Accidentally Yours

After the horror house drama, Raven and I ended up sitting near the school fountain, eating burgers. Kat was still nowhere in sight, and it was already past five in the afternoon. We tried texting her, but she didn't reply.

“What do we do now?” Raven asked, his eyes boring into mine.

“I’m not sure. It’s kind of…off when Kat’s not around,” I answered. “About what happened a while ago—I’m really sorry for, uhm...”

“You’re apologizing for hugging me?” he blurted as if this wasn't a big deal. Well, for me it was!

I blushed quickly, annoyed at him…at myself. “It’s not like I hugged you because I wanted to!” I snapped.

“Oh, really?” he smirked a handsome, lazy and seductive smile. I wanted to vomit. Really. Could someone please get me a Portalet?

“It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I was really scared and you took advantage of me, you punk.”

“Me? You think I took advantage of your moment?” he scoffed, raising an eyebrow dubiously. “Come on. You’re the one who jumped at me!”

“You’re the one who destroyed all the props!”

“You’re the one who called my name first! I wouldn’t have had to destroy them if only you weren’t crying alone somewhere!”

I gritted my teeth irately. "Well, you could have just left me there!"

"Why not just say thank you and be done with it?"

My eyes widened for a second before I averted my eyes and ate my burger in silence. He had won the argument. I should be grateful; after all, he did all that just to find me.

My cheeks warmed as I muttered sheepishly, "Thank you."

This time, the expression on his face lightened, and he gave me a heart-tugging grin. I stared up at him like an idiot. Probably because out of all the smiles Raven had given me, this was the first time I actually noticed how warm his smile was. "You're welcome," he said.

Why...why was he like this?

"You're too kind," I blurted, and then very quickly wondered why I had just said that.

He stood up from his seat and grabbed my hand. "Idiot. Come on, let's go find Kat before the fireworks show begin."



"I think we should split up," Raven suggested after half an hour of running around school, searching for Kat. "Let's meet up again here before seven, okay?"

I nodded and we both went on our separate ways.



Finding Kat was like Finding Nemo. In an entire building with about tens of thousands of people, how would you find someone?

I sighed, thinking of all the possible whereabouts of Kat. I went straight for the Training Hall, since she was a Judo athlete. She wasn't there. Next, I went to the cafeteria, and no, she wasn't there either. I tried calling her, but she didn't answer.

Someone grabbed me from behind, pulling me into an empty classroom. The second I was freed, I turned to look at whoever it was, hoping to find Kat.

It wasn't her.

"Sorry about that," Rob said, smiling apologetically. "Did I scare you?"

"Rob," I answered. My heart pulsated wildly. "What's wrong? Why did you—"

"Had to talk to you. Personally."

Everyone else went on loudly from outside, but with only the two of us in that room, it was as if time stood frozen.

"Aly and I broke up," he continued, his eyes holding mine firmly. "About what happened before. About all the crazy stuff that happened. Two years ago, I made a great mistake. A mistake that hurt you and Aly."

I wanted to run—to find Raven and Kat. To just forget all of this. The pain was too much to bear, especially now that Rob was here. "I have to go..."

He cupped my face in his hands gently, "I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you," I answered. Why couldn't I just resist him? Why couldn't I just push him away from me? If this went on, I might...

Awestruck cheers came from outside. I turned to look at the sky and saw a vivid display of colors booming into life. The fireworks display had already begun.

"I really have to find Raven and Kat," I pressed. "I'm sorry, Rob, but I can't—"

He grabbed me from the shoulders. "I love you," he whispered.

I tried to push him off, but I felt weak in the knees. "St—"

"I love you," he repeated, holding me closer to him. "I always have. I can't see anyone else but you. I thought...I thought Aly could replace you. But every time she looks at me, it's not her I see. I see you. Always. It's always you."

"W-Why now? Why now?" I yelled, still struggling under his touch. "Is it because she broke up with you? Is that it? You just couldn't bear the thought of being alone, could you? Don't tell me you love me just because you lost Aly—"

"You're wrong!" he pulled away so that we were face to face. "I broke up with her."

Tears escaped from my eyes as I stared at his face. Why did he have to wear such a pained expression? As if everything that came out of his mouth was true.

"No!"

And his warm lips were on mine as the fireworks painted the dark night sky.



"Geez, I told her to meet here. Where did that idiot go?" Raven exclaimed, panting.

Beside him, Kat was catching her breath as well. "You moron. You shouldn't have separated. Now you won't be able to promise to stay forever!"

His cheeks reddened all of a sudden. "I-I never said we were going to! I just wanted to..."

"To what?" Kat challenged bitterly. "I bet she's all alone right now."

"I know," Raven sighed.

"All right. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have slept at the clinic. I just wanted to give you two some privacy. Look at what it turned out into now."

"Yeah."

Raven looked up at the sky, annoyed for some reason he couldn't understand. He opened his phone and called for Hayley's number.



Something vibrated in my pocket, snapping me out my senses. I pulled away from Rob's kiss abruptly and looked at my phone.

Raven.

"Hayley, don't go," Rob whispered against my ear as he held my hand. "Don't leave."

"But—"

"Would you want to be with me forever?"