
THREE WEEKS LATER ~ IVY ~I ran my fingers through my tangled hair and sighed as I looked around at my chaotic room. Clothes were scattered across the floor, along with several books that had tumbled from the shelves. The bed was unmade, and various items were scattered across the duvet. In short, my room looked like a hurricane had blown through it. If there was an award for the most disastrous room, I would have won it hands down.My boyfriend would have to take the blame for this mess. Even though I was the one who had left everything scattered around, I couldn't help but feel like it was his fault somehow. What on earth was he thinking, setting up a last – minute date like that, without giving me time to prepare? Don't get me wrong. I was thrilled about the date. I was just feeling a bit stressed out because I didn't have much time to prepare. And, on top of that, I was having the worst time trying to find the perfect outfit. Nothing in my closet seemed right. I was panickin
~ ROMEO ~I pulled into the parking lot and I saw that my dad's car was not there. I heaved a sigh of relief. The monster was not around, and I would not have to see his horrible face and get angry all over again. I turned off the car engine. I reached for my phone and dialed my girlfriend's number. The only person who had been making me smile lately and giving me the will to keep going.Ivy answered on the second ring. "Hey, baby!" She muttered, her voice echoing in my ears. Her voice was soft and soothing, and it calmed my nerves.The corners of my mouth curved, giving a wide smile. "Good girl," I uttered."Bad boy," She said with a chuckle in her voice. "I am at my mom's house now," I told her. I almost said "my parents' house," but that didn't feel right when it was really my mother's house."That is good," She said, her voice reassuring. "Take a deep breath and go inside. Just talk to her. She is your mother, and she deserves to know everything that is going on with you.
"Are you and Samantha in a relationship?" I blurted, unable to stop the question from tumbling out of my mouth.I had not meant to ask it so bluntly, but the question had always been on my mind. I could not get it out of my head. We were in my bedroom now, sitting across from each other. Romeo was leaning against the headboard of my bed, while I was on a chair by the bedside table. His brows drew together, his gaze averting from mine. "I told you I am not dating her. If I was, I would not be here with you, and I would not have told you that I wanted you back," He replied.I chewed on my bottom lip, remembering the way I had felt when I saw them kissing in the cafeteria. I could still picture the way his eyes had met mine. "Why did she kiss you in the cafeteria?"I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "And, you also kissed back.""I'm sorry," He uttered. "It was wrong, I know. I could not just push her away when she kissed me, not with all those people watching. I know that is n
~ IVY ~I drummed my fingers against the surface of my dresser, glancing over my shoulder at my phone. I had tossed it onto the bed after sending a text to Romeo. I was relieved that it had not landed on the floor.The message itself was not risky, but it was an emotional risk for me to send it. I was anxious for his response, and my heart was beating rapidly. I could not stop my mind from racing. What if everything he had written in the letter had been a prank? Why did I always feel so anxious when it came to Romeo? I hated that he had such control over my emotions. At the same time, part of me liked how he could make me feel things I had never felt before. He made me do things I never would have otherwise, like inviting him over at night. I was grateful my mother was out of town in an emergency, and would not be back until the next day. I didn't want to have to explain Romeo's presence to her.I was shaking my leg, still filled with nervous energy. Why hadn't he responded? Was he
My lips moved to my teeth as I bit my bottom lip. My eyes darted down to the letter, taking in the neat, bold handwriting. The letter was not that long. What was I even saying? Romeo had never been the type to write letters. He was never one for expressing his feelings through writing, or telling stories. It was strange that he had chosen to write a letter now, instead of asking to meet in person. I guess he must have thought I would not have agreed to see him. I cleared my throat, preparing to read the letter aloud. I had no idea why my heart was racing. It was just a letter, nothing more. Or was it?I began to read:° My Good Girl ° I miss you, and I can't stop thinking about you. I know it is crazy to say this, but I think I'm falling more in love with you now that we are apart. The more I try to escape these feelings, the deeper I fall. Now, I regret breaking us up. We were almost perfect. We had something special, but I ruined it. I know I didn't do it on purpose, but t
I heard the question, but I pretended not to. The silence that followed was deafening. It felt like the world had stopped turning, and the only sound was my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears. I felt like I was in a different world. I was facing the question I had been avoiding asking myself. The question James had asked had my brain working overtime, even as I tried to avoid it. I could feel my brain trying to work out an answer."Ivy," James said, breaking the silence and pulling me out of my thoughts.I turned to look at him, avoiding his gaze. "What did you say?" I asked. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, my hand shaking slightly."I asked you if you are still in love with your ex," James repeated, his tone serious.My throat felt dry, and I swallowed hard. I knew that he was not going to let this go until I answered him. But I was not sure if I knew the answer, or if I even wanted to know the answer. Perhaps, a part of me knew the answer to his question, but I didn't want t
My tongue was tied, and I could not think of anything to say. I could not even defend myself, and I just kept my gaze down. I felt like such an idiot, and I hated myself for it.Samantha continued. "I think you should focus on your own boyfriend, Ivy. You know what? I might just tell your boyfriend how much of a slut you are," She snapped at me. I was too stunned to speak, and time seemed to stand still as I listened to the shuffling of chairs around me. The gasps of the students echoed in the cafeteria, and I glanced up. Joey had dumped the contents of her juice bottle all over Samantha's head."Don't you ever call my best friend a slut," Joey growled at Samantha, giving her a deadly glare. Samantha's mouth hung open in shock. "What the heck! What are you doing? What is wrong with you?" She rambled. "Shut up!" Joey barked. "Don't even try me. If you interrupt my lunch with my best friend again, I'll mess up that stupid face of yours and your cheap makeup."Samantha's lips trembled
~ IVY ~Monday mornings were always a source of stress, especially when my timetable had a back-to-back block of math classes - calculus followed by chemistry. This Monday was even worse, though, since our chemistry teacher was running late. A part of me was relieved, since it meant I could catch my breath after the marathon of mental math that calculus had been. Another part of me was frustrated - I had a lot to cover in chemistry, and I knew the teacher would make up for lost time by moving at a lightning pace. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the noise filling the classroom. I wished the class would quiet down. It was not like everyone's favorite subject, so why were so many people so early? I guess some of them were here to kiss up to the teacher, since she was known for her strict grading. I put my hand to my forehead, a pounding headache shooting behind my eyes. I thought the aspirin I had taken that morning would do the trick, but it didn't seem to be enough. The headac
~ ROMEO ~I kept stealing glances at Ivy through the rearview mirror as I drove. Her eyes were closed, and her head was resting against the headrest. My knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. I hoped I would not cause an accident with my mind so distracted. If I caused an accident, I would never forgive myself - especially given everything I've already put her through.The sound of her phone buzzing broke the silence and she reached for it, opening her eyes as she did so. Her smile confused me, and I wondered what she had seen on her phone to provoke such a reaction. She had not smiled once since I had started driving her home, but there was no denying the look of happiness on her face. I tried not to think about whether it was her boyfriend on the other end.I bit my lip, trying not to ask who she had been texting. I had already made a mess of things. I didn't want to further mess up by revealing my jealousy.I was trying so hard to keep my feelings in check.