"You're an idiot for staying you know?" I said. Trevor groaned due to the pressure I was applying to his bruising jaw. I wasn't certified in first aid, but I knew ice would reduce the swelling. He sat on the counter in the kitchen holding the bag of ice to his face while I grabbed some medicine to reduce the pain.
"Is that how you thank a hero?"
I stood in between his legs giving him a pill for the pain, "here."
"Thanks."
"Let me see it," I said as I moved away from his hand from the bruising area. "You should have gone."
"I'm beginning to think you don't want me here," he said. I took the ice from his hands and held it up to his face.
"I just feel bad for what happened to you."
He pursed his lips, "everything that happened to me was because of my decisions and that asshole."
"I just-"
He interrupted, "don't feel guilty. I'd choose the same decisions I made even if I knew my handsome face would be wrecked."
"I'm truly touched, Trevor."
"Oh, you were supposed to say that my face is still handsome even if it was beaten up." He said with a disappointed look on his face, but knowing him, he was joking around.
I leaned into him laughing, "that's not how it works."
I pulled back. He was smiling now, dimples showing and all. He looked charming. "Tell me Nutty, how does it work?"
"The hero isn't supposed to beg for compliments." I gazed into his eyes. This was the longest time I've spent looking into them.
"I'm waiting."
"Your eyes remind me of the shit I have yet to take," I said trying not to laugh.
He rolled his eyes, "you don't get rescued by guys that often do you?"
"Fine let me try again," I averted my eyes away from his, looking at another part of his face. I immediately found his lips. They were devoid of any blood that was there earlier. I remembered the way they felt from touching them once with my fingers. I was about to feel the way it felt with my lips in my dream.
"Please, my lips get very anxious when a beautiful girl stares at them for too long."
I was caught off track, but his compliment was the only push I needed to do what I wanted to do ever since I woke up from the damn dream. My hands slid around his neck, Trevor bent downwards as he rested his hands on my back. Then with one final move, my lips connected with his.
•••
"No matter how many turtlenecks you wear won't change the fact that big hickey is there," Mia said as she took a bite out of her sandwich.
I looked surprised when she confronted me about it, scared she might get mad about the things that took place during the stay at the lake house with Trevor. Our kiss escalated, and his lips were suddenly on the neck.
I haven't talked to him ever since we left the lake house. A day later and he still hasn't spoken to me. Though, I haven't seen him at school either.
"I'm sorry Mia," I said. She knew I was with Trevor the whole weekend. "It just happened between Trevor and me."
"Honestly, I knew this was coming so I was prepared for it. I saw the way he looked at you. Despite your apparent disgust for Trevor, I knew you had something going on for him too. Plus, I didn't like him as much as my heart made it seem."
I was appalled by all the things she said. How could she know my heart more than I did? I don't even know what I want.
"I don't know where this is heading. I don't think it's anything serious," I admitted. I didn't know if I was saying that for her sake or mine.
"You have to quickly decide Nat because you'll never guess who I saw this weekend at the grocery store." She leaned forward, excitement and despair clearly present in her expression.
"Who?" I asked.
"Veronica and Tyler Reyes. And not the geeky version who hid behind textbooks during class."
"What do you mean?"
"The time they spent away from school must have been because they went through a complete makeover because Tyler Reyes' unibrow is gone."
"Their reappearance at Riverdale means nothing to me," I said. That's when I realized that not a lot of people were in the cafeteria today and during the morning classes. People were buzzing about gossip, and it was because the Reyes twins were back. Apparently, they were better than ever. That also explains Trevor's disappearance.
"Good, because I'm totally rooting for you and Trevor."
"There is no Trevor and me, it was a one-time thing," I said. We're friends, we've always been friends, we always will be. It's because that dream made me wonder how his lips would feel on mine.
"I'm still creating a ship name and starting a fan club."
"For what?" A voice said from behind me. Mia's eyes widened.
It was Trevor.
"Some couple she watches on this show on Netflix," I said as Trevor slid into the seat next to me.
"I have homework I need to copy off of someone before next period starts," she said. "Bye." The hint of mischief was laced in her voice as she quickly exited the cafeteria.
"She's obviously not copying homework," Trevor said. Mia was the type of student to get homework done as soon as it's assigned. Even if you didn't know her that well, that was a well-known fact.
"How's your face?" I asked, not making eye contact with him. All I could think about was Veronica. All I wanted to do was ask him was about her. I'm curious and concerned about a friend, not jealous.
"Cute as it can be," he said.
"Hardly."
"Did Owen see it?" He asked gesturing to my neck.
"Just say hickey, Trevor. It's not like it's a big deal. It doesn't mean anything."
"Ouch," he let out a low whistle.
"And no he didn't," I answered. I could feel his eyes staring at me. I was looking straight ahead at the freshmen who were too busy to talk to each other because they were on their phones.
"Is Bryan-"
I cut him off, "can we not talk about anything that happened yesterday?"
That's when he looked away. He stared down at the grimy blue and white flooring for a faint second before looking back up with a concerned look. "I'm here if you ever want to talk."
"God Trevor, we kissed once that doesn't make us close so just please stop trying to act like you care."
I was lashing out, but I didn't know why until the reason showed up right in front of us dressed in a white romper like we were at some damn beach. She had a different hairstyle from what I remembered. It was now short and straight which complimented her heart-shaped face and welcoming deep brown eyes.
Veronica Reyes looked straight at Trevor, "is this a bad time?"
I answered for him, "no it isn't."
"Nicole, right?" She smiled at me.
"Actually it's Natalia, and you must be the so-called Veronica."
"Oh, you didn't forget me." She sat in the seat in front of us. She was talking to me, but her eyes kept shifting to Trevor.
"It's hard to forget that name after ninth grade," I said. I only remembered her name because Trevor brought it up last week. If not for that she might as well be a stranger to me. "That horrible nickname just rings in your ear."
"I've learned to embrace it," she sighed. Veronica looked at Trevor who was fiddling with his fingers. "So, Trevor can I talk to you?"
Trevor immediately looked at me as if he were asking for approval or searching my eyes for an answer. We weren't anything. He didn't have to accommodate what I wanted. I didn't look him in the eyes.
"Natalia and I were-"
"Actually," I interrupted. "I have homework I need to copy before class starts."
I got up from my seat, not daring to look back. I used the same lie as Mia did, with the same intentions she had. Which sent a clear message to Trevor: I'm not interested. You should go talk to your ex-girlfriend. I'm happy for you.
I convinced myself over and over until the lie became the truth.
a/n what do you guys think Veronica's reappearance means to Natalia and Trevor's budding romance? What did you think of Natalia in this chapter? Thoughts on Veronica?
Please continue voting, commenting and sharing this story! ♥︎