𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 (𝙱𝚃𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 #𝟺)

Chapter 32

"Why do you care anyway?! I can bet a thousand dollars that you know exactly what's wrong with me!" He snapped suddenly. My frustration was replaced with confusion.

"I don't understand you. What are you talking about?" I asked him and he scoffed.

"Don't play dumb with me. You know what is going on with me. Skye is your best friend and she doesn't make a move without letting you know." He replied and that only perked my curiosity and confusion.

"Yes, Skye is my best friend but that doesn't mean she tells me everything. What has she got to do with this? What's going on?" I asked him. He watched me for a while.

"So you don't know that she said she was giving up?" His voice began to quiver and I frowned as my confusion deepened.

"Give up?" I asked him and he sighed.

"There is no use." He turned around to leave and I groaned out in total frustration.

There is no way he is leaving me hanging.

"Mateo, please tell me what's going on. I could help." I called out, my voice coming out as pleading. That seemed to do the trick as he stopped short and I saw his shoulder slump in dejection. He turned around to look at me, removing his glasses.

It was then I noticed his bloodshot eyes

"She's giving up on me." He muttered and my eyes widened in realization.

Shit.

*****

We were seated in an empty class, the air pregnant with silence. Mateo already told me everything that transpired between him and Skye earlier in the week and I heard the devastation laced in his voice when he spoke. I still couldn't believe my ears.

The Skye I know wouldn't just give up like that. She has carried this feeling from a pretty long time and she is giving up now. There is definitely something missing.

"Are you telling me everything she told you?" I asked him, speaking up for the first time in minutes. Mateo looked up from where he has his head leaned against the locker.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice raspy and hoarse.

"She can't just tell you that she's shutting her feelings for you off. She must have given you a reason." I stated and he sighed, shrugging.

"I didn't tell you her reason because I understand her reason, it's valid but I can't just wrap my head around accepting it." He replied softly.

"Tell me first." I said and he looked at me.

"Because of her fight with Jamal. A lot of things happened. My misunderstanding about the entire thing caused all these. If only I had just calmed down to listen. I'm such a fool." He was blaming himself but I shook my head.

"Stop blaming yourself, Mateo. You have no control over your feelings." I told him and he nodded slowly.

"You are right. I have no control over my feelings but I should have control over the way I handle things. I should have learnt from my past mistakes but I keep making the same mistakes over and over again." He lamented and I didn't know what to say to comfort him,

To make him feel better.

"Now, I've succeeded in chasing away the one person that actually cared about me on a very special level. All because I was blinded by my selfishness, pettiness, jealousy, bad habits...to see what was right in front of me." He chocked back and I looked at him. I could see the tears well up in his eyes but they were not falling.