Picture Perfect (✔️)

Chapter 23

Emily

My friends came over on the weekend, and I don't know why my heart was a little disappointed when I didn't see Everett.

He have a girlfriend. I reminded myself. London is so much better than I am. She's confident, beautiful and charming while I'm the opposite of her.

I see Evan with them and he have band-aid on his forehead a little bruise under his eyes and busted lip.

I was mad at him, but seeing him like that made me worried.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, all my anger towards him dissolved.

"I'm perfectly fine. I even went to school the next day." He grinned. "I missed you and then I heard about the incident." He frowned. "Did you faint because you missed me so much during lunch?"

I rolled my eyes at him and hugged him tight and he returned the hug.

"You are so delusional."

And he laughed.

Dad appeared and he looked at Evan with a raised eye-brow. It's never a good impression to meet a parent like that.

"Got into a fight?" He asked.

"Yes sir." Evan said.

"Who won?" My dad asked.

"The other guy, but he got suspended and I'm still in school. I believe that I won." Evan give him a dazzling smile.

"Very optimistic." Dad said taking out his hand for a hand-shake.

"That I am." Evan said. "I'm Evan, sir. It's so nice to meet you in person."

Dad laughed a bit. I like seeing him so relax and carefree. It's rare and I wish this moment last longer.

Everett showed up a little while later when Bloom was explaining to me some assignments. Some of my classmates was kind enough to share notes with me.

We all were in the living room. I was sitting on the carpet with Bloom. There were notes spread and the laptop was open.

"I feel stressful looking at all these notes.." Everett said.

"No one asked you to be here." Morgan remarked and Evan reached out for a fist bump.

"I came here to talk to Emily." He said.

"This guy seriously needs a punch on the face." Morgan said getting up.

"Go to your girlfriend." Evan said.

"Evan, Morgan." I sighed. "Let's be nice."

"I think he understand better with physical consequences." Evan said.

I sighed and looked at Everett.

"Five minutes." I said to him as I got up.

"Em." Evan said.

"Don't worry." I said. We went to my room, not sure if it was a good idea, though.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked once we were in my room. He pushed me against the wall gently and I felt his lip on mine.

My mind went blank for a moment and all those pent up emotions of frustration and jealousy came over me and I kissed him back, forgetting for a moment, that this was wrong.

"No." I said pushing him away when I realized my mistake. "You-you said you wanted to talk." I was confused and lost.

"I missed you." He said to me.

"You have London." I said looking at him. "This is wrong, what we did was wrong. You have a girlfriend."

"No." He said quickly. "She's not my girlfriend."

"This is wrong." I said moving away from him. It was a bad idea to have a talk, here

"You like me." He said. "I like you. What's the problem, here?" He took a step close to me.

"I said I just want us to be friends.." I said taking a step back to make distance.

"Do you like Evan?" He asked.

"No... what?" I asked stupefied by his question.

He looked relief.

"I-I'm sorry for kissing you." He said quietly. "I-I was jealous." He looked away in ashamed.

Jealous? about what?

"I don't like when Evan put his arms around you." He said looking at me. "I don't like when he can make you laugh and smile like there's no one else around you." He looked at his shoes.

"Everett." I started.

"No, let me talk." He said. "Let me get it out. At the beginning, I thought I could get over you if we remained strangers. I can't when Evan is hovering around you like a bug and makes me mad. I'm mad at myself for feeling this way. I'm mad that I can't get over you. I'm mad that instead of being your friend, I chose to be a stranger." He looked defeated for a moment.

"I really am sorry for kissing you. I shouldn't have took advantage like that. You must be thinking that I'm a guy who doesn't understand No. I promise, I'm not like that. I don't know what I was thinking..." he said. "Can I get another chance? I want to be your friend, again."

I looked at him, trying to understand him. He always does something unexpected all the time.

I hugged him as tightly as I could and he sighed in relief and hugged me back, nuzzling on my neck.

I missed him, I missed his warmness, his smell. All of him.

"I missed you, too." I said.

"I will try to be a better friend." He said.

"Are you sure you want to be my friend?" I asked pulling away.

"I want to be more than friends, but if friendship is the only way I can be close to you. Then so be it." He said. "It's better than staying away from you."

"Do you like me that much?" I cocked my head to one side and looked at him.

"I like you more than I can explain." He said.

I looked at him, momentarily and said, "If you do find out something horrendous about me? Would your feelings change?"

"What are you trying to say?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said shaking my head. "Let's go back downstairs." I give him a small smile.

He pulled me back.

"And the answer is no. My feelings towards you won't change, no matter what." He said confidently.

"I hope so." I said, quietly.