Nothing Wrong With Being a Tomboy

Chapter 18: The Word Left Unsaid

|Riley|

    “Riley!” Ayden shouted as I rushed my way past him and to Andrew’s room. “Wait! Talk to me!”

   “Leave me alone!” I snapped, turning around and setting mad glares to both of them—especially Andrew. “I just want to be alone!”

   “Let’s give her space, man,” I heard Andrew say to Ayden before I quickened my speed and closed myself inside his bedroom.

    With a loud slam, I landed on top of the bed that smells just like him. It always did. Sobbing, I released myself of my strict rules of not crying and freed the torrents of tears that I was holding since he told me I was like a kid. “Yeah! I’m like a kid, Andrew Lukewood! And you’re just a coward! Stupid coward…”

    With bawling words, I yelled and puffed off my frustration on his pillow. After muffling my screams of frustration with it, I buried my exhausted self within the comfortable pillows and sheets. “Why… why?”

    How could he leave when he just told me that-that he loved me? He loved me? How in the world will he love me when all we’ve done is fight and argue?! How? When?

    So many questions left unanswered. And the worst part is that I reacted like dumb stupid airhead. I didn’t ask those questions. I didn’t tell him how much I felt comfortable around him… I didn’t tell him this confusion he made me feel since he “attacked” me.

    Moreover, how could he tell me that when he knows I like Ayden—when I’m dating him? I’m dating Ayden, right? And love? Love is a big word… I’ll understand if he said he felt confused… or he liked me. But love? I don’t believe him!

    Leave?! Where? Why?!

   How could he leave me? Leave Olivia and Tony?! He’s a coward! Telling me all these before leaving. It doesn’t make sense. Oh! But bringing Olivia to my date with Ayden does make sense! Oh! How I hate him! I hate him!

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

   “If you’re not Yoda with an ice-cream cone, don’t even bother to open that door,” I warned.

   But even with my threats, the door was slowly opened. “This is my room, remember?”

   My upper body jolted upwards when I heard his voice. “What are you doing here?” I reproached.

   “Wow, you look ugly. You should rest,” he came in and went to his closet without looking at my affronted face. “Seriously, would you mind to rest?”

    “Agh!” Frustrated, I covered myself with the sheets, hearing every step he took. “Go away, Andrew!”

    “In a minute, I will,” he replied nonchalantly. “Let me gather some of stuff and you’ll never see me again.”

    It was like he didn’t say “I love you, Riley” a couple of minutes ago. It was like we never met and he was talking to me like the jerk he always was. “I hate you.”

    “What was that? I can’t hear you if you’re under the covers, stupid kid,” he snorted rudely.

    “Hey,” I uncovered myself hastily. “Shut up, you monkey brain! Are you bipolar? You just said some stupid corny things to me and now you’re telling me this?”

    “I just told you the truth, Butch. Corny or not, it doesn’t mean anything to you… or does it?” The last few words stabbed me deep in my chest as I observed him stop collecting his clothes to look at me with hope in his chestnut-brown eyes. My silence was all he needed. “See? Go back and find sleep.”