Cruel Me

Chapter 29: You Found Me

"Halo," I sighed.

She stayed quiet.

"Halo, come on."

Nothing.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm my nerves. Was this how it was gonna be every time she was mad at me?

"Please?" I almost begged.

Still nada.

"We can't work shit out if you run every time you have a problem with me," I huffed, a bit frustrated. I was trying real hard not to let her see how her silence stressed me.

"I'm not running," she mumbled.

The worst thing was, she kept a collected face like a goddamn pokerface champ.

"Yeah, obviously," I countered.

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"What do you want me to say?" she said quietly.

"That you'll talk to me," I replied, almost pleading. "Or at least, listen."

Her head tilted as she looked at me with sad eyes.

"That's all I've been doing, Oz. Listening."

I gaped at her for a second. Her words were like bullets shooting me right in the gut. I didn't expect to feel hurt. But I kept in mind that she must've been feeling it, too.

I frowned, absentmindedly licking my lips as I searched for the right words.

"Tell me what's on your mind, then," I urged. "Tell me if you think I'm being a fucking pumpkinhead or whatever. Just," I paused, raising my head and stepping back to take breath. When I looked at her again, I continued calmly, "Just speak your mind, baby."

She bit her lip as she stared at me with wide eyes. She was tearing up. As if waking up from a trance, she cleared her throat and glanced down the hall.

Shit. I knew that look. She wanted to escape.

"Don't run anymore, Halo," I said quietly.

Her eyes landed on me, and for a second I was surprised at how fierce they were.

"So what if I am?" she demanded. "That's what I do. I run. I need time to think things through and understand the situation from afar before I could face it head on." She shook her head and let out a breath. "I'm not like you, Oz."

My frown deepened as I waited for her to continue.

"I'm not brave enough to confront my problems right away," she shrugged. "And to be honest, I'd rather pretend it's not there." She looked down, hugging the notebooks to her chest like some kinda shield from me. "I'd rather pretend you bailed on tutoring me than you getting in detention with your ex-girlfriend."

I instinctively stepped forward, but she took a step back and shook her head. My jaw clenched, while my hands turned to fists.

"I'd rather pretend I don't see you starting to get confused with your feelings," she whispered, her voice shaking. She took a deep breath, and added, "I'd rather pretend . . . I'd rather pretend I'm the only one you see."

She looked so vulnerable that I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She looked broken. I couldn't accept the fact that I did that. I made her this way. Me and my dumb ass.

I really fucking wanted to wrap my arms around her so bad but I knew she would only pull away. I wasn't sure if I could handle that.

"Halo," I murmured.