Oh, Baby! #Wattys2020

Chapter Five

One more day. That's all Bella has to do. Then she's taking the weekend to sleep and not do anything else. Not even think about Hale, which she has been for the last week. With that thought in mind she goes to school in a good, uplifted mood. It's only when she sees Hale parked in her parking spot that her mood is brought down. It's an unspoken rule that everyone everyone claims their spot the first day. She claimed hers at the back of the parking lot, away from the other cars and traffic, in the very last row. Rarely does anyone else ever park back here, aside from the occasional tardy person or kids trying to hot box their car.

He's leaning on his car, a silver Chevy, a somewhat newer model. She frowns because he never drives to school, he always rides with Omar. She pulls into a spot away from him, gritting her teeth as she gets out. He must be doing this to piss her off.

"Morning." Hale calls to her, smirking devilishly. He looks good, too good.

"Fuck off." She spits back, tugging open the back seat door. Undoing the seatbelt, she pulls the car seat from the back.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Hale questions, thinking about the other day when she moodiness was all because she was hungry.

Bella turns to face him, struggling to throw her bag onto her shoulder. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes I did."

"So you're just naturally this peachy in the morning?" He quirks an eyebrow.

"Only for you, darling." She rolls her eyes, her voice dripping in sarcasm. She hangs the car seat from her arm and uses her hip to close her door. Hale wanders over and makes himself comfortable leaning on her car.

"Aw, we've graduated to pet names?" Hale grins, momentarily stunning Bella. That's the first time she's ever seen him smile like that. "I think I'll call you... Sweet cheeks."

Bella grimaces, flipping him the bird. "Call me that and I will fight you."

"Honey bun?"

"No."

He follows her into the school, suggesting names, "Short stack?"

"Honey lemon?"

"Sweetheart?"

"Dear?"

"Babygirl?"

Bella pauses, a shiver running down her spine at the way he said it. It's cringey, but the way his voice dropped raised goosebumps on her arms. She's never been called that before, but she can now see why girl's enjoy it so much. Especially coming from Hale's voice, which is devilishly smooth and is just husky enough to make girls swoon. Bell halts in her tracks, thinking like this will never get her anywhere. She turns to Hale, who is smirking because she didn't automatically deny that name.

"I don't know what type of game you're playing, Hale Nathan, but I don't want to be part of it." Her lip wobbles slightly, but not because she's upset. Deep down she likes having people around. She likes talking to Hale and his friends.

Hale steps forward, pinning her to a locker. Bella holds a breath and looks up at him as he gently brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. An unreadable expression somewhere between fondness and thoughtfulness falls on his face as he stares down at her. Once his intense stare becomes too much, she looks away, instead focusing on his broad chest. She wonders what it would feel like to press her ear to his chest and listen to his heart beat.

"This isn't a game, Bella." His voice is low, sincere. "You'll never be a game to me."

Bella's mind goes blank for a second, inhaling the smell of fresh laundry detergent. Then she exhales and Hale steps back, putting distance between them. He looks at her one last time, before shaking his head and walking away. She watches him go, breathing as if she's just ran a marathon. She doesn't know what just happened, but whatever it is, she almost wanted it to happen again.