Viciously in Love

Ten.

Song for this chapter: You don't own me - SAYGRACE

   I take another sip from the bitter liquid, trying to hide my smile.

   "Tell me I'm wrong." says Nate looking at me.

   "You're wrong." I whisper making Alex laugh.

    "I don't care what you say, you're still an idiot." I add and he makes a face.

   "Am I really an idiot?" he whispers leaning his head on my shoulder.

   "Pretty much." I say and he sighs. "What exactly made you think abandoning him would be a good idea?" I add whispering.

   "My dumb ass." he answers. "He is not answering my texts now." he whispers back.

   "You promised you're going on that date. Then you didn't show up anymore. You just send a text saying you broke your leg. Who does that?" I say raising my voice significantly.

   "Cowards." says Alex sipping from his coffee.

   I point at Alex showing Nate, he is right.

   "Fine." he sighs then gets up from the bench. "I have to make a phone call." he adds then walks away."

   Kelly, Sophie and I start clapping and cheering like he just finished a marathon and he just shows us the middle finger, making Alex roll his eyes and laugh.

   "Somebody is happy." I turn around and I almost roll my eyes when I see Ashley. "What happened?"

   "Nothing. Just talking about math." says Kelly and I bite my lip trying not to laugh.

   "I bet." she says with the fakest smile I've ever seen. "So. Nicole. How are you? I haven't seen you since the party? Everything good?"

   The party was two days ago.

  I frown a little but I don't stop smiling. I look over Ashley's shoulder and I can see Jake watching us. He is trying to understand what's happening. Just like I am.

   "Yeah... Why wouldn't it be?"

   "I don't know. At some point you just disappeared. Actually, it was right after you kissed Kyle. Yeah... I haven't seen you since then."

   Yeah, right.

   "I didn't leave." I smile again. "I was just sick of the game." I say and she nods making it seem like she understood. "But..." I say when she is about to leave. "Just so you'd know... Kyle kissed me."

   Ashley's smile gets bigger.

   "Of course." she says then leaves.

   I look at Jake by mistake and I instantly regret it. They way he looks at me... I've never seen him look at me like that. I feel like he's looking straight into my soul. But not in a bad way. Not the way he used to do that. It's more like... he is simply trying to understand me.

   "What was that?" Kelly asks me after I look away from Jake.

   "What was what?"

   "That. The whole "looking at each other" thing." she says frowning.

   "I don't know what you're talking about." I say raising my shoulders.

   "What's going on between you and Jake? You've been acting weird around each other."

   "If by "weird" you mean "giving each other death stares", then yes. There is nothing going on between us. We hate each other. That's it." I say after I roll my eyes.

   "We're not done talking." she threatens me when the bell rings and we have to get to class.

   *

   I leave my backpack in front of the staircase and I walk towards the fridge. I haven't eaten anything all day and I feel like I'm dying.

   I smile when I see a few pizza slices and without thinking twice I take three and I put them on a plate then in the microwave. I look at the pizza spinning around in the microwave and I feel the hunger getting more and more intense. I take my phone out of my pocket hoping it will distract me from the hunger.

   All the way home I texted Lucca. My parents restaurant is still a success; which is not surprising considering what kind of food they make. Straight up from heaven. Because I left they had to hire someone new. I actually thought that will be a challenge for them. But apparently they moved pretty fast. I open the new message I got from Lucca and I can't help but smile. I miss them so much.

   "Nicole!"

   I almost scream when I hear Jake's voice coming from behind me.

   "What the hell, Jake?" I raise my voice.

   "So much kindness coming from your majesty. What an honor!" he says putting his hand where his heart should be. But it's just some empty space.

   I roll my eyes and he smiles in my face.

   I turn around and I take my food out of the microwave and I start eating right in front of him.

   "What's so funny?" I ask when his smile gets bigger and bigger.

   "I was just thinking... It must be really hard for you not jump on me right now."

   I feel the food getting stuck in my throat and suddenly I can't breathe anymore. I start coughing and Jake starts laughing. I go to the sink and I pour myself a glass a water. I drink the entire glass while Jake still laughs at me.

   "Idiot!" I yell when I put the glass down.

   He just raises his hands defending himself and laughs harder.

   "It's so easy to get into your head." he comes closer. "Especially because you have feelings for me." he whispers into my ear and I am the one laughing this time.

   "In your dreams." I whisper in his ear just like he did.

   "You don't have to hide anymore." he says and I frown. "I can see it on your face everytime Ashley is around me. You're jealous."

   "Sweetie, I have nothing and no one to be jealous of." I say trying not to laugh. He is hilarious. "And, since you mentioned it... Why can't you get your eyes off me?"  I say and he gets tense again.

   "I don't know what you're talking about."

   "Oh, really? That's weird. You know, everythime I look at you... You're watching me. Care to tell me why?" I say and he rolls his eyes. "Do you have feelings for me Jake?" I sigh pretending to be shocked.

   "In your dreams."

   "That's my line." I tease him. "Just make sure you're not catching feelings for me. You're going to end up with your heart broken."

   "Keep dreaming, princess." he says then leaves the kitchen.

   Idiot!

   Jealous? Me? Because of Ashley? Not in a billion years. Just because I can't stand Ashley, it doesn't mean I'm jealous of her and Jake. I hate Jake.

   "You have feelings for me."

   The audacity! How can he be so arrogant? And such a dick? How can anyone stand him? How come so many people love him? And he doesn't even care about them.