The Other Girl(BWWM)

New Mate?

"Brianna? Brianna come on you have to tell us what is happening or we can't help. We can't stand seeing you cry so much!".

Andrea, Phoebe and Chloe were all huddled around me in a spare room on the same floor. I hated how much I've cried in the past month and I couldn't do this whole mate thing again. What if he was like Justin? Would he lie and keep secrets from me again? I had to protect myself. Avoiding him would be for the best. Yes, avoiding the boy that smelt so damn good, like honey but also like pine trees. Avoiding that boy and his sunkissed skin and his pretty eyes. This was torture because I know he is the one but at the same time... I don't.

I took a deep breath or at least I tried. My sight was blinded by the pools of tears in my eyes distorting the images of my friends. 

"My mate. I think I found him." I wiped the mixture of snot and tears with my hand in an attempt to pull myself together.

"What? Brianna are you sure?" Andrea asked as she soothingly rubbed my back. "Then why are you crying? Now you can have a fresh start. Right?"

I laughed. A fresh start. Maybe this was my chance to move on. I can't assume every guy would be like Justin. I mean, this was my actual mate we were talking about. Someone that I could actually feel a connection with and it wasn't forced. But did I really want to make myself vulnerable again. It was just too much too soon.

"I wish Andrea, I wish..." Chloe and Phoebe moved in closer to hold me as well. For some reason we always ended up like this. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week I had decided to focus more on the people closest to me. Over the past several month I had realized that I always came to Andrea, Chloe and Phoebe with my never ending problems but never asked how they were doing. Now that Justin was in my past I had more time to enjoy my high school years with the people that mattered most.

We had settled into a routine. Go to school, go to practice, do our homework and then find somewhere to hangout. Bowling, roller skating or eating at a near by diner became our new ways of bonding. Eventually we welcomed the boys back into our circle, seemingly returning back to our old ways. A week passed of what seemed like normality. The group was getting along great and we most of us had forgotten about Justin's episode at the ceremony so when I saw him it completely threw me off.

I had stopped by the locker in between periods to exchange binders. It was the last period of the day and I was eager to go eat with my friends after class.  I wasn't paying attention to where I was looking. I was shuffling through my books trying to find the homework due today when I smelled it. Or him. Just like the day of the ceremony his scent reminded me of a bakery.  A sweet, homey, intoxicating scent that made my slightly dizzy.

I paused in the hallway and stopped looking for my homework. There he was, about four feet in front of me. He was a lot more built than I initially thought with a strong jawline. However his features were a bit softer with pretty eyes and a button nose. His hair was pitch black and messily fell in his face. He was handsome, perfect, beautiful, all of those wonderful adjectives but still. I wasn't sure if I was ready.

He made a beeline for me, determined to get my attention before I attempted to escape.

"Hey! Hey wait! Just wait a minute!" He stopped so that he was looking down at me. He was seemed stressed and tired, like he hadn't gotten a lick of sleep.

"Listen about the other day. I-I freaked. I know that. I just... You said that you couldn't do this?" My heart broke a little as I met his face. He looked so hurt and it ate at me inside to know I did this to him.

"Um-" I couldn't give him an explanation that wouldn't devastate him even more.

"I mean don't you know what happens to mates who don't accept each other? I'm not sure what I did. M- maybe I can fix it. You can tell me to change anything and I'll do it. Please just don't-"

I couldn't help but laugh. He was so sweet. Different than most of the guys here. An overly aggressive and macho guy was the trend here in Canterville and I was just about sick of it.

He shyly returned the laugh and ran a hand through his locks, "Yeah sorry I'm rambling aren't I?"

"Hmm only a little bit."

We smiled at each other not knowing what else to say. I wanted to protect myself from ever dealing with someone who would hurt me again but did I have to stop myself from being happy as well?

"I'm sorry too. For the day of the ceremony I mean. Uh, I'm just a bit paranoid."

I could see his face fall a bit, thinking I was going to reject him once again, "But! But maybe we could just start off slow?"

That gorgeous smile once again returned to his face, "Yeah, yeah of course. We can take as much time as you need."

I couldn't stop myself from beaming at him. Butterflies erupted in my stomach only to be interrupted by the bell. "Oh I have to go. I'm already late but I'll see you, yeah?"

He nodded as I brushed past him only to latch onto my arm, "Wait can I at least get your name and number?"

My cheeks heated up out of embarrassment. Where the hell was I going without even knowing his name?

"Oh sure," he typed his number into my phone while put mine in his. "Brianna. That's a pretty name. I'll let you get to class and maybe text you later?"

"Of course!" I replied and dashed towards my last period. "Eli..." I mumbled to myself as I glanced at his contact in my phone. "Cute."

A/N: Hi again! I decided to update this book after months and I feel like it might become a habit. I'm going to keep writing this book but it might take time between updates since I wrote it a while ago. However I do have a new book idea that I'm really excited about so it would mean a lot if you also checked it out. Thanks!