Hanging by a Moment [Completed]

Fall to Pieces

“Hey there, Sarah,” he said pleasantly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he’d intruded on a somewhat private conversation. Although his presence was on the verge of causing a panic attack, his reaction did make my hammering heart slow down a bit – maybe he hadn’t heard anything! I reached forward hastily to wipe out the tears that were pooling in my eyes, blurring my vision ever so slightly; basically trying to make it seem that nothing had been going on.

It all went crashing down – my hope, that is – though, when he purposefully strode towards me and planted himself in front of me. “Uh,” I stuttered stupidly, still reeling from the surprise he’d delivered.

“If you’d excuse us, Sarah?” he titled his head slightly to look at her, and even in the darkness I could see the grim determination on his face. The determination that let me know that we were going to talk, whether I liked it or not.

“So.” He stated, once an equally panicked Sarah had left the room.

Deny, deny, deny! “So, what’s up?” I asked, my attempt to sound casual at its best.

“I think you know.” He stated softly, and with those words, my heart plummeted. He’d heard everything. “We need to talk.”

I looked away.

“What do you want to talk about?”

His calmness was undisturbed. “The conversation you had with Sarah.”

“What about it?” My voice was hoarse. “I mean, you did pretty much get all-all of it…” The admission was somehow painful. A second heat-wave over my face had me stop.

“I want to hear it from you.”

I hesitated. “Well, technically you did hear it from my mouth.” I chanced a look back at his face. He wasn’t amused, to say the least. My throat dry, I croaked it out, “I like you, Peyton. I like you a lot, and it’s not in the – the friend way.”

He smiled slightly. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

What?

“Is this, like, a joke to you?” I was trembling. “That’s your reaction?” He opened his mouth, but realization struck me almost instantly. “Or, that was your way of letting me down gently? Pretending I haven’t said anything?”

I couldn’t help it. My vision started to blur again with a fresh downpour.

He said something then, I don’t know what, and his hands were on my face, wiping the tears away. “Jayden, no, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. It’s not what I meant to say,” his voice was a gentle whisper against my ear and I trembled again.

“I’m sorry,” I turned my face and he withdrew his hands, “I’m just being pathetic.”

“Shut up.”

I ignored him- he didn’t mean that. How could he? “Here I am, being a crybaby because I like you but you like someone else even though I know that you don’t like me that way and-” another sob racked my body.

This was all so wrong! I should never have fallen for him in the first place! He was my best friend. Not just somebody else I could afford to like!

And even if he forgave me for it, how could we be friends again, with him knowing I couldn’t even do that right?

“Hey, look, it’s okay. Just, get cleaned up, alright? I’ll be right back.”

I watched as he retreated back to the dance. He was probably going to tell Kayla that he’d be a while, or something and-stop. Even if he is, that’s none of your business. Clean yourself up, you probably look horrible. I took a few shaky steps towards the tap and run it, allowing the cool water to wash over my hands before I cupped some water and splashed it onto my face. It felt freezing on my heated skin, but the discomfort was pleasant.