Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty-One

Days passed by, and not being with Teddy hurt me a little more each day. It was as though the more time I spent with him, the stronger my feelings became, but I had promised him that I would be a friend, and I did not want to break my promise again, not after I had broken it by kissing him that night. I had been weak once, and I was not going to be weak again.

It had been easier to be around Teddy when Mom, Brianna, Louise, or Henry were around, too, because that way we would not be having one-on-one conversations, and things would not get awkward.

However, I supposed I could not keep it that way forever, and my assumptions became true one day after school, when Teddy told me he had something to show me.

Teddy made me close my eyes and accompany him upstairs, and I obeyed because I loved surprises. Once we were upstairs, I could feel his gentle hands taking me to my room, and once we entered the room, he closed the door behind him.

He told me to open my eyes, and when I did, I immediately was amazed by what my eyes were seeing. Teddy had arranged his wires to form my name with them, and I could not help gasping in surprise as I saw how beautifully and artistically he had done it.

I turned to see him and embraced him tightly.

"Do you like it?" he whispered on my ear.

"No," I said. "I love it."

He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, "Whenever I took out my wires to work on them, only one thing came to my mind, and it was you. Sorry, Chris, but you inadvertently have become my new muse."

I smiled, and a couple of tears threatened to stream down my face, but I tried my best not to let them.

"You are amazing, Teddy Harper," I muttered, smiling.

"It's all thanks to you," he said.

We let go of the hug, and Teddy's eyes stared firmly at mine. I simply sighed and turned to see the door.

"I guess I'd better get going," I said, shrugging.

"Oh, yeah," he said sheepishly.

"I think you have talent," I told him as I walked towards the door.

"Do you really think so?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "I do. I can see a sparkle in your eyes whenever you talk about wires, and I've never met anyone who's that passionate about anything."

"Really?" he asked, and I could see his eyes lighting up as beautifully.

"Yes. Most people only care about superficial stuff, but you... you're different Teddy. I had never met someone as different as you. You, with your green, wild hair; You, with your kindness and your strong opinions about society nowadays; You, with your insane, yet beautiful obsession with wires and how they connect things, and your beautiful creations that serve to prove that something that was once broken can be complete again..."

I sighed, lowering my face. It really hurt to not be with him. He looked really beautiful with his grey eyes widened, and his sweet and soft lips pursed, probably wondering why I was telling him all that. But I was not telling him that to convince him to be with me. I was telling him because I thought he deserved to know those things; he deserved to know how amazing and unique he was.

"I think you are perfect," I muttered. "I think even your flaws are perfect Teddy..."

"Chris...," he whispered.

"I know," I said sadly. "We cannot be together, but you can't really keep me from hoping we will be one day, can you?"

"I guess not," he muttered.