Page 42 of Withered

My cheeks burn more, and I try to change my mood and the topic.

“You can’t tease me like that and expect not to be punished,” I repeat his exact words, pointing at his pants.

He groans again and mutters something under his breath.

Things escalate so quickly, and now here we are, still breathless from our kissing session. I never thought I would be kissing someone like Jake. A tattooed, extremely gorgeous boy. Then again, things never go as planned.

As much as I enjoy this, I can’t stop the thoughts creeping their way back into my mind. One by one, questions arise, and each time they get worse and worse.

What just happened?

Why did we even kiss?

What are we?

With Jake’s curious look, I can’t help but raise the question, “What are we, Jake? What just happened here?”

“What do you mean? We just kissed.” He shrugs.

“What are we?” I repeat my question.

“I don’t know.” He moves back a little and says, “We can be friends.”

“Friends? Are you kidding me? You mean to say, you kiss all your friends?”

Unbelievable.This is what I was afraid of. People like Jake, just want to be friends. That only means friends withbenefits.It doesn’t take a genius like Einstein to figure that out.

“People kiss all the time. That’s no big deal. It was just a kiss,” he says it in his oh-so-casual tone.

I am taken aback by his words. Of course, just a kiss for him. Not for me.

I was always excited about who my first kiss would be with. I wanted it to be with someone that I liked and for the other person to like me back equally. The universe had other plans for me.

Tears start pooling in my eyes, but I blink them rapidly. I can’t let him see me like this, not after what happened and what he said right now.I cannot do this.

I gather my shattered self, look him in the eye, and voice my words with power and confidence in my tone. “Get out.”

“Didyoujusttellme toget out?” Jake’s shock is evident in his eyes and voice.

“I did not just say, I am ordering you. Get out. Now.” I bark, my breathing getting heavier because of all the anger inside me, causing my hands to shake as I try my best to calm down.

“Excuse me?” He raises his voice. His nostrils flare, his chest heaves, and his fists clench by his sides.

“Who do you think you are? You came here uninvited. And now, you expect us to be friends after whatever happened between us,” I yell, my hands flying in all directions.

My anger has taken the best of me. I am never one to yell or even raise my voice. But thanks to him, I discover this too.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it,” he mocks me.

It’s barely afternoon now, yet I’m so exhausted. Jake, the brownie, and the kisses—everything is tiresome. I don’t have the energy to fight or say anything to him.

“Look, just leave me alone, please,” I beg him.

The tension in the room has intensified so much that I know if he says something to me or tries to mock me, I most certainly will bawl my eyes out.

“You know what? I don’t know why I even wasted my time on you. Stay the same way you are. The same uptight and selfish person that you are,” he says before storming past me and out the front door.

I crumble to the ground and burst into tears.Why am I even crying?Maybe because he called me uptight and selfish. Or maybe because he left.

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