Chapter 7

I did my best to ignore Kayden's deep chuckles and Angela's constant flirting throughout the night.

When we played Family Feud, I gave the best answers. When we played Uno, I won two out of three games and even celebrated with a mini dance party. When we played Heads Up, it was easy for me to understand the clues.

It was when we started playing charades that it became a challenge. Olive and I were on one team while Kayden and Angela were on the other. Every time Kayden got it right and so did Angela, she'd leap into his arms and he'd spin her around, peppering her face with kisses.

That was the last straw. There was only so much that my heart could take. My eyes were filling up with unshed tears and I couldn't cry in front of everyone. That'd be humiliating. However, before I could storm out, Zach caught sight of me.

"Is your period acting up again?" Zach wasn't joking. He was genuinely concerned if I was alright. He sprung off the couch and searched the hallway closet. He came back with a box of tissues and a heating pad.

It didn't even bother me that he basically announced to everyone else in the room that I was on my period. All I wanted to do was get the hell out of there before I burst into tears.

I scanned the room and all eyes were on me. When my eyes landed on Kayden, I felt my eyes becoming brimmed with tears. "I'm okay. I'm just..." The sound of my voice breaking betrayed me. Kayden was looking at me with a glint of concern flashing in his eyes. He was looking up and down my body and his mouth opened and shut like he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. Until he finally did.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just gonna go home."

I wiped my eyes on the way out and slammed the door shut. My feet carried me toward my house where a tub of cookies and cream ice cream and a cheesy romantic comedy were waiting for me.

Maybe I'd throw in a mug of hot chocolate and mini marshmallows because the soft breezes were still assaulting my freezing cold body. I ignored Zach's and Olive's hurried footsteps toward me and their voices calling out my name.

I didn't dare turn around. It felt like my heart had been beaten until it was misshapen. It was attacked by too much emotional trauma. I shrugged away the hand that landed on my shoulder and continued to walk home.

Another pair of hands gripped my shoulders and spun me around, but my eyes were downcast on the ground.

"Bella. We've literally been best friends since birth. Don't you think I know that something's up?" His facial expression softened to show solicitude and he took hold of my hand as a way to comfort me. "I'm not stupid. I know you're not really on your period. You can deny it all you want, but you can't fool me. Just... fucking tell me... what the hell is wrong."

Kayden and Angela were at Zach's front door. Kayden was watching us with the worry that remained written all over his features, but Angela couldn't care less. She was too busy wrapping her arms around him to notice that there was a dramatic scene happening.

"I don't," my voice broke again, but I cleared my throat. "I don't want to talk about it." I continued my path toward my house and ignored all the voices shouting my name again. All I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and hopefully, the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

-

Olive and I were walking down the hall with our arms linked together when I saw Zach standing by my locker. He was leaning back against it with his arms crossed and his eyes glued on me.

Great.

This is fan-bloody-tastic!

He knows.

Somehow he knows.

Shame flared inside of me as I felt his eyes boring into me. It was like I was sent to the principal's office and I was sitting in the chair of shame, waiting to be reprimanded. God, if there was a way you could make a living by overthinking, I'd be a millionaire by now.

When we got closer, he pushed himself away from the wall of lockers with his hands now in his pockets.

"Isabella Price. We need to talk."

"About?"

"Your crush on my best friend."

Just like that, my vice grip on Olive's arm grew tighter and I was frozen to this very spot. This was it. The end of our friendship. It was exactly what I was trying to avoid by keeping my damn mouth shut. He was the bestest friend I'd ever had. Maybe if I acted dumb, he would believe me?

"What?" My voice came out a little more high-pitched than I intended it to. "Me?" I forced a laugh to try to emphasize how ridiculous that sounded. "Having a crush on your best friend? Kayden? Me? No. Zach, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"I saw the way you looked at him and Angela last night. Anyone with half a brain would've been able to see the heartbreak clearly written all over your eyes."

"What heartbreak? I, I mean, I mean I have nothing to be heartbroken about. Not unless you mean when you won the second round of Uno and I didn't. I mean, you know how competitive I can be. It's really yours and Kayden's fault. Growing up with two boys sure brings out the competitiveness in me, that's for damn sure."

Zach arched an eyebrow and looked at Olive for answers. "Olive, as her only female best friend, you'd know if she had feelings for someone, right?"

"Well, duh." Olive wasted no time in lying for me. The bad news was: she was just as bad of a liar as I was. "Believe you me, we talk about boys a lot and it's mostly me babbling about how wonderful Sean is. She never once mentioned to me that she's interested in a boy."

He studied us; glanced back and forth between Olive and I with a skeptical expression etched across his facial features. "Just to be clear, you are both awful at lying."

A breath of surrender was released from my lips. What was the point? He could read me like a book. "Fine. I admit. I may or may not have... romantic feelings toward Kayden."

He stepped closer and held one of my hands. "Was it really that hard to admit? I want you to meet me at Sally's Sweets after school. I want to hear all about your feelings for him."

Wonderful.

Something to dread until I get it over with.

Thanks a lot, universe!

-

It felt weird to be sitting across from Zach as I prepared to tell him all about my crush on Kayden. Where would I even start? By saying that seeing him with someone else made it feel like my heart was being stomped on?

At first, I was twiddling with my thumbs and avoiding eye contact. Then, I'd begin taking bites out of my frozen yogurt so chewing would give me an excuse as to why I wasn't talking. That was working until I felt his hand land on top of mine.

"Bella, talk to me."

I let out a sigh and confessed everything; how I'd liked Kayden since the day we met, how much it killed me whenever he referred to me as his sister or acted like a gentleman which Gray never did.

Gray made me feel scared when he cradled my face with hands that had the habit of hitting me. I never had to worry about that with Kayden. He made me feel safe and I knew he would never do anything to hurt me. There were moments when I would glance at his face for a reaction, but his face remained neutral the whole time.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"Because he was your best friend. I didn't want you to think that I kept being friends with you only because I wanted to get closer to Kayden. We've spent every second of our lives together. I didn't wanna lose you."

My voice wavered at the end, imagining what could've happened if I confessed years earlier. He would've stopped being friends with me in a heartbeat. His face lit up and he sat up from his slouched position.

"Wait. Hold up," he paused for a beat. "Was that why you started to tear up in the hallway that day? Because you saw Kayden and Angela walk the halls together?"

My fingers were fidgeting and I was suddenly admiring the sour gummy worms sprinkled on top of the strawberry-flavored frozen yogurt.

"I knew it! I can't believe I bought that period bullshit. And I would never have thought that you were only friends with me because of him. As a matter of fact, I would've supported your guys' relationship completely. Sure, at first, it would've been weird. Seeing you two act all affectionate towards each other, but I know he would've treated you a hundred—nay, a thousand times better than your ex."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've never been more sure than anything in my life. I would rather see you fall in love with my best friend than see you heartbroken." You could tell that he was lost in a memory by the way he stared off into a space. When his eyes narrowed to slits, I knew it wasn't a pleasant one.

"I remember the day you told us he hit you. You came over with a bloody nose and a bruised cheek. I wanted to kill that bastard to throwing hands at you." He broke out of his daydream and his facial features softened as he refocused his attention on me. "Kayden would never."

Soon, I was reminded of the sad reality. In an attempt to distract my tears from rolling down my cheeks, I took a bite of my frozen yogurt. Kayden was with Angela. This is simply a case of unrequited love. The worst kind.

Perhaps he returned the feelings once upon a time according to Olive, but he didn't anymore. Remembering that made my heart drop to my feet. "I don't even have the right to feel heartbroken over him. He was never mine to begin with. I feel silly."

Zach leaned over the table and took both my hands in his. A glint of guilt shone through his eyes. "Don't be. And I'm sorry that I ever said it was okay for Angela to hang out with us last night. At least Olive has been in our group a lot longer than Angela had so I could've said that Olive could come, but not Angela. He would've understood."

He inhaled a breath with his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm also sorry that I ever supported their relationship. If I had known..." Zach slightly narrowed his eyes but an amused smile touched his lips. "I wouldn't have. I would've tried to sabotage their relationship or something." He chuckled. His laughs were contagious because a small giggle managed to break out from my lips.

I had to admit. It was like the world had been lifted off my shoulder now knowing that he wouldn't have freaked out on me. That was my biggest fear about telling him every little detail, but seeing that smile on his face made me realize how stupid I was to think that.