Love Just Is

Chapter FIVE ✌

              “Reese, something’s wrong?” Izzie asks. I just gave her a flat look. Realizing now what my look meant, she beams, “Oh, how can I forget? Theo you’ve met Reese, right?” Theo just nods. “How is she acting towards you?”

              I don’t want to hear whatever he is going to say to them, so I make my way towards the umbrella, put my things down and go over to the water. Who cares if I get sunburn?

              The deal that we had is still on my mind. It is really stupid, and since I agreed on it, I’m stupid, too. One month is still long even though I can kick him out of the house after that. I’m sure he won’t be able to make me. No one has ever made me believe in love and not hate it. They all gave up, including my friends here and my best friend. My mom still doesn’t want to give up, though. She still believes that I will be a softy just like her. I don’t want to be like her—too fond of love. Look where it leads her?

              The water is refreshing to the body. I’ve been sweating the whole day so it’s really nice to dip myself in. I duck under and swim a little further. When I emerge back from the surface, a pair of blue ocean-like eyes appears in front of me. I scowl as I note that it is Theo, grinning.

              I swim away and don’t bother say anything else. I agreed on the deal but it doesn’t mean that I have to act nice to him. The foods he made are from his initiative so I don’t take that as we are acquaintances.

              “Reese, wait up!” he blocks my way. He’s a fast swimmer. I just cock an eyebrow. He sighs. “How can I make you believe in love if you’re ignoring me?”

              “How? You think about it. I don’t want to talk to you for a whole month. And besides, I know that you won’t be able to, so might as well do in advance what I will do after this deal is over.” I try to swim away again but he wraps his arms around my waist from under the water. I gasp, trying to pry him off but fail to no avail.

              He turns me around so I am facing him. “Now, you are not going to ignore me, okay?” he says, grinning. Really. He doesn’t know anything else but to grin. Maybe he thought that I will smile back. He thought wrong. I only smile to those people I get along with.

              I shake my head, throwing him a menacing look. “Get off me, will you?”

              “No, I won’t. Not until you act nice to me.”

              We stare back at each other. After a short while, it is me who averts the gaze. There is something wrong with my stomach again. I know I ate quite a lot during at lunch. Maybe it’s not enough. “If I act casual to you, will you stop getting too close to me?” I ask, not looking at him, though.

              “Sure, although…” I glare at him. “Reese, you gotta know that I’m kinda like a magnet and I stick to the people I want to get close to,” he tells me. He’s still not letting me go, though.

              “Get close to? You want to get close to me?” I laugh out loud. “Sure,” I snort, still laughing. He wants to get close to me? I’ve been trying my best to ignore him!

              “What’s so wrong with that?” he pouts. Suddenly, he is leaning towards me.

              I raise my hands to block his face. “What are you trying to do? Stealing a kiss again?” I snap. Who does he think he is to keep doing that to me?

              “Thought you might kiss me back for the second time,” he grins at me.

              Running a hand to my face, I yelp, “Get off me, pervert!” Surprised by my outburst, he lets me go. I take that chance to swim back to the shore. My friends are all lying on the sand, sunbathing.