Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

Maybe Tina’s better off without me.

***

As soon as I smell him, I wake.

I know it’s Nik and regardless of what happened the other day, I’m not afraid of him.

Nik didn’t mean for me to trip. And that’s exactly what happened. I tripped.

I’m still hurting, physically and mentally, though. This is why I take cowards way out and pretend to sleep. I remind myself to breathe in and out deeply and to not react at all.

I feel his hand lightly brush my bruised shoulder and I shiver.

Thanks traitorous body!

I feel the sheet lift from my bottom to cover my back and shoulder. I don’t understand it but even the small amount of pressure from the sheet hurts. I’m careful not to flinch.

Nik whispers hoarsely, “I’m so sorry, baby. ”

I almost forget to breathe. A small part of me is chastising myself for pretending to sleep but another part so desperately wants to hear what he says to my supposed sleeping form.

He continues in a whisper, “Never meant to hurt you. Come back to me, baby. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. ”

My heart skips a beat.

Nik wants me back. He must know what really happened.

This is great!

Don’t do it. Don’t give away your heart again. It hurts too much.

I do hurt. I don’t know if I could handle that again. After Jace was hard but after Nik I actually thought I’d die from heart-break.

I have to think about this.

I feel his breath close to my ear. He kisses the side of my neck so softly I could’ve imagined it and whispers, “Love you, Tina. ”

He shuffles around and makes some strange noises for a few minutes, the door opens then closes and he’s gone.

I sit up in bed and see something on the desk in the corner that wasn’t there before. Needing a little light, I switch on the bedside lamp and move my sore body over to the desk.

What I see makes me smile. The first real smile I’ve had in days. Nik has obviously spoken to Nat about my candy preferences.

Written in raspberry bullets is ‘I’m sorry’.

Written in green apple jellybeans is ‘I miss you’.

Written in cherry jellybeans is ‘I love you’.

My heart skips a beat at the last line.

Written in gummy bears is ‘Marry me’.

Did Nik just propose using candy?

Why, yes, brain. Yes, he did.

Chapter Twenty-Seven