la vie en rose | blake richardson

eighteen

   "We just have to be quiet," Cassie whispers, straddling Blake's lap. It was almost pitch black in the back of the bus, but she still knew where to go.

"Just remember that I'm only doing this because I find you attractive," Cassie places her hands on Blake's shoulders, linking them at the back of his neck, "there's nothing more to it." Yet again, mistaking her feelings for lust. Typical.

"Keep telling yourself that," Blake smirks cheekily, lifting his shirt over his head.

"You kissed me, remember?" Cassie quirks her brow at him, "don't go acting like this was my idea."

"Well you could've easily said no, and you didn't," Blake shrugs.

"If I'm just lying here relaxing with you and you try to pull something like that, I'm going to react," Cassie defends, "anyone in their right mind would."

"You could of just kissed me back."

   "I did, and that's exactly how we got here."

   "We can stop if you want to," Blake speaks seriously, removing his hands from Cassie's body.

   "No, it's okay," Cassie cups Blake's face, kissing him slowly. Blake's hands sit on her hips lightly, butterflies brewing in his stomach.

   "Are you okay?" Cassie pulls away, Blake looking at her with confusion, "your heart is beating really fast," Cassie's hand sat on Blake's chest.

   "I guess I just, I don't know, I kind of think of you differently? I don't know," Blake rambles nervously.

   "Blake, do we need to stop?" Cassie asks seriously, "if you're nervous-"

   "I'm nervous because I like you," Blake blurts out, Cassie's eyes widening slightly, "I mean, kind of. Not really, but maybe a little bit? But not really."

   "Y-Yeah," Cassie stutters, her heart now picking up its pace, "I guess I kinda like you too? I mean, kind of, not really, but kinda of, but not a lot."

   "Right," Blake nods, Cassie clearing her throat, "um, well, obviously nothing's going to happen anyway, so unless we're in love, we can't do anything about it."

   "Yeah, yeah obviously," Cassie chuffs, "yeah, obviously."

"So we can still, like, see other people," Blake mumbles, Cassie nodding sadly.

"Yeah, we should," Cassie goes to stand up, Blake only pulling her back.

"Where're you going?" Blake asks sadly, Cassie hesitantly sitting back down onto his lap.

"We don't really like each other, so we don't really need to, you know," Cassie explains quietly.

"But what if we do like each other?"

"We barely do," Cassie sighs, "if we just ignore it, it'll go away."

"You're right," Blake nods, tears burning his eyes as he stares at her, "a small bit of unexplainable attraction isn't worth ruining our friendship over."

"You're always going to be special to me, Blake. There is no denying that."

"But we're just not special enough to each other, for anything to change," Blake agreed sadly. Neither of them actually agreed, but they continued to tell each other what they thought they wanted to hear.

"Let's just act like nothing happened," Cassie suggests, standing from Blake's lap, "it's what's best for the tour."

But Blake didn't care about the tour anymore. He was drowning and was on the very brink of either losing his mind or finally getting her to confess. But Blake didn't know or realise, that Cassie was beginning to feel the same, while Cassie was convinced Blake would never actually have emotional feelings towards her.