Olivia • Hardzello au

16.

His name is Gwilym Lee. He's british and utterly annoying.
I can't stand him and I've seen him just once, when he knocked at our door and I accidentally opened it.

But I gotta be supportive of Ben. He's my best friend and he probably gave up on me after what I told him.
I don't blame him.

This is their third date if I'm not wrong, and he seems happy. That's all that matters to me.

"Daddy, is dad cheating on you?"
"No, princess. Me and Ben are not together, so don't call him dad." I say, sighing and holding my daughter tight.
"He doesn't like us anymore...?" She asks, her bottom lip trembling since she's about to cry.
I place my hands on her shoulders, looking at her eyes.
"He loves us, don't ever doubt that."
"Then why isn't he here to play?"
"Because he's hanging out with someone he likes. He hasn't forgotten about you."
She nods, hugging me and sniffing to stop crying.
"Liv, remember this: crying is not a weakness, so if you feel like that's the only way you can let it all out, do it. It's a natural thing to do, okay?"
She nods again, and I kiss her forehead, closing my eyes as I think about Ben.

Forgetting him won't be easy at all.

---------------

Ben's Pov

This is my third date with Gwilym, but my plan isn't working; I still think about Joe. And it's not a thing I can ignore, it's constant.
Every single minute I think about him: Joe's eyes, Joe's laugh...

I really can't lie to him, or to myself anymore.
He looks at me with his head tilted and half smiling.

"What's the matter, pretty boy?"

I shake my head, smiling weakly.

"I've been lying to you. I agreed to dating you because I like a person, and I wanted to forget them."

He raises his eyebrows, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh. Okay."
"You're... you're fine with it..?"
"I guess I am? Ben, listen, we went out just three times, and I had fun! But it's not like I fell in love." He chuckles, looking right into my eyes.

"I get it, I'm not mad. I have no right to be."

I nod, starting to feel confused, then I shrug, finishing my coffee silently. He stays quiet for a second, but suddenly he looks up, smiling widely.

"So, what's their name?"
"Oh. His name is Joe." I start blushing, looking down with a cheeky smile on my face. He stares at me, chuckling.

"And how's your relationship with him?"
"Well, we've always been best friends, but lately... Things have changed. We kissed a couple times..."

"Really? That's pretty... straight forward, you know."

"What do you mean?" I scratch my head, feeling my skin burning.

"I mean... you don't kiss your friends Ben. Jesus, are you really that oblivious?"

I sigh deeply, looking at him with a desperate expression.

"He doesn't like me anyways..." I mutter, looking down.

"Why do you think that?"

"He said the kisses didn't mean anything, so it's obvious."

Gwilym shakes his head.
"And what was your answer to that?"
"Well, nothing... He ran off right after." 
"Alright. It looks like he decided for the both of you."

I open my mouth, looking at the ground as I realize that he's right.

"What should I do??"

"It's simple: tell him about your feelings. He might feel the same way about you." He smirks, sipping his iced tea very loudly and making me chuckle.

"I don't think I'm ready yet. To be rejected."

"Listen, blondie: talking from my perspective, you won't be rejected. But if you're not sure, try to be around him and tell me how he acts."

I nod again, and he smiles nicely. Then we leave the coffee shop, laughing like two dorks all the way to his house.