Love Arranged (#1)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One: Maggie

Why does it feel like I've revived myself back from the dead but at the same time, not feeling completely alive just yet?

Because not gonna lie, despite letting out all the repressed anger I've bottled up inside of me for Levi and how he broke up with me without hearing my side of the story first, it does feel great to be vindicated now, but I still feel as though I'm being childish to make all of this about me.

Then again, it is more about me considering I was the one who got dumped, left by my friends, and got engaged to a guy I don't even like, but still.

In the end, I feel like I shouldn't have allowed myself to be so ignorant of other people's feelings even though it was never my intention to be that way, and even if it was brief just to get all the suppressed, negative emotions out of my system.

Maybe it's because no one really allowed me to feel the things I've always wanted to feel nor have I felt allowed to speak up about it in fear that people would invalidate my feelings.

Though Evan and his friends think otherwise.

"Come on, Maggs." Jess cooed, stroking my hair as she pouted at my sulking form "Enough with the mourning, what did we say about allowing yourself to feel what you want?"

"Exactly, don't put yourself down way too much. It's not healthy." Ashley advised.

"Yeah, Maggs. Cheer up."

For some reason, their advice just flew past my head because the only thing that I got out of that was "Levi used to call me Maggs," I said, my voice shaking as I feel my eyes tear up.

They all collectively groaned at my abrupt outburst "And for one moment we thought we had her," Colin said, sounding ill-fated.

Zach nodded, lightly punching Evan on the shoulder "Evan, come on, man. Make your girl feel better."

"I'm not his girl," I corrected, sniffling through my tears, frowning.

Evan chuckled, swinging his arm around my shoulder as he bends down until I can almost feel his breath fanning against the side of my face whilst he whispers into my ear:

"Technically, you are, though." he implied with a mischievous tone to his voice, causing a shiver to shoot up my spine as I felt his grin grow wide "You are engaged to me after all, which means you are mine as much as I am yours..."

Despite being aware that he meant that as a joke (I think) I couldn't help but blush as I pushed him off me "Ugh, fuck off!" I exclaimed, shoving him away as I crossed my arms over my chest "You're so annoying."

He smirked at my reaction, snickering "At least you're back to being your usual grumpy self again."

I huffed as I sped up my footsteps, hearing Evan and his friends' laughter trailing behind me. We had just finished lunch and still have fifteen minutes left, and we decided to stroll around for a bit to get the fullness of the meals we just ate out of our systems.

Evan caught up with me, ruffling my hair as I let out a whine "Oh, loosen up, Carter. Always the little uptight, you are."

"You'll know what loosening up will feel like if you don't stop putting your damn hands on me!" I warned which he found amusing, for he could only let out a snort in response.

"Oh, Carter. Feels the need to roar like a lion, but just ends up sounding like a kitten," he said, playfully poking me on the side of my torso, making me yelp.