Blair Silver

Part 16: Okay, Now

The guy looks genuinely surprised and confused, as though we're besties and he's been calling me that for ten years. "What should I call you, then?"

"Theo!"

He smiles and gives me a thumbs up. "Ah, okay. For sure, I'll call you Theo."

"And that's only if you genuinely need to talk to him and aren't just sucking up to try and get close to Blair Silver," Jillian adds in a flat tone.

The guy rolls his eyes, all previous friendliness gone. "Oh, like you're not doing the same thing."

That's what really sets me off. I can deal with random people waving at me like they know me since I'm dating Blair Silver, but Jilly? No one gets to say that to my best friend.

"She has been my best friend for the last five years at least! Just because you have no self-respect doesn't mean-"

"Theo," Jillian says gently, cutting me off. "It's okay."

The guy pretty much books it as soon as our attention is off of him. Fair enough.

I look at Jillian sadly. "But he doesn't get to insult you like that. He doesn't know anything about you."

"I know. It's fine though, because I know you don't believe him, and I don't believe him, so it doesn't matter."

I take a deep breath. "Okay. Sorry for going off like that. I guess I'm just... overwhelmed by all the attention. It's weird."

"That's fair. Do you regret it?"

I shake my head. "No. I'll get used to it, or they'll get realize that getting close to Blair through me isn't working and get bored."

She smiles. "I'm glad you're not regretting it. Now come on, we're gonna be late for class."

"Your fault," I say immediately, smirking. She laughs.

"No way, you're not pinning this one on me. It was all you."

"How about we agree it was because of that idiot guy?"

"Fair. I mean, it really is his fault. If he's in our next class, we can blame it on him. Say he was running in the hallways and bumped into us and made us drop all our stuff."

I grin. Jilly always knows how to make me feel better.

-

At the end of the school day, Blair texts me to let me know he's in the parking lot. I go down with a lot less apprehension this time, even when I open the doors and spot him by his motorcycle, surrounded by the same guys as last time (though, the group seems a little thinner today. So maybe Blair's theory about the 'idiotic ones' leaving was correct?). As I approach them, I notice that Blair seems to be completely ignoring them, even though they're all not-so-subtly trying to get his attention, making comments in his direction and fiddling with their cigarettes. I smirk to myself.

When Blair spots me, he immediately leaves the group. They're all watching him, which only makes me smirk a little more as I reach up to kiss his cheek. He kisses my forehead tenderly, before giving me a sweet smile. "Hey there."

"Hi." I beam up at him, our audience now forgotten.

"How was your day?" he asks as he starts towards his mom's car.

"Not too bad. Well, no, that makes it sound like it was a little bit bad. It wasn't, it was good. Just... a tad overwhelming. You know, because... people. People are overwhelming. But I'm good."

He opens my door for me,, and I climb in, blushing. "I'm glad to hear that." 

"How was your day?" I ask when he gets into the driver's seat.

"My classes were a little tiring, but overall..." he gives me a small smile with faint dimples, "it was very good."

I blush some more. "I'm glad to hear that," I echo softly.

He starts the car, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street before asking, "Do you know which book you're going to get at Chapters?"

"Well, I do have a wish list of books I want..."

"Alright..."

"But knowing me, I'll walk around the whole store and find one I've never seen or heard of before and then won't be able to stop coming back to it so I'll buy that instead of whichever one is at the top of my wish list," I finish, grinning sheepishly.

He smiles more, his dimples becoming even more evident. "Alright. What's the wish list for, then? Your birthday?"

"I mean, in theory, but I never actually get around to showing it to people, so Jilly just gets me something she thinks I'd like, since she's gone book shopping with me enough to pinpoint the kind of book I usually end up buying, and Rachel and Gabrielle either ask her for suggestions or get me something else entirely, and I don't think my parents would voluntarily supply me with books in any scenario- well, books I'd actually read. I have one shelf in my room entirely dedicated to the non-fiction books they'll occasionally get me, when they don't get me, like, clothes or some kind of exercise equipment..." I trail off. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Blair is smiling even more, now. "Not as anxiously as usual. And I've told you, I don't mind listening to you talk."

"But you can't actually care about how badly my parents suck at buying me presents," I insist.

"I do. You're very interesting to me, Theo. I care about every part of your life."

I don't think I could possibly blush any more than I am now. I fix my gaze on my hands clasped in my lap, fighting an uncontrollable smile. I sneak a glance up at him, only to see him grinning at me, one eyebrow arching into a smirk when I meet his eyes. I blush even more and quickly look back down.

He pulls into the mall parking lot a minute or so later, resting an arm on the console between us as he turns off the car. "Have I ever mentioned how adorable you are when you're all flustered like this?"

Great, just when my cheeks were starting to cool down a bit. I look at him out of the corner of my eye, unable to help myself, and the (somewhat unconsciously) sultry smile he's giving me widens a little. He carefully reaches out to cup my cheek, turning my head to face him. His fingers gently stroke the tender skin behind my ear, and I lean forwards a bit, hoping he'll kiss me. He seems to pick up on this, or maybe it was his initial intention anyways, but either way, he moves so his lips are hovering over mine.

"May I?"

I smile a little, nodding. His kiss is light, his lips sweetly closing over mine. I press closer eagerly, feeling his fingers brush over the back of my neck as he turns his head to kiss me a bit deeper. Still so, so gently. I melt into him a little more, feeling lighter than I have all day. Feeling like everything is okay, now.

Sorry for the long chapter! Any new thoughts on reading from Blair's perspective? What do you think of Theo and Blair making their relationship public? How about people bugging Theo to get close to Blair? And their conversation at the end?

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