Chapter 3 Skates

I waited in anticipation at the diner like Colton instructed me to. He was already ten minutes late, and the cold breeze was becoming too much for me. With a frown, I decided to wait inside for him, since punishing myself seemed irrelevant.

I greeted Lukas, the owner, with a huge smile as I waltzed in. He had a big fatherly round belly in front of him that made him seem like a human pillow. He was always nice to me, and since he knew I volunteered at the senior citizen's home where his uncle was at, he would sometimes give me free brownies or muffins with whatever I ordered.

"Hello Lukas. How are you this evening?" I greeted once I was close enough.

"Oh I'm quite great mate. About to close up in thirty minutes. Did you need anything?" I frowned slightly at that. It was only around 6:30 in the evening, but I didn't question why he was closing up shop early.

"Actually, I'll just take two doughnuts please." I smiled brightly as he shot me a knowing look. Every diner, pastry shop or restaurant in London knew Colton's and I main order. It was sort of our thing.

I collected my chocolate covered donut, holding it between my teeth as I retrieved Colton's plain doughnut and my change. I shuffled to a booth by the glass window, so that I could see when he arrives.

The sun was setting, lighting the sky with its beaming splashes of red, pink and orange. I loved to ogle it so much, and I found myself taking multiple pictures with my phone, whilst still holding the doughnut between my teeth. Before I knew it, half of my chocolate covered treat disappeared, and I quickly wrapped it in my napkin, not wanting to spoil tradition. But he couldn't be upset. He's the one who's late anyways.

I snapped quite a few lovely pictures, setting one as my screensaver before quickly sharing it with Shanae. I knew how much she liked things of nature. And though a few building heads were peaking, it was still very much natural.

I was so invested in the pictures, that I didn't even realize that the bell at the door went off, indicating that someone had entered.

"Paris!" The voice of my best friend drew me to his gaze, and I smiled widely until I spotted a certain blonde beside him.

"Anastasia"

"Paris" We both said in unison, seeing that we both seemed surprised to see the other. We both then looked to Colton, who was smiling innocently as if he didn't notice the tension.

"Colton I thought we-" I stopped immediately when I noticed that Anastasia and I were speaking the same thing. I threw daggers at him with my eyes, and he just seemed to have noticed the tension.

He looked about for a while before his eyes landed on my half eaten doughnut and his still sitting there.

"Great you got doughnuts" He beamed, but the blonde's frown only grew as she eyed them too.

"And none for me I see" She laughed awkwardly, trying to hide her emotions.

"That's okay babe. I'll go get you one"

"Babe?" I mimicked out loud without realizing, and even her seemed shocked, but it quickly transformed into pride as her eyes glistened in happiness.

"Okay" She mumbled, sitting across me as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

I nibbled on the other half of my snack, since the specialness and sentiment was now stripped from 'our thing'. I avoided eye contact at all cost with her. I wasn't trying to be rude, but I couldn't help the gnawing at my heart as the word repeated over and over in my mind. Babe.

He called her babe!

He only ever called me babe.

Colton was never a guy to rush into things, and even though Anastasia was literally a model, it would take months before he decides to initiate anything, even though he asked me last night if I was okay with it. I still knew he only asked just to be clear if he should let himself fall.

I mean, that's what happened all the other times he pursued a female. Though maybe they all just excused themselves after being uncomfortable with how close we were, as Shanae suggested.

A wicked smile tugged at my lips as I thought about how Anastasia is no different. It was quite selfish of me to want to scare her away, but if I did it all those other times when I wasn't even trying, imagine if I tried?

I bit my lips to contain a smile as he returned with her doughnut. My heart sunk when he quickly pecked her cheek as he handed it to her, but I quickly composed myself.

"Um Col? I ate all my doughnut." I batted my eyelashes with a pout that I knew did wonders on his heart. "Can you get me one for the road please?"

"Sure" He beamed, completely oblivious to my real intentions. "Anything else?"

I shrugged. "And our favourite" I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth again, holding back my smirk at how well I did that. Anastasia seemed uncomfortable, and I almost felt bad for being a bitch. Almost.

"You guys are really close huh?" She asked after a while of silence, and I causally shrugged.

"Yea. We've been mates for years. We're practically inseparable." She tensed at this, and I could already see my plan working.

She twisted the napkin between her fingers as we sat in silence. I couldn't tell what was going through her mind. I knew it was unfair of me to be doing this, but I have known Colton for years. I never intended to fall for him, but what can I do?

Maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way too but he just doesn't know it yet. Maybe there is actually a chance for us, but Anastasia is distracting him from his true feelings. I'm sure of it.

Colton returned with my doughnut and three blueberry smoothies. I didn't feel annoyed that he got one for her too. Who wouldn't? It was solely polite.

"Okay one chocolate covered doughnut and a blueberry smoothie for you" He spoke as he handed me my food."And one for mah-lady" I frowned at that but then I realised that Anastasia's face looked the same as mine.

"Um, Colton. I-I don't like blueberries" She voiced her concerns, and I quickly pulled my straw between my lips to hide my simper as she looked between the two of us holding the smoothies.

"Oh I'm sorry. I can get you something else if you want?"

"No" She quickly protested, standing up. "I think I'll just go"

Yes.

"No" He held onto her before she could leave, and I could see the tears behind her eyes.

My heart suddenly fell when I realized how childish, selfish and mean I was being. I purposely hurt her just because he chose her and not me. I sighed as my throat suddenly felt dry. I knew I was being unreasonable, but can I hide what my heart truly felt?

I sighed again as I listened to their bickering. " Anastasia, don't go" I said out loud, stopping both of them. "Let's all go have fun. It'll give us a chance to know each other more. You know, since you'll probably be around a while" I offered her a genuine smile as I blinked back my own tears.

My heart protested completely to what my mouth said, but my mind tried to remind it to be rational, fair and realistic.

Once Colton and I are alone and I am very much sober, I'll be a big girl and tell him my true feelings. I'll do it soon too, before he takes things too far with Anastasia, which might leave him in a sticky situation.

If he felt the same way, then great. But if he didn't, I'd just have to accept that and actually not try and scare off any girl that comes into his life. It'll be awkward for a while, but we'll bounce back.

Colton would do literally anything for me, so I had to keep his best interest at heart instead of mine. He deserved that much.

"Really?" She asked. "Are you sure?" Her voice was small, but I could see the a smile pulling on her plump lips.

"I'm sure. If I made you feel uncomfortable, I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention" I half lied. It was my intention to make her uncomfortable, but I really was sorry.

Her smile only grew as her eyes lit up, and I could see that she really liked Colton. I mean who wouldn't?

"I'll order what ever drink I'll like and meet you guys at the car then" She suggested excitingly as we headed outside. I nodded slightly as Colton handed her five pounds.

The sun was completely gone by the time we went outside, and the cool breeze tickled my arms, making me shiver a little.

I felt warm fabric being wrapped around my body, and I quickly looked up to see Colton fixing his jacket around my shoulders. I felt bad, knowing I should've brought my own, but he didn't seem to mind the harsh breeze one bit as he beamed down at me.

My eyes quickly darted inside, seeing Anastasia in deep conversation with Lukas. Knowing Lukas and his conversationalist self, she wouldn't be done for another five minutes. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to tell Colton, but he spoke before me.

"Thank you for what you did back there Paris. Anastasia has alway felt threatened by you, and that really helped" He said, making my heart sink a bit.

"Why would she feel threatened by me? " I laughed awkwardly as if I didn't know. "We're just friends right?"

"I don't know if you've noticed.." He trailed as he leant closer to my ear. "But we're pretty close" He whispered, causing me to laugh at his playful nature.

"Oh I didn't notice at all" I joked along, but my insides felt crushed at the whole conversation. He pulled me to his chest in a hug as our laughter died down, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out how wonderful it felt to be like this with him.

"I don't know what the future holds for us, but I'm glad you'll be with me. I don't want that to ever change " He mumbled in my hair, and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

I quickly got rid of it as Anastasia emerged from the small diner. She smiled brightly at us as she approached, and Colton openly welcomed her as he swung his arm over her shoulder. And I knew, just knew, that I couldn't tell him.

At least not tonight.

***

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 had 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 with 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 feeling are not one sided. They cant be. I wont 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 how they laughed as they got rid of the excess water made me want to be 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 they're 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 up--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 wheel 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 wonder 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, 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 be 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 wont 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 suppose to do that when Anastasia was here.

But then I thought, would I even get another change 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 cant 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 suppose to happen. He wasn't suppose 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 wont 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.