Chapter 32: Fool (Wabara’s POV)
I stood behind the counter, grabbing a glass while Caleb sat across from me.
Last night I dropped Indie home. When we walked out to our table, of course, we got a lot of stares considering she was on my back. But she didn’t care and neither did I. I paid for both our halves and then dropped her at her apartment.
Now, the next night, I’m at my apartment with nothing to do. I spent the entire day just lying around either in my room or on my couch and only left to walk Bourbon.
Caleb came over tonight to hang out but since he got here we haven’t done any hanging out. We’ve just sat in silence, he was too hesitant to ask me something and I was too miserable to tell him anything. “Wabara.”
“Hmm?”
“Why aren’t you dating her?” he asked, frowning at me in confusion.
I grabbed the whiskey bottle and popped it open, pouring a little bit for myself in one glass and some for him. “Because I’d destroy her.”
“She’d be into that,” he scoffed.
I threw the cork at him, glaring. “I’m not kidding.”
He sighed, drumming his fingers on the counter while I slid his glass over to him. “But you like her, don’t you?”
I shrugged in response.
“Nah,” he said, sipping his drink. I looked at him, downing my drink in one go. “No, you don’t like her.” I refilled my glass. “You love her.”
My eyes snapped up, meeting his own. “What?”
He chuckled, looking away while his tongue poked the inside of his cheek. He looked back at me. “It’s okay to admit it to me. I won’t tell anyone, not even Moretz. You do, right? Plus, if you can’t tell me then who can you tell? You do… right?”
I stared at my glass. “Right,” I whispered into the air. “I do.”
He groaned, “Then what is the goddamn problem?”
I sighed, staring at him. “Just because I love her doesn’t mean I’m good for her. I’m horrible, both to her and for her.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “You are amazing to her! Do you know why she likes you, Wabara? She knows you’re bad for her, but you’re like heroin walking around. That’s how she sees you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is that your metaphor or Moretz’s?”
“Moretz’s,” he shrugged. “But it’s true! She’s all in for you. Head over heels.”
I huffed, “Well, she should snap out of it. I’ll hurt her.”
He shrugged, “You already are. So what’s the difference, huh?” He stood up, grabbing his jacket and keys. “I’m going to see Moretz. We have a date.” He downed his drink and then slid the glass back to me. “Bye.”
I watched the door shut behind him before I plopped down on the couch, looking at Bourbon. “Just you and me then? Or are you ditching too?” I scoffed.
He climbed into my lap and fell asleep.
“Just you and me then,” I whispered, staring at the blank TV screen in front of me.
I feel like a fool. Before getting involved with her, I thought I had my shit under control. I was so sure that I would never fall in love with any girl, never feel this kind of longing that I feel for her. I thought I would never love any girl but I feel like I love her enough where I would watch the world burn just for her. I’d burn it for her too. But doesn’t that mean I would burn her too? You can’t play with fire and not get burned.