Living Your Lie (boyxboy)

Chapter 26

"We don't look that much alike," Dakota protested. "He was always the more handsome one. Girls always seemed to gravitate more towards him."

I smirked. "Then I suppose it's a good thing you didn't want them."

He looked over at me for a second before putting his eyes back on the road. I could see the smile at the corners of his lips. "Nope, I've only had eyes for you, baby."

I playfully made a gagging noise. "Excuse me while I choke on that cheese."

"You're such a loser."

"Yeah, but you love me."

"For some unknown reason..." he said with a sigh. I pouted and he laughed. "You know I'm kidding."

"Of course you are, Kota. To be honest, what isn't there to love about me?"

"Right now? I could list quite a few things."

"Try it," I challenged.

"Sorry, too busy focusing on driving and not killing us in the process."

I lightly punched him in the shoulder with my free hand. "That's a cop out. You just can't think of any because you know I'm right."

I pinched his cheek to tease him one final time, but on the inside I felt nervous.

Every time we broached the subject of his deep feelings for me, I felt like I wasn't worth it. I cared about him and I wanted to love him the same we he loved me, and a lot of the time I was so sure did. But then I would start thinking about and I couldn't stop until no longer knew anything, because after everything that had happened with Dante and all the times I thought what I was feeling for him was love, I didn't know if I could trust my judgement on the matter.

I had absolutely no clue what love was supposed to look like anymore.

I forced the thoughts out of my mind as Dakota pulled into my driveway and leaned in for a kiss. When we pulled back he had this gorgeous smile on his lips and little wrinkles by his eyes and my stomach dropped. I smiled back, trying not to pass out from the way he was so easily able to take my breath away, and said my goodbyes.

Dakota simply said, "Goodnight, babe," just before I pushed my door closed.

The phrase caught me off guard as he'd never referred to me as "babe" before, but I knew I liked the way it made me feel--like I was something special to him--because my chest swelled while the words echoed inside my head long after I his car disappeared from sight.

Come Monday, I was still thinking about him calling me babe, when I purposely shoved Andrew out of my way at our long lunch table so I could sit down next to Dakota. I'd never done that at school before, but lately I couldn't help my urges so I allowed myself to give in to them more often, starting with sitting next to my boyfriend at lunch despite how odd it might seem to everyone else.

As expected, I got a few strange stares from my teammates and of course Andrew was calling me a dickhead for spilling his milk when I knocked his tray to the side, but none of that mattered when I saw the hidden smile on Dakota's face behind the cheeseburger he was about to eat.

"Hey," I said to him. He just nodded in return.

It wasn't much, but on the inside I was glowing; it was the small steps that felt the largest.

"I can't believe you're not going to prom this weekend," Anthony said from where he sat across from me, drawing the attention away from Andrew's pissiness. He was still glaring at me and I gave him a snide smile. Anthony waved his hand in front of my face and I scowled, pushing it away. "Hello, it's our last one. Am I the only one who realizes this? Whose horrible dance moves are we going to laugh at now?"