AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was like Bentley had infested my thoughts. I was downright sick with thinking about her so much; it was beginning to annoy me.
But seriously, why was she the only thing that seemed to matter these days?
For as long as I could remember, I’d done radical, insane things just to get her attention. It didn’t even matter if I pissed her off or made her smile. I simply craved for her focus to be on me and nowhere else. It had always been that way.
But in the last year or so, the need to be around her, doing whatever I had to do to gain her awareness, had doubled. It had turned into a damn obsession and felt like I’d never be free of this need to be near her.
It was growing harder to settle for
mere glares or smiles from her too. Now, I wanted more. Something physical. So I had to taunt her into slugging or smacking me—just anything to get her to touch me—because nothing beat having her hands on me. I’d even gotten a freaking rush when she’d thrown my shoes.
I know; I was messed up. And I had no idea how to fix myself.
Groaning, I slapped my forehead and fell back on my bed.
“Trust me,” Dad assured from the door. “Just try talking to her. Like a normal human being.” He lifted his eyebrows meaningfully. “You might be surprised by the results.”
I sighed in defeat. “Yeah, okay. Alright,” I agreed, ready to try anything at this point. Because I couldn’t keep going on this way. I wasn’t just driving Bentley and everyone else crazy anymore; it was driving me crazy too.
So the next evening, after school, I took a deep breath as I opened the back door to the Parker house and stepped inside. Knox and Felicity were working together to put supper plates in the dishwasher and wipe off the table.
“Oh, hey, Beau,” Felicity greeted with a pleased smile. “Thanks for coming back over last night and cleaning up the front walk.”
I winced, chagrined that I’m the one who messed it up in the first place. “Yeah, sorry about that. I, uh…” I glanced around the kitchen, looking for a certain someone, then just bit the bullet and asked, “Is Bentley home?” Lifting the gift bag I carried, I said, “Apology present.”
Felicity brightened as if tickled by my efforts to make peace, and I felt my face turn a hot tomato red. But God, this was embarrassing as hell.
“She’s in her room,” her mom told me.
I nodded and started past them, only for Knox to lift his brows as if warning me to behave, only to murmur, “Good luck.”
I gulped in trepidation and turned down the hallway. Her door was closed completely.
When I knocked, her muffled voice called, “Who is it?” instead of the come in I was hoping for.
Dammit. I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling and clenched my teeth, hating his part. Then I cleared my throat and stepped closer. “It’s Beau.”
Silence followed. Absolute silence.
A minute later, I knocked again. “Bentley?”
Nothing.
She honestly wasn’t going to say anything to me. No, go away. No, not interested. No, go fuck yourself.
Nothing.
I knocked again. “Come on. I know you’re in there.”
Two minutes after that, I thumped my forehead against the door and sighed, then glanced both ways to make sure no one was looking before I snuck my hand down and experimentally tested the doorknob.
Locked.
“Dammit.” Smacking my hand against the offensive portal keeping me from her, I glared at it and called, “I’m here to apologize. Can you at least let me apologize?”
When she wouldn’t even respond to that, my heart sank.
“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” I stated stubbornly. “Not until you open the door and talk to me.”
