𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 || baxter radic (discontinued)

12.

𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗

"Look!" I point toward Summer and Ari as Bax and I hide behind a column supporting the roof. His back is pressed tightly against mine and if I even attempt to move in any direction the two of us will go tumbling. 

"Shush." He slaps his hand over my mouth, but follows the direction of my point with his eyes. "Wait why are they fighting?" He questions me, thinking I'd know the answer to the question being that I'm her best friend. But, when it comes to Ari she's practically shut me out. I don't understand why but I feel like it might be the distance growing between us the closer I get to Bax. This was her idea. I don't know why I was being punished for it. 

"Are you secretly texting her?" I stand, knocking him over causing the biggest commotion as a pile of something goes flying off a shelf he's stumbles into. Leave it to the two of us to be the least discreet people ever. 

"Cove?" Summer questions, walking over to us with Ari close on her heels. "Were you two stalking us?" Her hands cross against her chest. She is clearly annoyed and I know I'm about to get an ear full when were alone. 

"Now why would we do that?" I match her pose, cocking the same attitude she's giving me. I don't allow myself to get backed into a corner. I either fight fire with fire or I retreat. And this was a situation I couldn't run from. 

"You have no reason to be here." Her eyes shoot to Bax quickly as he dusts himself off. It takes him a few seconds to compose himself before he walks over, standing at my side. "Especially not you." 

"Ouch." Bax comments, his focus jumping between Summer and Ari. "She's made me into bit of a puppy dog." Bax rests his arm on my shoulder. "Wherever she goes, I follow." Yes, throw me under the bus why don't you? This wasn't my idea, but I guess I'll take the blame. I always do.

"Still doesn't explain why you're here." Honestly, I didn't even have an explanation. I had no answer to give her. We just so happened to be in the same area at the same time. This town wasn't massive, there weren't many places to go. It was easy to run into each other. But she was right, this isn't a place you'd ever catch Bax or I. We shouldn't be here, but we are. 

"We will just be going." I raise my hands in defense, not in the mood to be arguing with someone who is upset for other reasons. Bax and I needed to work on our stealth. I didn't have the energy to deal with getting yelled at for no reason again.

Summer tries to put up a fight but I drag Bax off before she can drown us in her anger. I didn't come here to a whole new country to get screamed at for any amount of time. I came here to stare at cute boys, and have fun. If someone wanted to argue I'd very much so like to see myself out. There were better ways to spend my time. 

"Well, that spoiled all the fun." Bax drops his arm over my shoulders as we walk down the street. He insisted we bike, but I've never been one who every really succeed at riding a bike. I'm as uncoordinated as you could get on one of those things. Blame my parents for never teaching me. 

"If you want to be a spy, you have to work on your skills Buddy." I nudge his ribs with my elbow, causing him to hunch as he grabs his side. I didn't even hit him that hard, he was being a bit of a dramatic. 

"No one ever said I wanted to be a spy!" He finally exclaims after composing his superior acting skills. That was a lie, his acting skills were shit, but moving on. 

"You insisted we sneak into there. It's like you knew that they were going to be there. Where you actually texting her?" I pull away from him. "Are you still trying to get with Summer?" I'm quite appalled as everything starts to click in my head. 

"I'm here with you, aren't I?" He narrows his eyes at me, like he's annoyed I'd even suggest he'd want to try and break the two of them apart. 

"That doesn't answer a single question I've asked." So much for no arguing.

"Is someone getting jealous?" Bax steps toward me, tipping my head up to look at him with his forefinger. I immediately want to fight against him—look the other way. But I know if I try he'll just attempt until I stay put. 

"Why would I be jealous over you? I thought I made it very clear I wanted nothing to do with you?" I don't sell the words I'm spewing and Bax sees right through them all. 

"Yet here you are, with me. Again Cove, no matter how many times we go over this, you still can't seem to get it straight in that pretty little head of yours. You want me because if you didn't you would have run by now." A small smirk fights at the corners of his mouth. But his words are enough to send me off.

I turn my back toward him and head off in the opposite direction we were heading. I don't care if I'm back tracking. I hated being caught in the crossfire. I knew that this is what I was coming here for. But I didn't expect to actually feel real things for this man that was clearly playing with my heart. It was all Baxter Radic was known for. Deep emotions weren't something that he felt and I didn't want to be another one of his casualties.