Page 18 of The Other Half

“Ah. Yeah, they’re all really pretty.” Thanks for the reminder. I’m already well aware that the girls I sit with now are prettier and a lot more popular than I am.

“I guess. You’re the prettiest one though,” he says simply, as if it were common knowledge. I stop walking mid-step, wondering if I misheard him, or maybe hallucinated.

“What?”

“What?” he asks, continuing to walk ahead of me.

“I don’t know. I just…you think I’m pretty?”

He turns around when he finally notices I’m still standing three steps behind him. The streetlamp above us is illuminating his face, which looks utterly confused and slightly embarrassed. “Doesn’t everyone?” he shrugs.

“Not that I knew of,” I say. I feel my face get red hot all of a sudden.

He stays quiet for a moment and I wonder what he’s thinking. Was he joking? Was he being sarcastic? He’s never said anything like that to me before, even though Oliver looks like a Casanova he’s not the flirty type. At least, not with me.

I can’t help but wonder what he’s like with Amber. Does he act entirely different around her? I mean, probably. But she really is pretty. Which is why I’m so confused right now.

Chapter 18

Oliver

I’m tired of pretending. I’ve tried so hard to ignore these feelings.

I know that Oakley deserves better than me, I know that her parents would never approve of her dating someone like me. I’ve gone back and forth with myself for hours on end, trying to tell myself not to think about her. But I can’t. It doesn’t matter at this point. I’m scared of losing our friendship, but that’s obviously not enough to keep me from falling for her.

“I just…you think I’m pretty?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” I say earnestly.

“Not that I knew of,”

How could she not know..? I’ve heard some of the other guys at school talking about how hot the new girl is. More than once I’ve considered punching a guy’s face in over it, even though that wouldn’t make sense considering she’s not mine. The weird thing is that I’ve never slept with this girl or even kissed her, but somehow I feel more protective over her than any of the girls I have slept with.

“Well, then to answer your question, yes. I do. I think you’re beautiful, Oakley.” I’ve never been the romantic, sappy type. But it’s the truth.

“I guess I just didn’t think a guy like you would find a girl like me pretty.”

What is she even talking about? Has it not been obvious that I check her out every chance I get?

We climb through my window and I grab her hand to help her get in, but instead of dropping it as soon as she gets her footing I hold onto it.

I look into her eyes and dip my gaze down to her lips, “I think you’re really pretty.” I watch her face turn bright red in an instant. “And smart, and funny, and interesting.”

Her eyebrows knit together. “You do?”

“I do. I like you a lot, Oakley.”

Her eyes get wide, like I just told her that she won the lottery. She definitely didn’t, but I’m flattered that she’s this affected by me.

She looks away and drops my hand, “would Amber be okay with you saying that?”

Fuck. I’d hoped she’d never noticed the way Amber acts towards me, but it’s not like she’s ever been subtle about it.

“Amber and I were mostly just friends, and that’s over now.” I finally told her today that whatever was going on between us isn’t happening anymore. She was pissed, but I know she’ll get over it. She has about a million other guys that are interested in her and might actually want to date her, unlike me.

“Mostly?” She asks hesitantly.

“She was never my girlfriend. We slept together a few times but there were no feelings involved.”

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