The Game of Hearts

34 // I Always Need You

Chapter 34 - I Always Need You

"Captured effortlessly

That's the way it was

Happened so naturally

I did not know it was love

The next thing I felt was

You holding me close

What was I gonna do?

I let myself go

Ain't nobody

Loves me better

Makes me happy

Makes me feel this way

Ain't nobody

Loves me better than you" 

"You're incredibly happy." My father noticed once I entered my house after my date with James. He had dropped me home and addressed my house as "being beautiful" and I had laughed and waved him goodbye.

"Am I?" I played innocent but my father narrowed his eyes with that look that said 'Don't think you can fool me, girl, I watched your birth'.

"So, was it fun?" My mum asked. "The group meeting at the carnival?"

I smiled. "It was great."

"And what about that teddy bear you're trying to hide behind your back?" My father asked, nodding towards it. I blushed and slowly brought the teddy bear to my front. My father's eyes widened when he saw the type of bear it was.

"I gained it." I immediately told them. "In a game."

"Hum-hum." My mom laughed but my father still had that serious expression on his face.

"If you really won it then why would you bother hiding it?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest with a proud look on his face, like he had just won the lottery.

"Because..." I paused, trying to think of a plausible excuse. "I knew you were going to start asking questions like the ones you're asking now so I just thought---"

"Who is he?" My father cut and I coughed.

"What? Wait, dad, there's no he!"

"Oh, really?" My dad's eyes narrowed even more making his forehead wrinkle. "Then who was the car that brought you here from? It wasn't from Dylan, he arrived way sooner than you did."

"You were spying on me?" I incredulously asked. "It was just a friend!"

"A male friend?" My mom asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yes." I sighed, sounding defeated. I wasn't going to lie to them. After all, I was sick of lies and I didn't want to be a liar anymore. And I had never been a liar to my parents before, I wasn't going to start being one now. "But as I told you, he's just a friend."

"A friend that brought you home and most certainly gave you a teddy bear hugging a heart that says 'I love you'. I don't think it can be more obvious." My father told me in a serious voice. My face was heating up at every word he was saying.

"And who is he, by the way?" My mom asked with an amusing smile on her face. She was the only one finding the situation funny.

"James." I sighed once more. "From rowing."