A huge smile spreads across my face, and I begin breathe heavily. I read the little text box over and over again, making my smile bigger and bigger every time I read it. (Thomas: I still love you... I never stopped.) I can't say I feel the same way, I mean, he still asked out my best friend, no matter the reason. Yeah, I like Thomas, but I can't say that I love him. It will take time for me to be sure how I feel. Whether he's just a friend, or more than that. I place my phone on the night stand, then head into the bathroom. I undress, then step into the shower. I hear a knock on the door, and I quickly slip my clothes back on and run down stairs. As I arrive in the kitchen, I can hear the pounding on the door growing louder. I open the door to see Erika, with her fists clenched and her face a beat red. "How could you do that to me!" She shouts. "You had your chance!" She steps into the house, slamming the door behind her. "What the hell are you talking about?" I ask, stepping back. She steps forward again, this time pulling her fist back. "You know what I'm talking about, how you broke me and Thomas up!" She swings her fist forward, and I step to the side, dodging her punch. She swings again, this time connecting with my jaw. I put a hand up to my chin, feeling the bruise that's already forming. She may hit me, but I'm not hitting her back. She charges at me, pulling her fist back once more. I swing the front door open and step outside, trying to get away from Erika. She runs out the door after me, becoming angrier every time I run. "What the hell is going on!" I look over to see Thomas running out his front door towards us, heading straight for Erika, who is still chasing after me. I stop when Thomas reaches her, pinning her against the wall. She laughs, looking as if she's gone totally crazy. "Why won't you hit me back! Because you're a little bitch?" "That's enough Erika-" she cuts him off, and begins to mock me again. "No, I'm not finished, I'm just getting started... I hope you realize that the only reason Alyssa talked to you, was because of me. I was the only friend you ever had! Alyssa only felt bad for you, and I can see why now. You are nothing without me, nothing-" "I said shut the fuck up!" He pushes her back into the wall, making her wince. "Are you done yet?" He asks, stepping back away from her. As soon as he releases his grip, she charges at me once more. The rage is building up inside of me, becoming stronger and stronger as Erika comes closer. She tackles me to the ground, but I manage to shift my weight so I'm on top of her. She throws her fist up, connecting with my cheek bone. I pull my head back, then swing my fist down, hitting her jaw. I feel arms wrap around my chest, and I realize it's Thomas pulling me off of Erika. "You need to leave Erika, now." I can hear the anger in his voice, growing with every word that exits his mouth. She lets off a laugh, and walks towards her car. "Whatever Thomas, you can have that little whore." She gets into her car, almost hitting her head off the door pane. She starts the engine and speeds past us, leaving tread marks all over the road. Thomas looks at me and a smile comes across his face, sending chills through me. "Can I come in?" I shake my head yes and give a little smile as we head inside. I lead him into the living room and pick up the remote from the coffee table. I turn the tv on and hand him the remote. "You can change the channel to whatever you want, make yourself at home. I'm jumping in the shower real quick." He smirks and gives a nod, signaling that "he's good to go." I run up the stairs, trying to be quick. I enter my bedroom, then into my bathroom where I undress once more. I step into the shower and close the curtain, then turn on the water. I let the water flow through my hair as I run my fingers through it, untangling the knots. I squeeze the shampoo bottle in my hand and begin to mix it through my hair. I do the same with the conditioner, trying to get done quicker. I wash off, then rinse my hair out. I dry off and leave my hair up in a towel to let it dry completely as I slip into my underwear and bra, along with athletic shorts and a loose t-shirt. I take my hair out of the towel and brush it out, then pull it up into a ponytail. I grab my phone from my nightstand and head back downstairs and into the living room. As I walk in, I see Thomas sitting on the couch with his feet propped up on the table. At the sight of me, he immediately puts sets his feet back onto the carpet, and he has a grin covering his face. I cross the carpet to the couch, not sitting directly beside him, but pretty close. He slides over next to me, closing the space between us. He places his hand on my face and looks into my eyes, staring into them as I do the same. "I meant it when I said I love you," he whispers.
