Page 37 of The Boy I Once Loved

Chapter Seven

I’m miserable all the rest of the day at college. I can’t pull my thoughts from how Dylan is going to tell some girl that he wants her, and of course she is going to want him right back, and then I’ll lose him to her. I’m lost in my own thoughts when I walk into my next class and I don’t even notice Aria take her seat behind me.

“You look like your puppy died.” She quickly covers her mouth. “Oh god, please tell your puppy didn’t die?? I have a knack for putting my foot in it.”

I smile and shake my head. “No, my puppy didn’t die. I’m fine, honest.”

“You’re sure? Because I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I am a good listener.”

“Thanks, but I’m good.” As much as I like Aria, she is Connor’s girlfriend, and I can’t be sure that she would not tell Connor about our conversation.

Dylan and Connor walk into class, and Dylan gives me a cheeky grin as he takes the seat beside me. “You, okay?”

"Well, my puppy didn't die," I tell him, which leaves him looking at me really puzzled. "Never mind."

“I have a way to cheer you up. You are my date for tonight. We are going to the cinema.”

Aria groans behind me. “Oh, not the cartoon-type film. How about you boys watch that, and Ella and I will watch something else on another screen.”

Connor covers his heart and puts his bottom lip out. "You said you'd come to watch it, babe."

Aria rolls her eyes, but I can tell already that she is going to give in and give him what he wants. “I hope you know you are buying me that expensive chocolate popcorn they sell.”

“Of course. Anything for you, babe.”

Dylan looks at me and we both smirk. Say what you like, but they are cute together.

After school, we head back to Dylan's house and I'm reminded that this is my last night of staying over and I'll be back at home in that house full of memories with my mum. Part of me welcomes the distance as spending all this time with him is killing me and smashing the carefully erected barriers I have built around my heart. Another part of me is sad that I won't be spending my evenings with him and having myself curled around him in bed at night.

“You’re quiet,” he states, studying me, as we drive to pick up Connor and Aria.

“I’m just thinking about going back home tomorrow.”

He nods. “You know, I’m sure my mum would let you stay if I asked her.”

I laugh. “No, she wouldn’t. She has already given me the talk about giving my mum a chance. Plus, she seems to think we are on the verge of sex and is worried you will get me pregnant.”

He grins. “Well, I likely do have super-sperm, you know.”

I roll my eyes at him and he grins wider. “it’s just that house, you know. It’s so full of memories of Liam. I find it hard being there, it suffocates me.”

He reaches over the centre console and takes my hand in his. "I get it, but that house holds a lot of happy memories too. Like all our Halloween sleepovers and remember all the summers when we would have epic water fights against Liam and his best mate Kyle."

I smile. Those water fights were epic and always ended up with Dylan and I absolutely drenched as Liam and Kyle always beat us.

“You used to have a bit of a thing for Kyle, didn’t you?”

I squirm in my seat. “Yeah, I guess I did for a while.” Dylan chuckles, squeezing my hand which is still in his.

“You used to get all tongue-tied when he spoke to you. It was so funny,” he chuckles to himself.

“Hardy-har. Besides you can’t talk, you had a crush on my babysitter Sophie.”

“Well, she did have big boobs.” His mouth curves into a smile.

I shake my head and look heavenward. “Such a pervert.”

We pull up at Connor’s and he and Aria dash out of the house, trying to avoid getting soaked from the sudden torrential downpour. The skies are miserable and grey today.

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