𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 || baxter radic (discontinued)

11.

𝒋𝒐𝒔𝒉'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗.

"What are you trying to make official?" She narrows her eyes slightly. "Because I don't think it's some Instagram handle name change here."

"Don't play dumb Missy." I slide my phone off the table, lifting it into the air to take a photo of the two of us. "Let's make it official." I smile wide, but she only shoots glaring eyes at the camera—flipping it off like the wannabe bad girl she thinks she is.

I snap the photo and type away on my phone. She nearly jumps across the table to get a look at what I'm doing. But I'm the master of hiding things. I'm also taller, stronger, and faster meaning any attempt she's has at getting my phone will fail. So she eventually gives up.

Her phone dings in her pocket, causing her to reach for it. Immediately the chase is back on. She's sprinting around tables and chairs trying to catch me, putting in all the fight she has. Eventually I give in, stopping in front of her. She collides against my chest with a thud.

"Slow down Cowgirl." I wink at her, wrapping my arms around her. I expect an instant shove away; but instead she wraps her arms around my waist.

"Why did you do that?" Her tone is in that of a groan but her body language says something completely different.

"Because I'm hilarious." I chuckle, looking down at her.

"Why do you have so many photos of me in your camera roll? That's alarming." She meets my eyes with her own. She has to lean back slightly and honestly something about that simple action has me thinking she's the most adorable thing ever.

"Like you don't have any of me." I roll my eyes at her playfully. She did have photos of me right? What if she didn't have photos of me? This would be really fucking awkward.

"I don't. I'm not a stalker." Her grasp around me releases as she goes to cross her arms.

"Prove it." I raise my brows at her and instantly her face drops. She wasn't expecting that one.

"I—I can't!" She exclaims, her face turning the brightest shade of red I've ever seen it. There was clearly something embarrassing in there. It was now my mission to figure out what exactly it is.

"Is someone a secret OnlyFan's model?" I smirk at her, only making her more of a shell of who she is. I was embarrassing her to no end and I loved watching her squirm.

"No!" She exclaims so loudly, I can only assume that's a lie as well.

"Then prove it." I stand my ground, copying her stance by crossing my arm against my chest. "If this relationship is going to work Buttercup, you're going to have to let me in on your darkest secrets."

"Relationship?" She questions, her eyes widening. "Did you tell the world we're dating?!" She quickly reaches for her phone.

"Are you really that offended? Wow. That hurts." I hold my hand against my chest to block the blood from bleeding out of the hole she just stabbed into my chest.

"You can't just do—" her eyes quickly scan the screen, reading the words upon it. I hadn't confessed of any relationship. Just called her Buttercup and handed her the title of true Drama Queen. But I guess now I know my kiss did nothing. There was no shot at ever making her mine. I got the signal loud and clear. "Oh."

"You have no faith in me." I shake my head and turn to walk away, but her fingers wrap around my wrist, stopping me immediately.

"Sugar Pie." Her voice is as quiet as a mouse; she knows she's hurt me by her dramatic reaction. It's almost like she's fears I'll blow if she talks any louder. But I won't. I'm not mad, a girl's allowed to pick the way her life is. Just stings a little.

"Buttercup." I look over my shoulder at her, my voice just as quiet as hers. I have to earn her trust. That I could deal with. Trust took time. And I was slowly but surely sliding my way in.

"I would have just preferred you asked before announcing something. I should have trusted you not to cross boundaries. I'm learning okay?" She spins me. It doesn't take much effort. I let her have this win because for once she's not clawing my eyes out. She's gone soft for me.

"I don't just assume after I kiss a girl that she's my girlfriend. We aren't living in some weird time where that's normal are we?" I chuckle trying to alleviate her stress.

"No." She stares at the ground between us. "I don't know. You haven't made it very easy to trust you. I figured you might do it just to push my buttons or something." She shrugs, her voice still defeated.

I tuck my finger under her chin, raising her head to look at me. "I'm not cruel." I close the distance between us. Our faces hovering extremely close when we get broken apart by the loud voice of João.

"Holy you did it!" I drop my head back and step away from Stella with a spin. Her cheeks tint pink, I don't even have to look to know. She's easily embarrassed with stuff like this. Doesn't like getting caught.

"I did nothing. Stella had some food on her face. I was just wiping it off." I narrow my eyes at the person I felt closest to.

"You have to be that close to wipe something off her face'." He chuckles. "Would you like me to leave so you can finish?" He motions between Stella and I. But I can feel her trying to hide behind me. Poor girl.

"There's nothing to finish." I stand my ground, not because it's what I want, but because if I don't there is no doubt that Stella will do everything in her power to stay away from me. She didn't need more drama accumulating around the two of us. João liked spilling secrets and this is one he definitely wouldn't keep to himself if we admitted to it.

"Yeah, sure there isn't." He taps me on the shoulder. "But remember who knows you best here Josh." He calls out as he walks past us, leaving us alone again. 

Stella's eyes don't meet mine. Her eyes are trained on the grounds. She's fidgeting with a bottle cap that somehow missed the garbage can a few feet away. I step toward her trying to fix the mess I had just made for the two of us. "He's gone. You don't have to pretend to hate me anymore." 

"There is no pretending. I just actually hate you." As much as she tries to make me believe her words, I don't. There isn't enough gumption in her tone. There is still a bit of yearning for a moment tainted by my best friend. Typical. 

"So if I did this." I cup her cheek in the palm of one of my hands, running my thumb along her cheek bone. "You wouldn't feel even the slightest of butterflies forming in your stomach?"

She slightly shakes her head no, but only barely. "And if I did this?" I step closer, so close that a piece of paper would barely fit between us. "That wouldn't make your heart rate raise at all?" She again shakes her head just barely in response.

But she's lying. Her chest is raising and falling more heavily than before. I can tell because every time she takes a deep breath in trying to control it, her breast slightly press against my chest. It's honestly getting quite hard to control myself. The tone I'm using alone and how softly she's responding is enough to send my dick into a hazy mind of its own. 

"What if I did this?" I jerk her head up to look at me and hover my lips just above hers. I can feel her pulse hammering against my skin where my hand rests against her neck. Then she swallows hard, a heavy breath escapes from her sending a tidal wave of courage through me once again.

She doesn't respond this time. I had won. And better yet, I sealed the deal. I brush my lips against hers and pull away completely away. Not a single part of me is near her. I've taken an entire long step backward to watch her melt into a muddy pool of mush in front of me. She was wrapped around my finger, as long as I played my cards right.