Cherry & Blue (Complete ✔️)

Chapter Fifty One

"Come to my basketball game." Daniel tilts his head to give me a hopeful gaze.

Yes is almost at the tip of my tongue but I bite it back and remember why I'm making him work for it.

"No."

I step around his tall, huge body and continue my walk to the art studio but the moment I take two steps forward, I get tugged back by the hood of my hoodie.

"Daniel." I coo in awe when I twirl around to glare at him.

That should've made me want to kick him in the balls but it only made my heart flutter like a lunatic.

Daniel bites back an amused smile, the hopeful sparkle still swirling in his eyes.

"Please."

I take a deep breath in to not let my heart take control and cave into him. I love going to his basketball games and I know how much it means to him that I go but I can't. I can't let him walk over me again without consequences.

"No."

<3 <3 <3 <3

"Happy birthday." I softly say with my eyes gazing into his.

Daniel smiles appreciatively, his eyes are tender as they wander over my face.

"Thank you."

It's day six and his birthday. The girls planned to throw him and Noah a surprise party and they were considerate enough to ask me if I wanted to come or not. Even though Daniel and I are not together, I still couldn't bear the thought of missing his birthday.

I bought him a copy of Salem's Lot and he loved it by the look of pure excitement in his eyes. I love that he loves to read, it makes me love him even more.

"Bia told me you baked my cake." He quietly says.

We're seating in front of each other on the rooftop of Kai's house. Everyone is having fun around us. Aaliyah keeps giving me glances to make sure I'm okay and I love my best friend for having my back.

Before we took a break from each other, I had already planned on baking him a cake for his birthday. I hadn't told anyone except Aaliyah and Bia. Luna baked Noahs.

Baking the cake last night was bittersweet. I kept on remembering our moments in St. Vermont before he ruined everything. We were going so good and I guess I was a little to blame for not telling him about Kai and me dancing earlier but there was no reason for him to lash out at me and hurt me the way he did.

"Yeah, I had already planned to before..." My quiet voice trails off as I curl my fingers around my dress.

Daniel tenses, his eyes downcasting in remorse.

My eyes sting with tears but hold them back with a deep breath. It hurts to realize that we're not together. It pains me when we're in the same room and we're looking at each other but we can't hold each other or kiss each other. If we do, all my restraints will crumble.

"I will make this right, I promise, Rosé." Daniel says.

<3 <3 <3 <3

Day fourteen and everyone is at Chocolate Crumbs. It was just Aaliyah, Matthew, and I first but then Kai came along with Bia and Daniel after their classes finished.

And now Daniel is sitting across me and doing an awful job at keeping his eyes off of me.

But so am I.

I can't help it. There's like an invisible thread between us that weaves us back together.

Our friends are talking animatedly about their classes and sports events. They unforgivingly pick on Noah and Luna who aren't here—writing up an entire book of their love story. It's humorous, especially when Kai starts picking names for their non-existent babies.