To My Future Cheating Husband

XLV. Validation

Ava's POV:

I turn my head, seeing his chocolate brown eyes drilling right into my soul, causing my body to tremble unconsciously. "Eli."

Uncontrollably, I withdraw my hand from Luke, feeling as if I did something wrong. I shouldn't feel that way, no. I shouldn't feel like I did something wrong because clearly, I didn't.

Eli smiles grimly, "My bad. I didn't mean to bother," he said, trampling back towards the bushes and trees.

"Eli," I called out for him, but he didn't turn around. "I got to go," I told Luke and stood up, rushing behind Eli's track.

You don't have to go after him. You don't have to explain anything because you didn't do anything wrong.

However, it felt like my legs didn't belong to me as it continued to rush after the long-limbed guy.

"E-ow!" I scrap my arm against the sharp branches. Looking down, the blood was steadily oozing out. My body froze in its spot.

"Are you okay?" I look up to see Eli softly holding my scrape arm. "Aw, man," he mumbled softly underneath his breath. Placing the pink bag of cotton candy down, he shoved his right hand into his pocket. "I got a bandage somewhere here. I think."

Not too soon after, he pulls out several bandages. I watch as it scattered all over the ground. "Darn it," he grumbled, going on his knee to pick it up. Shoving it back into his pocket, he cautiously unravels one.

"Eli...I met Luke by coincidence," those words slipped out of my mouth.

Eli clenches his jaw. "You don't have to explain it to me," he said, sticking the bandage on my arm. Placing the extra trash inside his pocket, he grabs the bag. Eli shoves the bag of pink cotton candy at me. "I got this for you."

I held the small bag of cotton candy, the one that I've been itching to consume for the last two days. "We didn't do...anything."

Why did I feel like I needed to clarify things with him? Even when the whole school was gossiping about me, I didn't feel the need to validate the truth. Did I feel sad? Yes, I did. However, I didn't feel the need to explain their unreasonable accusations.

"You know what?" He places both hands in the air, "You don't have to say anything because what you do is your business Av." He backed away, "I got to go. Mar is waiting for me."

I chuckled briefly, swishing my hair back. The beating inside my pain with each beat, and I smile, "Right. Mar is waiting for you."

Eli stops walking as his eyes continue casting its shadow on mine. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I shrugged, clinging my nails deeply into the bag, feeling as if it will pop any second. "Nothing. You should go. Mar is waiting for you," I said, turning my shoes.

I can hear Eli exhaled, "Av," he called for me, but I couldn't seem to stop walking. "Ava!"

Eli walks past me and stops right in front of my body. "What is it?" I asked.

Eli ran his tongue on the edge of his lip, "Nothing is going on between Mary and me."

"You know what?" My mind was in scrambles as I looked at his deep chocolate browns. "You don't have to say anything because what you do is your business, Eli." I threw his words back at him.

"You're angry."

I smile, "No, I'm not." I open the bag of treat, inhaling the sweet scent. "I got a bag of cotton candy," I said, shoving it inside my mouth. I took a step to the right, and Eli did the same. Swiftly, I glare at him and step left where he resumes his copycat like action. "You mind?"

"Yes, I do mind," he stated, grabbing a piece of the cotton candy he gave me.

"Hey!" I protect the bag by pressing it against my chest.

He grinned and shoved it into his mouth. I can hear him quickly swallowing it. "Why have you been avoiding me for the last two days?" I didn't think Eli would notice that I had been purposely avoiding him.

"I've been busy."

"You're free today."

I press my lip firmly together. "I wanted some time alone before meeting everyone. Then, I met Luke. We decided to put our differences aside."

The strained look on Eli's face relaxes, causing the discomforting emotions to diminish. "I see. That's good."

I nodded, "Yeah."

Eli scratched his elbow, "Do you want to hang out with me today?"

"What about Mar?"

"What about her?"

"Weren't you going to hang out with her?"

He took a step forward, "Nothing is going on between Mar and me."

I took a step back, "You don't need to validate that with me."

He took another step and tilted his head downward. "I don't need to validate it with you. I want to validate it, though." His hand took mine, "I choose to clearly identify my relationships with others."

I suck in a hasty breath, attempting to calm the sweats dripping down my skin. "How's my validation?" he whispered, inching his finger further up my palm.

"Unnecessarily."

He smiles, "Is it now?"

I remove my hand, shoving it inside my pocket while the other grip firmly onto the bag, "Where is she?"

"She ditched me to go play matchmaking. I mean, she asked if I wanted to come to be her assistant; but I didn't want to do it. So, I told her that I'm going to go find you."

I tilt my head, "Matchmaking?"

"Yeah." He shrugged impassively, "With your brother and that girl he's been talking to. So, that's-"

"Wait. What?" I screamed, "What's her name?"

He scratched his head, "Macbeth?"

"You mean Maeve?"

"Oh, yeah. That girl."

Quickly, I shook my head, "Oh, no no no! Not her! Where are they?"

He shrugged, "I don't know."

I shoved the cotton candy bag at Eli and quickly whipped out my phone. Ignoring the missing calls and messages, I attempt to pinpoint my brother's location. I can feel Eli's chin pressing against my shoulder, his lip near my ear. I swallowed as his hot sweet breath scattered on my flesh, but I didn't tell him to move.

Av: Where are you?

Mar: I'm stalking your brother! I think he is about to get his first girlfriend! You can thank me later.

Av: Where are you?!?

Mar: Near the ferris wheel, on the bumper car side.

I click off my phone and slip it into my back pocket. "Let's go," I told Eli and grabbed his hand. He stares blankly at me, "What are you doing? We should run! Run! Run! Run!" I screamed, and he began dashing out of the woods and back to the fair.

When I heard some bark cracking, I turned my head. The wind brushed through the leaves, causing a hollow sound to drizzle into the sky. "Luke?"