Chapter 20

Promposal

Age Eighteen

Dripping wet and reeking of chlorine, I sit down next to Chris, grabbing a towel beside him. "You've been sitting here all night," I tell him, arching a brow. "Are you not going to jump in?"

He shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he rakes his eyes down my body, following the stream of water. My heart races, and I feel a blush creeping up my skin as his eyes linger on me. "I'm not big on swimming."

A soft chuckle escapes me as I dry my hair with the towel. "Then why even come to a pool party?"

He shrugs, his gaze locked with mine as he blows out a cloud of smoke. "Because you're here."

I suck in a breath, my heart flipping in my chest. I know he probably doesn't mean anything by that. Stacy invited me to her pool party since her parents would be out of town, and of course, I invited Chris to come along. He goes everywhere with me. We're always together. He's my best friend. But… I can't help the thoughts in my mind, wishing his words and his eyes on me meant something more.

I don't know when these feelings started, but one day I woke up and he went from being my best friend to… Chris .

And I don't know what to do about it.

A part of me wants to tell him. A part of me wants to tilt my head up when he's in my bed and we're cuddling, and press my lips to his. I think about it all the time. How it'd feel, if he'd pull away… but nausea creeps up my throat at the thought. He's my best friend. He means more to me than anyone else in this world, and the possibility of him rejecting me and ruining our friendship breaks me.

I can't take that chance. Not unless I know he feels the same.

"So," I say, reaching for the blunt in his hand before I take a drag. "Have you decided who you're going to prom with?"

There's only two weeks until prom, and exactly six weeks until I can finally say goodbye to this town and escape to Redfield.

"Don't know," Chris says with a shrug, taking the blunt from me. "Not really my scene."

"What?" I shake my head. "C'mon. It's a night of dancing and drinking." I wag my eyebrows at him. "What could be more fun than that?"

Chris's smile widens and he lets out a soft laugh. "Maybe," he says, blowing out the smoke.

Maybe.

My hope increases. "Really? Who would you go with?"

Chris turns his eyes to me, holding my gaze. I note his jaw ticking as he stares into my eyes, but then he blows out a breath, and shakes his head. "I don't know."

I swallow down my disappointment, staring out at the pool. My eyes lock on Amy whose eyes are strained on Chris. "Amy might want to go with you," I tell him, turning my head back to Chris who frowns.

"Amy?" he asks, arching a brow. "Where the hell did you hear that from?"

I shrug, glancing down to fix my bikini top, and I can't help but notice Chris' eyes on me when I do. "Earlier," I tell him. "I heard her tell Stacy you were hot."

I remember swinging my head when I heard Chris's name coming from Amy's mouth, and feeling sick to my stomach when I heard her tell her friends she wanted Chris to ask her to prom.

Chris arches a brow. "She did?"

His expression makes me blink. He's never shown interest in her, or any other girls really, but the way he's acting, makes me wonder if part of him is interested. I mean, Amy is beautiful. Short blonde hair, long legs, cute face. They'd look pretty good together. My stomach churns at the thought, but I nod all the same.

"Yeah." I swallow the feelings bubbling in my stomach. "Are you thinking of going with her?"

Chris shakes his head. "I don't even know the girl, Gabi."

"You could get to know her at prom," I say with a shrug.

His brows dip, and he shakes his head. "Why are you pushing this so much?"

I don't know. Even though the thought of Chris being with anyone else makes me feel sick, seeing him with someone else might help me get over him.

The thing is… I don't think getting over Chris will ever happen.

I shrug, glancing back at the pool. "I just don't want you missing out if you're interested in her."

"Well, I'm not."

I snap my attention back to him, my heart fluttering. "No?"

His eyes lock on mine. "No."

The fluttering in my stomach intensifies. "Are you… interested in anyone else?" I ask, my pulse pounding in my throat.

Chris lets out a sigh, putting out his blunt. "You're really inquisitive today."

"It's just a question," I say with a shrug, trying to remain cool. "No big deal."

"Are you ?" he asks.

I blink. "Am I what?"

"Interested in anyone?"

I shrug. "Not really."

Chris' eyes lock on mine, and he nods, breathing out a sigh. "Yeah," he says, raking a hand through his hair. "Me neither."

"No?" I ask, frowning. "So there's no one you want to go to prom with?"

He stares at me, his jaw ticking. "No."

"Oh." Not even me? I want to ask. But I don't. It's obvious the thought hasn't crossed his mind. I swallow down, nodding, and blow out a breath. "Luke asked me."

Chris's brows lift. "To prom?"

"Yeah," I reply, with a shrug, glancing back at Luke in the pool. He's splashing water at the girls and laughing, turning his eyes on me. He shoots me a wink, and I turn around, facing Chris whose jaw is tense. "He asked me earlier," I tell him. "In the pool."

His eyes flick to mine, and he shakes his head slightly. "You told me you weren't interested in anyone."

"I'm not."

"But you're going with Luke?" he asks, his eyes hardened.

"Well, it's not like anyone else asked me," I say, my voice raising slightly.

He stares back at me, his lips opening a little before he shuts them again, breathing out a sigh as he closes his eyes.

I want him to ask me. I want to go with Chris. There's no one in the whole word I'd rather go to prom with than Chris.

But he doesn't want me.

Not like I want him.

My head lifts when Chris stands up and pulls his hood up. "I think I'm going to leave."

My frown deepens. "Already? But—"

"This isn't really my scene, Gabi. And besides, it looks like you have company now, so…" Chris looks behind me, and I turn back, seeing him look at Luke. "You don't need me anymore."

That's not true. I need him. He's the only person I need so badly I can't breathe when he's not around sometimes. "Chris," I say, standing up, wrapping my hand around his wrist.

"It's fine, Gabi," he says, slowly releasing his wrist from my hold. "It's late, and…" He sighs. "Have fun." He shoots me a smile, and turns around, heading back into Stacy's house.

"Chris," I call out again before he goes in. He turns his head over his shoulder. "Will I see you tonight?" I ask him, not knowing where we stand after tonight. Even if Chris doesn't feel the same, I still love him, and I still feel safe with him, and I want to spend the night in his arms.

Chris lets out a shrug, and glances back at the pool. "Maybe you can stay with Luke tonight."

He walks away, and it breaks my heart.