*Understanding Him*

Chapter Nine

Hey.

Just one word. Three letters. After all the time we've spent avoiding each other, those were his first words to me. I struggled to regain my composure as I tilted my head upwards slightly so that the tears would not spill. Violet still hung onto to me as she released me from her grip while turning to Lamon.

"See? I told you she'd come" she said to him teasingly.

So he thought I would not come? Huh, I bet he would wouldn't he. He just stood there nonchalantly, a muscular hand in his pocket while the other found a red cup and doused the contents into his mouth.

Wiping his mouth he looked back uninterested at us as we stood there, Vi silently fan-girling over him as the irritation boiled rapidly under my skin.

"So, where's Tulip?" he asked as he barely look me in the eyes. He doesn't even care to ask how I was doing or anything; but who cares. Two could play this game.

"She's over there with Javon", I said, a small smile playing on my face.

I knew he didn't really like her being around guys because she had told me he was the over protective type. Glaring at me he contorted his face in disgust.

"And you let her be alone with some guy?"

"He seems nice enough, plus she can handle herself. She's not a baby you know" I countered.

"Oh! So that means any guy that comes along you'll just scurry off and leave her? Hmm. Some best friend."

That one hurt; the pang vibrating off my heart indicated so.

"Don't you DARE say that" I half shout as I thrust a finger in his chest.

I was in his face now, close enough to smell his Darker cologne that I've come to adore.
As he meets my gaze, something in his eyes change; the hardness of their exterior melts away as I actually LOOK into his eyes after that day in front of the school.

Pain. Frustration. Regret. All those swarm around inside his irises alongside something else, something I can't really place. He's trying to hide it, I can see it in his face; the way he scrunches his nose and bites his lip. I see it there hiding under his exterior, under his thick façade.

And then just like that, he's back. The don't care attitude returns as he squares his shoulders and looks everywhere except me. He takes another slow sip from his cup and kicks at some imaginary thing he's deemed interesting on the floor. I smile a little.
I haven't really given thought to how this whole....... whatever this is between us, has been affecting him. In school he seems unscathed, and he hasn't texted me ever since.

The whole thing had been a show, an act to hide the truth; the truth that its killing him as much as its killing me. Even after everything, he still manages to make my heart warm a little.

"Lamon" I call out as softly but as audibly as I can with the music blasting around us. He must have heard the change in my voice or the way I called his name because he stops entirely and focuses on me once again.
Before answering he glances behind me, at Violet I figured, who hasn't moved or stopped watching our display.

"Yes?" he says silkily as every letter rolls off his tongue and he breathes it out airily.

"I lo-"

A loud sound interrupts me before I could get the rest of my words out. Everyone turns towards the sound at the top of the stairs where Savannah and her posse were fumbling with a microphone set.

Uh-oh, I thought, this wasn't going to be good. I turned back to look at Lamon whose eyes were trained on them; he looked as if he was thinking the same as me.