Distastefully In Love

Chapter 21: The Unfaithful

Day One

When she opens her eyes, she is not sure what she feels—or what she should feel. Honestly, the situation is already strange as it is—dating (sounds extremely bizarre) Toby Cavanaugh, her once known rivalry. But most of the men she's dated didn't stay the night. Sometimes it was on her terms, sometimes on theirs; but the point being, Toby stayed the night.

And it isn't like this is the first time that this has ever happened—it's not. There's been a handful of times where she had to reeve him back from sleep, and ask him to make his way out of her apartment, but this time he laid beside her on purpose. All the other times were accidental—all mishaps, all mistakes, but this was a consciously decided.

And she hates to admit, but she was the one who had made the call. He was about to leave, but she had told him to stay instead. It wasn't some desperate needy moment or anything; she just wanted him to stay. She's only had two other boyfriends whom she actually wanted to stay, and the first was Andrew Campbell. She was a seventeen year old, and she lost her virginity to him, and it was more about attachment than anything. It wasn't like...this. The second guy, Jasper Sty, was once again just needed out of some form of insecurity. Aria was living with her at the time, and dating Ezra. He always slept over, and always made her coffee and breakfast and all these other lovey-dovey type things. Ezra had made a comment about how Jasper never stays over, and how he never even hears him leave; and all this about Jasper and his lack of staying over. It pissed her off, and she wanted to shut Ezra up, but there was something inside her that wondered if Jasper would stay over if she asked. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. There was nothing special about Jasper, in all honesty. It was just the timing of things. Ezra could have said that about any guy, and her feelings would all be the same. Except if that guy was Toby.

The reason she asked Toby to stay was because she simply wanted him to stay. It wasn't a question of if he would, or wouldn't. It was just that she simply wanted him to stay with her. She sleeps better when he is around, as cliché as it sounds.

He stirs awake after a few minutes, and she wonders for a second if she should just pretend to sleep. The thought passes when his eyes flutter open, and he smiles.

"So much for taking it slow," he grins.

She laughs a little, "do you really want to?" she inquires, her eyes squinting with skepticism.

"Not really," he admits, "but...I don't know. This is all very...strange," he decides, his voice laced with affection.

"It is," she agrees.

Her phone chirps at her bedside table, and she goes to check it, only to ignore it afterwards. She smiles at Toby, "So, I have some ground rules."

He pokes up a curios, incredulous, eyebrow.

"No stupid pet names," she begins in a firm voice. "If you ever call me sugarplum, or buttercup, or the most recent of one's—bae, I will break up with you on the spot," she states. He looks as if he is about to say something, but she stops him, "not done," she states, a half smile coming to surface. "If we ever do end up going on a date, then I'm paying for half. Yes, a man may get paid more for doing the same job as a woman, but that only further gives me reason to pay for my own meal. I don't need some stupid male provider, I'm fine all on my own."

Her phone chirps again. She looks over. It's Hanna...again.

She ignores it.

She clears her throat before continuing, "third, if we are going out to dinner, I am going to have some say. I don't like surprises—,"