He Loves Me Back.... Probably

Chapter Five

~New chapter yay! Enjoy :D

Photo is of Devon Workheiser and he plays Dexter Smith~

Five

It’s been a few weeks since the Parker Incident and I wasn’t thrilled with Charlie. At all. I couldn’t trust him, but I wanted to. I mean, I’m in love with him despite what he did with Parker; I just don’t want him to know it.

It’s really awkward around Halie and everything, but I think she’s too oblivious to realize there’s an awkward tension. I find it funny that Charlie is around Halie and I much more often but it’s because he’s trying to ‘win me back’, as he likes to call it.

And things with Halie are different too. She likes to party a lot more now, and I find it out of character for her.

I think it has a little something to do with a boy named Dexter Smith.

Dexter is this hardcore/metalcore freak who only really listens to I, Define but he’s got a really cool style and, from what I hear, he’s really nice. Dexter has long, dark hair, pretty green eyes, and he’s tall. That’s all I really know about him.

Other than that I can tell Halie digs him.

I don’t think she likes to admit it, but she actually feels something for a guy. Halie is good at flirting and hookups, but she’s not good at feelings. She’s a lot like Charlie that way. I’m proud of her for actually getting feelings for a boy, but I don’t like the partying she does.

“Party,” Halie said at seven forty-five on a Friday night.

“What?”

“Dexter just texted me and told me to come to a party he’s at. I think we should go,” Halie announced. “It’s at Jonah Rabadou’s.”

“Seriously?” I asked her.

“Is there gonna be alcohol?” Charlie asked as he came up the stairs.

My heart stopped and slammed against my ribcage. He looked good today, the blue shirt he was wearing really brought out his eyes.

“Dude,” Halie said bored, “It’s high school, what do you think?”

“Is it a senior party?” he asked and sat down on the couch next to me. His arm brushed against mine and I gasped quietly.

It felt like a million fireworks were going off against the place where our arms were touching. It was glorious.

“Yeah, Dexter Smith asked me to go,” Halie said. “He’s a senior.”

“Dexter Smith…” Charlie tapped his chin. “Ahh, that kid. I don’t like him.”

“Yeah well, no one likes you,” she snapped.

Charlie laughed.

But I had to open my big mouth without thinking, “I like Charlie!”

He looked at me and cocked an eyebrow.

Halie looked at me like girl-you-better-not-be-defending-him.

She looked at us, sneered at Charlie, and exclaimed that she was going to her bedroom.

After we heard her door shut Charlie snickered, “Well I knew you were in denial about being in love with me, but admitting you like me? That’s one step forward sugarplum.”

“I meant as a person, but not anymore!” I exclaimed and punched him in the arm.

Charlie laughed, “You’re gonna pay.”

I was about to ask how when he attacked me. He jumped on top of me and started tickling my ribs and sides.

I laughed and tried to get away but he had me pinned down, “Stop, stop!” I laughed, “Truce! I can’t breathe!”

Charlie laughed and looked down at me.

I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and it was like nothing happened between him and Parker. The look in his eyes was so sincere and loving. At that point in time, I wanted to forgive him for everything he did. I wanted to believe he wouldn’t do it again.

But, sadly, I couldn’t do any of those things.

“I love you Shawna,” Charlie said softly.

My heart fluttered erratically. “That doesn’t change what you did,” I said even quieter.

“Then I’ll say it over and over until you forgive me,” he said seriously.

My heart fluttered again, I loved the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes when he told me he loved me.

I wish I could believe him.

I pushed him off of me and we sat next to each other on the couch.

“Relationships are based on trust Charlie, and you threw mine out the window when you fucked Parker two weeks ago,” I snapped.

“Then I’ll do anything to gain your trust back,” Charlie said.

“Want to know where you can start?” I asked as I was formulating a plan in my head. Maybe it could work out for everyone.

“Delete her number? I did already,” he said about to get his phone out to show me.

“No, I watched you do that. I don’t want you to interfere with Halie’s love life unless he’s beating her or raping her okay?” I asked.

“But it’s fun ragging on the guys she likes,” Charlie whined.

“I don’t care. She’s my best friend,” I said.

“Fine, I’ll stop. But only because it’s you,” Charlie smiled at me.

I leaned in closer to him until our faces were only inches apart, “Is that what you tell all the girls?”

“That’s it!” Charlie started tickling me again.

I tried to fight him off but between my laughing and girlish ineffectiveness, I couldn’t get him off of me. I laughed until I had tears streaming down my face. “Stop okay! I’m sorry!” I said between laughs.

He stopped and is gaze shifted to one much more intense.

My heart skidded to a halt and started up again. I couldn’t breathe when he looked at me like that.

And then he was kissing me.

I loved his kisses. I loved how he tasted like dried cherries and peppermint. I loved how he would make my knees wobble by just one touch.

Just as his tongue flicked against my bottom lip asking to let me in, we heard Halie’s bedroom door open.

I shoved Charlie off of me just as Halie walked in on us.

Charlie and I were sitting next to each other; you couldn’t tell that we were kissing a mere ten seconds before because Halie smiled at me.

She knew nothing.

My heart was racing from exhilaration of the kiss and the adrenalin rush from almost getting caught.

“Are we going to a party or not?” Halie asked.

“Of course we are,” I smiled at her.

“Yay! We can go hook up with cute guys,” Halie laughed excitedly.

“I’m coming too,” Charlie stated darkly.

“What are you coming for? You don’t even like Jonah,” Halie said. “What are you trying to do? Prevent Shawna from meeting a guy?”

She laughed at her own joke.

Charlie looked at me protectively and it kind of looked like he was angry.  I knew that’s why he was going, he didn’t want me to meet someone there.

Is that why he thought I wanted to go to that party?

Well this is going to definitely be some kind of party.