That Summer Feeling [H.S.]

28. Chamber of Reflection

He chuckles but it sounded like it was forced.
"Best friend, huh.." I grew confused. He starts to slowly shake his head, his body noticeably tenses as he stares into nowhere. "If you want what's best for me then you'd understand if I ask you to keep your distance from me for a bit."

"Wait, what?" I ask, overwhelmed with confusion and worry. "Why?"

"Lacey," he sighs, "please stop asking me questions-"

"Why don't you want to talk to me? How could you possibly think that I won't question that?"

"Out of respect for me?" He turns and faces me. "I don't fucking know, what else you want me to say?"

"Tell me what I did that was so wrong for you to want to 'distance' yourself? What the hell does that even mean?"

He was starting to get angry and so was I. "It means I'm gonna do my thing and you do yours."

"While we're in the same fucking house? Adam, you're not making any sense—"

"Listen, I know you don't understand right now—"

"So help me understand!"

He exhales sharply, like he was trying to calm down. "Let's just keep our distance for a bit."

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter," he says, his face blank, "it's not like you don't have somebody else to spend your time with anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shakes his head, remaining silent. His eyes part from mine for a second before he tenses up again, letting out a bitter chuckle as he looks at me again.

"By the way, you and Harry aren't slick."

That caught me completely off guard but I do my best to keep my cool.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't. You know exactly what."

I roll my eyes at him, needing to squash this (totally right) accusation before it ruins everything.

"No, I don't," I stated matter-of-factly, "because there's nothing going on with Harry and I, if that's what you're insinuating."

"You don't expect me to believe that, right? You two share a room, for crying out loud."

"Because I was forced too," I tell him, knowing very well that I wasn't and didn't mind it. I could have fought Bella harder on it switching rooms again or slept on the couch. But I didn't. It's obvious why I didn't.

"So you're telling me nothing's going on with you and Harry?"

"Yes."

"You don't have any feelings for him whatsoever?"

I want to sink into the earth right now. My veins were running high with adrenaline. I can't believe he's asking these questions so bluntly.

"..What do you mean?"

"Lacey, you know what I mean," he says as rolls his eyes, "do you have feelings for him?"

"No," the word almost didn't make it out of mouth after a few seconds of absorbing his question.

"Not even as a friend?"

"Adam, we just met, like—"

"I don't care. It's been enough time for you to form some opinion about him. Plus, you two are roommates, remember?"

I roll my eyes again and fold my arms across my chest. "I don't know.."

"You don't know?"

"He's fine, I guess," I finally say, forcing myself to conceal how I really feel.