CHAPTER FOUR :
" You've been avoiding me."
He took a step back, acting like he hadn't just stolen the air from my lungs with a single sentence. The playful glint was gone; his expression had shifted into something heavy and unsettlingly serious. My defensive walls snapped right back into place, fueled by a fresh surge of irritation.
"Really? What gave it away?" I asked, my voice dripping with enough sarcasm. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, arching a skeptical eyebrow at him.
Instead of a witty response or the smug chuckle I expected, he just let out a frustrated sigh, raking his fingers through his dark hair until it stood up in messy tufts.
"Don't avoid me. I don't like it," he murmured. His gaze dropped to the ground, and for a second, the atmosphere shifted.
A strange, fluttering sensation bloomed in the pit of my stomach and radiated outward. It was a confusing mix of nerves and an attraction I wasn't ready to admit to.
"Why?" I managed to get out.
He shrugged, shifting his weight restlessly from one leg to the other. "I like talking to you. You make me... want to be myself."
I frowned. We fell into an awkward, heavy silence. My brain felt like it had short-circuited; i couldn't wrap my head around why he'd want to talk to me, of all people. I was the least interesting person on the planet, and I spent half our time together Affronting him.
"Promise me you won't avoid me?" His intense gaze making my heart skip a beat. I gulped, giving a small, jerky nod before immediately looking away. What was wrong with me?
"Are you free Friday?" he asked finally, easing the tension a little.
"No." I was, but I had a sinking feeling this was about that party Bella wouldn't stop chirping about.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're lying."
I narrowed my eyes. "How would you even know that?"
"You're easy to read, Ophelia." He took a step closer , his fingers grazing my skin as he tucked a stray lock of hair back into my messy ponytail. The touch sent a literal spark through me—that feeling again, making my skin prickle and my breath hitch.
"Your nose twitches and you stop making eye contact when you lie," he noted, his smile fading into a slight frown. "It's like you're uncomfortable doing it, but you try anyway."
I huffed, defeated by his observation. "Fine. I'm free Friday."
"Great." He pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and pressed it into my hand. " put in your digits "
I sighed but took the phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I typed in my number. I handed it back, trying to look bored.
"I'll text you for your address," he said, his grin returning as he reached out to playfully ruffle my hair.
I swatted his hand away, smoothing my hair back down. "My address? Why?"
"Because I'm coming to get you."
"You don't have to. I'll just meet you at the party," I said, my tone flat and final.
He chuckled, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. "Sure thing, Small."
That nickname again. I rolled my eyes, but the annoyance didn't quite reach my heart. We started walking, the silence between us turning from awkward to contemplative. Suddenly, he stopped, his brow furrowing as he turned to me.
" You are friends with Maude?"
"Who's Maude?"
He looked at me incredulously. "The girl you were sitting with on the bleachers?"
It was my turn to frown. "Her name is Maude?"
He stared at me in disbelief for a beat before breaking into a genuine, throaty laugh.
"We aren't friends," I clarified once he'd calmed down. "I just can't seem to get rid of her."
His laughter died away, replaced by a look of caution. "Be careful, Ophelia. She isn't the kind of person you want to be around."
"She really isn't," I muttered. "I wish she'd stop bothering me." I wish everyone would, I thought, though I kept that part to myself.
"Just be careful," he repeated, his voice low and uncharacteristically soft. "Please."