Accidentally in Love with the Best Friend
Chapter 22.|With Him Again?|

h.a.r.p.e.r.’.s....p.o.v.

After coming to terms that my mind was clear as could be and my loyalty still resided in Justin, no matter what Toby said, I still kept my distance. Maybe it was the fact that I still couldn’t believe what I’d seen, or the fact I was embarrassed for how I had treated him.

By the time Monday rolled around, I still ignored him, and I think he had gotten the message, because he didn’t try to talk to me. I was heading to lunch, though, when I first saw Justin that day. His rich brown hair was messy as usual, but he tried to make a beeline for me. Obviously, he was done waiting, and ready to talk it out.

Not knowing what else to do, I ran to the girls’ room, hoping to hide out for a while. After five minutes of absolute silence and no sign of anyone on the other side of the door, I exited, to find the hall empty. Not wanting to run into him again, I sped into the lunchroom, bringing more attention to myself than I would have liked, before sitting down beside Carmela.

“Where were you? If something involves food you’re almost never late. What held you up this time?”

“Justin was following me - I had to lose him.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, so now the roles are reversed? I’m not the one acting childish, you are, with running away from people you don’t want to speak to?”

I bit my lip, knowing she was right. However, just because it was considered immature, didn’t mean I wasn’t going to partake in it. Right now, I would do whatever it cost to stay out of Justin’s hands.

I had thought I was safe. I was in a crowded hallway, Justin and Toby nowhere in sight. Nothing was going to happen to me, right?

That was until I was pulled into an empty, dark classroom with the door shutting and locking behind me. I turned around, only to find Justin standing not five feet away from me, smirking.

My breathing hitched once I realized I was right where he wanted me. While my brain fought to get out of the room, my body wanted to relax and become a part of his embrace.

“W-What do you want?”

He looked at me, his eyes shining. “Harp, oh dear Harp.” He walked closer to me until my back hit the wall. “I want to talk to you, even with everything that is going on. Come meet me in the park down the street from your house at 7. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Justin’s breath was on my ear now, and my hands clutched his shirt to keep me from melting. Ugh! Why did he have to have this kind of effect on me?! Usually, I was a strong and independent person, but when I saw him all that was gone.

Then, just as soon as he had pulled me in, he was out the door and halfway down the hallway, leaving me alone to recollect myself.

“So, you went from avoiding him to going on a date with him?” Carmela shot me a sly smile as I looked in the mirror, scrutinizing my appearance.

“It’s not a date!” I had told her what had happened the second I saw her, and she insisted on coming over to my house to help me pick out the outfit.

Since it was warm out, I decided on wearing an orange sundress along with golden sandals. Carmela had helped me fishtail braid my hair along with applying some simple earth-tone makeup. I didn’t want it to seem like I was trying too hard, because I definitely wasn’t.

I breathed out a shaky breath. What he wanted to speak about, I wasn’t quite sure. I made sure to eat a quick snack before I got dressed. I wasn’t sure if we were going to be eating - we were going to a park, after all - but I also wasn’t sure if we’d be having a giant meal, one that I wanted to be polite and eat something at.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Carmela said, coming up beside me, and rubbing her hands up and down my arms to soothe me. “You’ve known Justin for how long, all your life? You’ll be fine!”

“I sure hope so.” Nerves ran through me as I tucked a lock of stray hair behind my ear. I looked at the clock. 6:47. Since the park was a few minutes walk from here, I said a quick goodbye to Carmela before I left the house. I needed to get going before I got cold feet and pulled out. I was going through with this and that was that.

There was no turning back.

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