Page 26 of Tell Me Everything
Oh...
“Don't look then.”
Alex fixed his eyes on mine, avoiding at all costs looking any lower. His intense gaze made me feel vulnerable and desired at the same time. I swallowed. Alex was my friend. I had to keep that in mind.
“Princess, I'm still a guy.”
“You find me attractive?”
Alex nodded, which was surprising. I thought that since I was in the friendzone, my appearance would have no impact on him.
“Every guy with eyes is attracted to you.”
“I thought I wasn't your type?”
A small smirk appeared on his lips. “That was a lie, of course.”
“So youareunder my spell.”
I liked to annoy him. That was why his next words caught me off guard.
“Obviously.”
This revelation made me feel strangely euphoric. I'd never really cared what boys thought of me. Still, it mattered to me what Alex thought. A lot. I grabbed his sweater. There was no way I was admitting this to him. I lifted my head. “Glad we got that straight.
“Shut up.”
Chapter 12
Elena
Several weeks had passed, and I found myself more and more often at the Niessens’ house. It was still strange to be in a house where people talked to each other, but it was a kind of strangeness I was beginning to associate with my everyday life. A daily routine that I cherished far more than I dared admit. If only I had known how fragile this new normal was.
I was scrolling on Alex's phone, looking for movie ideas on his Disney+ account, when a message from Tiago popped up. I tried to swipe away the message, ending up opening the inbox unintentionally.
“Oh shit!”
I wanted to close the messages, but the content caught my eye.
Tiago:There's a party, are you coming tonight?
Alex:Some other time
Tiago:I convinced Melissa to come
Alex:Okay, just let me cancel my plans
Tiago:See you
Disappointment washed over me. What an idiot I'd been to think Alex wanted to spend time with me for real. As if he, Alex Niessen, the flirt and the heartthrob, wanted us to be friends. I'd fallen for it like the fool I was. I should have learned my lesson, that it was too good to be true. I was never anyone's first choice. I wasn't even a second choice—I was just needlessly filling space.What an idiot!I felt my eyes prickle, tears about to escape. It seemed my heart was just made to be broken, over and over again, never giving me time to pick up the pieces. I grabbed mythings and got up to leave the room when Alex walked in.
“Where are you going?” asked the stranger in front of me.
Because deep down, that was all he was. I lowered my eyes. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. He didn't need to know I was broken. Hell, he didn't need to know he was the one who had broken me this time.
“I'm going home. Where else would I go?”
My tone was more biting than I'd intended. I could no longer keep my emotions in check. I had to get out of here before I collapsed.
