Here I was, back on the deck again, feeling miserable. Why did it always feel like my relationship with Lexi took one step forward and then two steps backwards?
Having my horny mistakes thrown back into my face was totally my fault, I shouldn't be taking it too roughly, but being reminded of my car accident and of that night went Lexi yelled at me just felt too much like a punch in the chest, like I was sitting in my car again and feeling the shock of the metal cage hitting an still object.
"I know what you did last night," a voice called behind me.
"Do you also have a horde of spy cats scavenging around town like Josh?" I asked without turning around, smiling a little.
"I'm really sorry that spending so much time with my brother does that kind of things to someone's head," Catherine replied and sat beside me on the deck.
We were both silent for a little while, just looking at the Creek. It was a comfortable silence, the kind you shared with the people you grew up with. I might not have been as close to Catherine as I was with her half brother Josh, but she still felt like family to me.
"Someone will eventually report you to the police you know," Catherine suddenly said.
"But it definitely won't be you because you love us and you think our works of art are hilarious," I said with a small laugh. And it wasn't like our graffiti were making any kind of real damage. We were careful about where we made them.
"You two are such bad influence for each other," Catherine said, shaking her head.
I wondered for a second who was the worst between me and Josh. Had to be Josh. "What can I say, sometimes you gotta do crazy things in order to stay sane," I joked halfheartedly.
"How are you doing Blake?" Catherine asked me, all teasing gone, her voice caring.
"I've been worse," I replied, with a shrug.
"You know your mom called mine. Apparently you've been actually smiling lately. She wonders what brought this on," she trailed.
I rolled my eyes. My mom really needed to stop worrying. I wasn't exactly the poster child for good behavior and sane habits, but I was much better than I used to be. At least, I hoped I was. "And clearly, my mother's own horde of spy cats isn't up to the task, so she needs you to spy on me?"
"No, I wasn't even supposed to have heard that conversation. I'm just asking because I'm curious," she said with a sheepish grin.
I snorted. Those meddling Torres. "Haven't you heard that curiosity killed the cat? And from what I understand in your family, that's kind of a sacrilege."
"Dodging the question Eaton?" she raised her eyebrows
"Not even asking a clear one Torres?" I shot back.
"You know what I want to know. Would you like me to start shouting her name real reaaaaal loudly," she asked with a mischievous smile, before taking a big gulp of air getting ready to yell.
Panicking, I covered her chuckling mouth. "You win. Fine, sure it's because of her, I'm a broken record and it's because of her. It's always because of her," I complied.
Cath pushed my hand away, still smiling. "You ever thought about, oh, I don't know, telling her the truth?"
I could almost feel the panic attack starting up, just thinking about doing that. Teasing Lexi relentlessly was fine, it wasn't that dangerous for my heart. Being honest? Never. "And having her laugh in my face? Reject me? She doesn't care about me, she's made that very clear. I've had my heart broken enough time," I told the girl sitting beside me.
"Hearts can change," she trailed, with a sort of apologetic smile.
My jaw tightened before I answered that. "But words have meanings and I have a pretty damn good memory."
She left a soft sigh, the sort of noise my mother often made in my presence when she was kind of giving up trying to make sense of me. "If you had really completely given up, you wouldn't act the way you act with her, the way you are around her."
I snorted staring up at the sky and at the clouds. "Maybe that's not a testament to my feelings, but actually a testament to my stubbornness."
"You should see yourself. It really is a mystery to me how she's so blind that she doesn't see it."
It didn't feel good to talk about this. I didn't know why she was pushing it. I didn't need to be reminded how little Lexi Grayson cared about me, that she had never even began to notice how helplessly in love I was with her. "That's because she doesn't care about me, and she doesn't want to see it."
I knew Lexi like the back of my hand. I knew how much she lived in her own little world. I knew all about it, but that didn't exactly help me to feel better about it.
"You know a sure way to make her see it? Tell her."
I automatically snorted. "I'm not telling her." Catherine was making a face. I narrowed my eyes. "And you better not tell her either. Or tell anyone for that matter. I'm not above making your face into the next subject of our little clandestine art projects."
"I'm never sure if you're adorably in love, or disturbingly in love."
I laughed. I couldn't help it, as Catherine smiled at me. "It's a very fine line."
I took a deep breath and Catherine leaned her head against my shoulder as she said, "Don't worry. Everything will work out."
Absently, I wrapped my arm around her and leaned my head over hers.
"Easy for you to say," I mumbled.
"I mean it. The truth is bound to come out at some point."
I closed my eyes and kind of shuddered at the thought. If the truth was really bound to come out, how would Lexi react? "That's what scares me..."
And obviously because we had been talking about her and because I could never catch a break, Catherine and I both felt the deck moved a little and when we turned our head, Lexi was standing there, looking a little freaked out.
God dammit. Had she heard us?
"Hey Lexi!" Catherine called out happily. The little minx better not start spilling anything.
Lexi just kept looking at us like she had just been caught catching a spy doing something naughty. For a second I was really worried that she had heard our conversation, but then I remembered who I was to this girl.
Of course. She was seeing me and Catherine being friendly. I was a womanizer. Of course. Well, this ought to be amusing.
"Hey guys, I didn't mean to interrupt or anything, not that I'm saying that there's something to interrupt, I'm just saying you know, if... yeah rambling, I'm going to shut up now," Lexi said and turned around heading back to where she came from.
Mark was coming up from the same trail.
"There you are!" he said, the second he spotted his girlfriend, his face beaming with a smile. Lexi was looking between the two of them with an absolutely hilarious expression. My poor Pumpkin was really confused. Especially when Catherine decided to pinch my cheek and mess up my hair, something she used to do all the time to annoy me when we were younger, before getting up.
"Stop trying to take advantage of my girlfriend Eaton," Mark joked.
A smirked a little at him. "It's not taking advantage if she willingly comes to me."
"Is this true Cath?" Mark asked, smiling.
"Well, Blake's hot you know," Catherine agreed, chuckled and went to hug her boyfriend. They looked happy together. I was kind of jealous.
Fortunately, Lexi looked really confused and freaked out so that was definitely amusing.
While Lexi was just standing there, Catherine and Mark were making their way back to the camp, so I took this opportunity and yelled, "Hey Cath! Remember what I said, I'm not kidding about your face!" I wouldn't put it past her to just decide to tell everyone about my unrequited feelings. Torres were fickle and dangerous people.
"Don't worry you adorably disturbing idiot," she said rolling her eyes and then left with Mark, leaving an extremely bemused Lexi standing by the deck.
All alone with her again. It was happening more and more often lately. I wondered if I would ever stop feeling the urge to hug her. Instead I told her, "you know, confusion suits you well Pumpkin."
I was still sitting down and as she made her way towards me, frowning a little, towering me. This looked about right, me looking up at her in awe as she looked down at me with slight indifference.
"Okay, I'm like really really lost here. Care to explain what I just saw?" Lexi asked, bringing me out of my head.
"And why would I do that?" I asked her just as she sat beside me. No more towering. She was sitting right beside me, close enough that the heat of her skin radiated to my own.
She was swigging her legs on the edge of the deck, smiling at her feet, and I was reminded once again that I would never get over this girl.
"I brought M&M's?" she answered, offering me the bag in question.
A bribe in the form of candy. That would have worked for her, but not really for me. The girl holding the bag had just too much appeal, way much more than chocolate.
So I rolled my eyes at her, but still took candies from the bag.
I wouldn't deny her an explanation. As the last seven years of my life had proven, pretty much anything this girl would ask I would give.
"If you insist, our families are pretty close. Catherine's dad owns the art gallery downtown, so her father and mine are friends. So are our mothers. Oh and I'm friends with her half-brother Josh. That wasn't me hitting on my mate's little sister so don't get you panties in a notch Pumpkin, plus a bro would never hit on another bro's girlfriend," I explained to her.
I thought about he oddity that was Josh and Catherine's father. Their dad was always on Josh's case because he wanted to be an artist and was living a bit of a bohemian life, but his father was the one that had introduced Josh to art. He made him love art. Why was he annoyed that the love had stuck?
I always kind of thought that maybe his dad was always giving him shit about his career choice because Josh didn't want to be a proper artist with proper mediums and a proper style, with a gallery that represent him and recognition and status.
So basically, Josh's dad was a snob.
"Didn't think you had enough morals to follow the bro code," Lexi said, but the oddest thing happened, because the second she said that she started to sort of bite the inside of her lip, like she was regretting saying those words the moment they had come out of her mouth.
Was this some kind of progress?
I shouldn't be getting excited for nothing though, so I asked, "Did you have a legitimate reason to come here, or you were just planning on annoying me?"
Whether she regretted it or not, I didn't feel like getting insulted by her again.
"Oh so now I annoy you?"
Yes you annoy me because I love you, but you'll never love me and there's nothing that I can do about it. Instead, of saying the truth I smirked and told her, "Yes, actually, you're getting into one of those stalking not-even-girlfriend that attack my inbox. I know I'm delicious and all, but I expected more from you Pumpkin."
I was ready for the insult and to take it as my cue to leave, but instead I was rewarded with a, "Well to be honest I came here to apologize."
I grabbed more M&Ms from her to busy myself because I had not been ready to get an apology from Lexi today.
"And why would you apologize Pumpkin?" I asked softly, worried my voice might shake, and threw the chocolate in my mouth to not have to talk more.
"I don't know, looked like I hurt your feelings back there."
I should have just taken the apology, but before I could even stop myself I said, "Aw, but don't you know that Pumpkin, I don't have feelings, remember? I'm basically a penis on two legs, searching for his next victim."
Lexi scrunched her noise, annoyed. "Please, let's not speak about your penis, I'm trying to be nice here!"
"And what, talking about it is just turning you on so much? Admit it you picture me naked all the time," I replied wiggling my eyebrows to annoy her more.
This was exactly why she thought so little of me. I shouldn't be giving her more ammunition, but, instead of getting scorn, I got a amused "Idiot!" followed by a predictable punch as she smiled at me.
I couldn't help laughing.
"Anyway, thanks for the apology I guess," I said, not sure what this was exactly. Lexi was making an effort. She... didn't want to hurt me? Did she suddenly care enough about our friendship that she wanted to make sure my feelings were alright? Was I ready too much into this? I probably was.
I didn't care. I felt good.
"You better be thankful, because trust me, you won't get a lot of those," Lexi warned.
I nodded with a smirk, humoring her, "Oh, I feel really privileged."
She grinned at me. "Good!"
I started back in her eyes. She was just smiles and sun kissed skin and pink lips and... so much Lexi that I couldn't help what I did next. "Oh and... that's for calling me a pig," I said, and grabbed her around the waist, throwing us both into the lake.
It had been either that or kissing her. Felt like this was the least dangerous option, I thought as our bodies hit the water.
___________________
A/N: Hey guys. Sorry, I'm sure some of you are annoyed I cut it here when we're sooooo close to the tent part. Soon, my little grasshoppers. I've decided to stop being mean with Smirking Jerk and start giving you what you actually want. You can't fight City Hall. XD
Also, I changed the dialogue a bit here from the original. Here is the thing. I had the conversation written between Catherine and Blake since like, well almost ten years. And now, when I dusted it out of the attic, I realize it didn't flow smoothly enough so I changed a couple of things. Hence, the edited dialogue.
Speaking of ten years, a happy reminder that it's my 10th year anniversary on Wattpad on Saturday. I'll be doing a livestream, or maybe a couple, on my instagram (at kaygiard), so check it out, I'll answer questions and just generally chat with you guys. I've missed you!
Alright, I think that is all for now. Spawns will be uploaded next. :)