Chapter 4

Being in the backseat felt so...weird. 

It was the second time that I was subjected to being in the backseat on Anataisa's report, and I was not happy about it. From the very moment Colton got his license and first car, I had been riding shotgun with him. Anyone else would simply have to take the back. Hell, I was even there when he got them, so it was kind of actually set in stone. 

I knew it was childish being so fussy about something as simple as a car seat, but being in the middle of two of them while they talked, laughed and teased was really making me know what a third wheel felt like. 

Of course, they involved me in conversation from time to time, but it was only to ask my opinion on something that they weren't agreeing on. So basically I was the tie-breaker. Great. 

From best friend to tie-breaker. 

I was trying really hard not to be jealous and remind myself why we were in this situation in the first place. I was giving Anastasia a chance, and giving Colton time to figure out his feelings. Who knows? Maybe this very union will make him realise what he wanted all along. 

'Or you're just being bloody delusional', my subconscious taunted, and I quickly shut her out. These feelings are not one sided. They can't be. I won't believe it until I hear him say it. 

"Are we almost there?" I asked over their laughing, feeling very much awkward. I couldn't see much outside, since it started pouring and my window was all foggy. 

"Yea almost" Colton answered after a while.

I huffed a little as I leaned back in my seat. I hugged the jacket that he had wrapped around me closer, as I breathed in the wonderful scent of him. 

'This isn't healthy', the girl in my mind poked through again. 

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" I snapped out loud, halting the lovely couple's conversation. 

"Uh sorry Paris I didn't know we were annoying you." Colton apologized sweetly. 

"No no it wasn't you" I quickly dismissed. 

"Who was it then?" 

I panicked, surely knowing that I couldn't say I was speaking to myself. "Uh my sister." I quickly grabbed my phone from my pocket and perched it on my ears, happy that he didn't take his eyes off the road. "Okay bye now Cinthia. I'll be home by eleven" 

I quickly pushed the phone away as my cheeks burnt red. Maybe I was actually crazy. 

Luckily, my heart soared in relief when we pulled up to the roller-skating rink. It took a while for us to actually decide where to go. 

Ultimately, they chose here, even though I was completely against the idea since I was terribly bad at this. But I realised that Anastasia seemed great at it from the way she got excited about the idea, so Colton would be spending a lot of his time saving me from falling. 

I grabbed the umbrellas from the back as Colton parked as close to the entrance as possible. There were only two umbrellas, and Colton took one while I held onto the other. I handed the other one to Anastasia, but she simply chuckled before joining Colton under his. 

Right. 

Without waiting for him to lock the car, I ran to the entrance, holding my head down through the heavy rain. 

I waited patiently for them to join me, seeing that they were wetter than me by far, but the way they laughed as they got rid of the excess water made me want to be like that too. Stupid but true. 

"Um can we go in? I'm kinda cold" I snapped. I was cold in more ways than one it seemed. 

"Yea sure come on" Colton smiled as he led us in. The warmth immediately hit me and I almost moaned in delight. I never minded the cold, but I would choose to be warm over cold anyday. 

Colton paid for our time as we collected our shoes, and I was stuck with a bright neon pink one, since there were no more in my size. 

Great. 

Now every time when I fall, everyone will see my pink neon flying upwards like a bloody flag. Nonetheless, I sketched a smile on my face  and hoped for the best. 

"Hey um... Thank you for letting me tag along. I know how sentimental you and Colton can get. He talks about you a lot" Anastasia said as she sat beside me to lace up her skates--her beautiful ombre skates might I add. 

"It's okay. You seem like great company and Colton likes you" I replied as cool as possible. It wasn't a lie. She did seem like nice company, but just not my company. 

"Still. It means a lot. I actually thought you didn't like me" 

"Whaaaat? No " I waved her off. "Us girls have to look out for each other, don't we not? "

Hypocrite Paris. Hypocrite. 

"Indeed" She replied, trying to sound british but failed miserably. I laughed with her nonetheless, seeing that she was just playing. 

We got eager as we rolled to the big round opening with teenagers and kids rolling around with their friends, lovers or families. It was always such a happy place, filled with laughter, love and warmth--totally contrasting to the rain that was beating on the roof like an invasive monster trying to get through. But despite the weather, people were having fun, and though I never learned to skate and my shoes with wheels currently resembled something that an unicorn made for breakfast, I looked forward to having fun too. 

I'd be with my best friend and Anastaisa who really seemed like a nice person who wants genuine friendship. This could be a good thing. If I get too distraught whenever I fall, Colton will be there to pick me up, and we'll laugh away together in the sunset--with Anastasia. 

However, after thirty minutes rolling around and falling on my bum way too much, I wasn't being showered with booboo kisses, neither was I given the attention I desired. 

In fact, it turns out that Anastasia was as terrible at roller skating as I am, and so all of Colton's hushes, booboo kisses and chivalry catches were for her, while I was left with a sore bum, aching feet and a few sad stares from people. 

Such a third wheel.

So, I decided to stay to the side by myself, just watching as the happy friends, families and couples enjoyed   their time. I was pretty much in the same category with the rain outside- cold, alone and dying to get into the warmth with everyone. 

The story of my life. 

I let my eyes wander a bit, and I let my eyes drift to the food court as my tummy rolled. An idea struck my mind, and I decided to ask Colton if we could all eat now--together--as in, including me. 

With a little jolt in my spirit, I spun back around to search for them. But as I did,  I saw the one thing that made my heart fall. He did the one thing that completely crushed me. 

He kissed her. 

Well it was more of a peck; quick and over in a second. But I saw it and I felt like I was losing him--like I already did. 

So, I did the one thing that came to my mind. 

I fell. 

And not accidentally, but on purpose with a loud shriek of help, definitely catching his attention. 

'You're crazy', my subconscious accused me, but I quickly shut her up as I waited for him to reach me. A girl rolled over towards me in concern, but I hissed at her like a kitten, causing her to  redirect her route. Seconds later, he arrived with a worried looking blonde on his trail. 

"Gosh Paris are you hurt?" He asked as he stooped beside me.  I winced a bit  when he twisted my ankle, and I felt a little pain jolt from there. It wasn't anything serious, probably gone in a few minutes. "I'm so stupid. I forgot you were terrible at this" He mumbled to himself as he assessed my perfectly intact ankle. 

"It's okay" I lied, knowing damn well why I faked the accident in the first place. 

"Oh my gosh Paris are you okay?" Anastasia cooed as she finally reached us. 

"I'm fine" Fine now.

"I can go get an ice-pack" She offered, and I nodded in agreement. 

"No I'll go. You stay with her" Colton immediately dismissed. "You're just as bad at roller skating as Paris. I don't want you to get hurt too"

"Um won't you be careful Anastasia?" I rushed out, not wanting him to leave. "I need to tell you something important" I decided to say, because I had no real way to justify my suggestion. 

However, this caught his attention as he simply nodded at Anastasia after telling her to be slow and careful. 

My throat grew tight as I thought about what I'd say to him. I knew I decided to tell him about my feelings for him, but I wasn't supposed to do that when Anastasia was here. 

But then I thought, would I even get another chance to tell him? He kissed her for pete's sake! That's enough to tell me that he was actually planning on being serious with her. Even if it was just a peck, Colton had a fear of lips. He didn't even kiss me on the lips. 

'Why would he, you psycho?'

"What is it, Paris? You know you can tell me anything right?" He assured, and I quickly pulled up my big girl panties. 

"Colton I love you" I mumbled, looking him right in the eyes. He smiled sheepishly, so I knew he didn't get what I meant. 

"I know Paris. I love you too" 

"No, not like that. I love-love you" I dropped my gaze a bit, scared and in anticipation as I waited for him to answer, but he just chuckled. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You know what I mean Colton" 

His eyebrows scrunched in confusion as he eyed me with his lips slightly ajar-something that happened when he didn't know what to say.

"Paris you can't be serious" He insisted, but little did he know. His reaction was getting me emotional, as this wasn't what I expected. 

'Were you expecting a love declaration too?'

'Yes I was!' I snapped back in my head, feeling utterly flustered and hurt. 

"Oh but I am Colton. Yesterday at the dance wasn't just my drunkenness-"

"Stop Paris" he snapped, taking me completely by surprise. "Where is this coming from? Is it because I'm with Anastasia?"

I shook my head rapidly as behind my eyes burnt with tears. "No, it was before her. I just- I just didn't want to mess up things and I-"

"So why mess it up now?" He sounded angry, and I didn't understand why. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be angry. 

"I-I just felt like I was running out of time" I managed to say as my voice cracked. I was always a cry baby, and Colton knew this. 

"Running out of time to do what Paris? So this IS about Anastasia isn't it? If you think that we're going to spend less time together, you don't have to. I already made it clear to her that you'll always be in my life"

I held my head down, quickly swiping away a tear that fell from my eye as my heart broke to a million pieces. I should've listened to the smarter and rational side of my brain and believe that he had no feelings for me.

I'm his friend, and that's all he'll see me as. 

"Yea I'm silly. I'm just a bit territorial you know?" I managed a fake laugh. "I know now that Anastasia won't change anything between us" I avoided eye contact at all costs as I wobbled back to my feet. 

He rose with me too, catching me when I almost fell, but I quickly pulled away. His calm demeanour was back now that he believed that my declaration was solely confusion. 

Gosh was I that unlikable? 

"See what a little Col-to-Par talk can do? Next time if you're feeling doubtful about something, talk to me" He probed, and my heart fell even more.

I needed to get away. I felt like running to the rain and never returning, becoming one with every droplet that will wash away the tears that fell from my eyes.

And that's what I did. 

Despite the amount of time I tumbled, I ran away on wheels through the bunch of happy people, through the food court and towards the exit, skates still to my feet and all. 

My eyes blurred with tears as I neared the exit, but I refused to let them fall before I felt the water beating on my face. I didn't want to wipe my tears. It'd just remind me how pathetic I was. 

But instead, since the universe obviously hates me, I slipped on all the water tracked inside by people from the rain, and I was falling back in what felt like slow motion. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for impact, but it never came. 

Instead, I was caught by strong warm arms, saving me from the grand headache that I would've gotten if I indeed had hit the ground. My heart swirled a little at the thought that Colton had followed me and rescued me. But the scent of the person was completely different from that of Colton's, so I knew it wasn't him. 

"Woah easy there Skates" The person said, amusement evident in his voice. I stiffened, realising that a stranger caught me. I was also aware of how stupid I might've looked with my eyes still squeezed shut and my body as stiff as a board. 

"You can open your eyes" He offered, which was followed by a light chuckle. 

I slowly squinted my eyes open, my chest heaving up and down as his blurry image became clearer by the second. 

I suckled in a breath when I could get a good visual of his face, and to say I was awestruck was an understatement. He was gorgeous, and not just any gorgeous--nope. He was drop-dead gorgeous. 

Well hello there.