I Loathe You. I Love You Too.

Chapter Forty-Nine : i didn't until you

Chapter Forty-Nine : i didn't until you

Paige

Parker had a football meeting so I had to walk to lunch alone, I wasn't upset with it. He tried to get out of it but couldn't. Football was finished back in November and they don't usually start back up until sometime in the summer for practices. I was okay with it, it was just that I wanted to tell Parker how I felt, to express my feelings in a way I was able to but the thought of being with him scared me. What if we did end up breaking up? I can't have a strain on his relationship with the rest of the family.

Mateo was standing in line and I hesitated to go see him, well maybe a thank you for helping with the Haylee drama.

I walked over to him and my heart started to beat like crazy, I hadn't really talked to him since the dance. Oh no, my hands are sweaty and I was shaking a little. Okay Paige you can do this, just talk to him. I hesitated, of course I hesitated and turned around to just sit down and wait for lunch to be over but Mateo called my name. Did he see my hesitation?

I turned around slowly and he motioned me to go over to him, I forced a smile, how was it so easy for him to talk to me? Everything we talked about, how he was with me. That meant something to him right?

"Hey," I smiled.

"I haven't gotten to talk to you since," he paused, "well since the dance."

I felt my face flush red, it had been awhile. It feels like ages ago. I know why he doesn't try as much to talk to me, Parker's fear is still there. Mateo I know wants to be there for me, as a friend of course but Parker being as, untrusting as he is, Mateo doesn't want to start something.

"Has it really been that long?"

"It has, how have you been with everything?" he asked me.

I nodded, "good," I lied, "oh thank you for helping Mason."

"I couldn't let Haylee put a wedge between you and Parker, I know how manipulative she can be."

"How are you?" I then found myself asking. I didn't want our conversation to end, or what lacked in a conversation. He wanted to talk to me right?

"I'm doing really well, I'm going to go on a date with I think her name was Quinn, she's a grade below us. I'm the only one excluding Noah who isn't really with anyone so ya know I want to go on those group dates once in a while," he smiled.

"We don't go on group dates though," I looked at Mateo.

"What about the hike that Malcolm talked about everyone taking, it was you, Parker, him, Madi, Kayla, Connor and Haylee and Noah. I wasn't invited," he commented.

"You really didn't want to be there," I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, "it was a lot."

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Mateo smiled at me, "was it the hike or drama?"

"Drama mostly, Malcolm decided to pick the easiest trail because Parker was still bruised pretty bad. I think he's doing a lot better."

"Well I still want to go on those adventures with you guys."

"You don't need a date or a girlfriend to do that," I smiled.

"I'd just feel like a third wheel then. Everyone coupled up, it's kinda embarrassing."

"Given I've been single all my life before Parker, it's not really embarrassing if you're comfortable being by yourself for that long," I looked at him and he held my gaze a little longer.

"I've always had someone there with me, I'm not used to the loneliness it brings," he said in a tone I haven't seen from him.

"So would you say that you need that connection?" I then asked.