Seth's POV
Its 3:50 am when I decide to text her after hours of pacing my room. "We need to talk."
It sounds ominous and scary as shit, but what else can I say? This is scary as shit.
I shouldn't have kissed her when she was dating Miles. I should've just told her how I felt.
After only minutes my phone vibrates and I slide it open. "Where?"
I type back, "The end of your street." Then I get in the car and drive.
* * * * *
We used to sit out here once in a while. We'd bring a blanket and lay it down, then another one to cover us up. It was best to come in the winter, because the bugs weren't bad, but it did get cold.
I watch her walk closer, but it's too dark to see anything about her. Then she comes into view under the streetlight.
"Hey," she says, glancing around. Looking at anything but me.
"Hey, Pey."
She gives me a hint of a smile.
"Come sit," I gesture at the blanket.
She shakes her head, "Um, I can't stay long."
I realize something is wrong. "Are you okay?"
She sighs, "I broke up with Miles today, Seth."
So I heard. "I'm sorry," I say, and I realize I do mean it to an extent.
"I saw Edgar when I went out to dinner, kissing another girl," she blurts out.
"Oh my god," I tell her, running my hand through my hair. I stand up off of the blanket, closer to her.
"Are you going to tell Bri?"
"I don't know. I really just don't know what to do anymore." Her voice cracks. Even though it's dark I can tell she's really upset.
I put my hand on her shoulder and squeeze it, "Listen, Pey, it'll work out. It'll all be fine."
"That's what we did," she whispers, shoving my arm off of her shoulder.
"What?"
"I cheated on Miles. Edgar's an asshole for cheating on Bri. And I'm just like him."
God, it hurts to see her like this. "No, you're nothing like him."
She steps away from me, "Really? What's different?"
"Us, we're different. That girl Edgar was with, she meant nothing to him."
"And I mean something to you?"
"Are you fucking with me, Peyton? Of course you do."
"Then why didn't you say anything when I told you how I felt?"
I clear my throat, "I thought I made my feelings pretty damn clear."
"So that kiss meant something?"
I take a step towards her, "Of course it did."
"How was I supposed to know that?"
"You can't tell me you didn't feel anything."
"You kiss lots of girls, Seth. Why would I think I was any different?"
It's like she slapped me. "Okay." I don't know what to say.
And then Peyton sees that she's hurt me, and she doesn't apologize. She just looks me in the eyes.
"It's stupid, but I'm in love with you and I always fucking have been."
"I love you, too."
Then she's crying, tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping from her chin.
"I can't do this anymore. You don't love me, Seth."
"I do," I tell her.
She shakes her head, like she doesn't believe me. Can I blame her? She poured her heart out to me and I stayed silent.
I left her once, isn't she right to be terrified I'd do it again? I hate that she doesn't trust me, but I don't blame her.
"I hate what I've done."
"I'm sorry. I can help, Pey. We can get through this," my voice is urgent now, and I can see her slipping away.
"I don't want to be the girl who cheats on her boyfriend! I don't want to be another girl in your backseat," she snaps.
Then she lowers her voice, "I don't want to care about someone more than they care about me. I don't want to get hurt again."
Then she leans in and kisses me on my cheek, and I hug her. She hugs me back and I rest my chin on top of her head.
"Don't go," I whisper.
"Goodbye, Seth." She dissapears back into the darkness.
