The Bet

Chapter 9 - Cheers for the End of Tears

HEY GUYS! THIS STORY IS UP FOR UNDISCOVERED>ROMANCE ON THE WATTY AWARDS! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO V-O-T-E!! <3 THANKS!

 

Chapter 9

                Amy leaned over to catch her breath as it all came rushing back to her. She gasped, finding herself lost in a neighbourhood that she’d never visited before. She tried to identify something that she might have recognized on her way over to Michael’s place but all she could think of was how he’d used her and lied to her. He probably didn’t even think that she was pretty at all; he’d probably forgotten her name until he’d heard Chris say it this morning.

                She shook her head in frustration as the tears began to flow. She walked over another block and found a park with white sand as she sat down on the swings, kicking off her shoes in frustration.

                Amy didn’t know what she’d been thinking. Why would she ever go on a date with someone that she’d met about ten minutes before? Why would she want to kiss someone that she’d just met? And why would she let them do that?

                She dropped her head in shame. And why for God’s sake would she let Chris see her like that? Now who knew what rumour would spread through the halls of her high school, would haunt her at her part time job, would ruin the little piece of dignity that she’d still managed to keep after all this time?

                “Amy!” she heard someone cry as they approached. She heard a car door slam shut behind them and realized that it was her own.

                She wiped under her eyes as quickly as she could, trying to look as presentable as she could considering the circumstances. Amy still felt flustered though and self conscious as she looked up at him sullenly.

                “Are you okay?” was all she could muster as she fought to keep the cries from reaching her lips. She bit her lip and crossed her arms, the position of comfort that she always seemed to take when she didn’t know what else to do.

                “Me?” he asked with crazed chuckle that came from his mouth as he tried to see what could possibly obligate her to ask such an insane question, “Are you okay?” he demanded, checking for any signs of damage.

                She nodded quickly, hoping that he would just leave her by herself to cry it out and head home.  No such luck. “I’m – I’m fine.”

                Chris loomed over her for a moment longer and then came to sit down on the swing beside her as it creaked with an accommodating groan. “Are you sure?”

                Amy tried to nod again before she burst into tears and jitters. She couldn’t stop herself either. She felt disgusting and embarrassed and hallow, like she was a slut and been caught in the middle of sleeping with someone.

                Time passed slowly, ticking away at a painful pace as she tried to get it all out of her system and think of something happier. It was no use though as Chris took her into his arms and patted her back, consoling her, and muttered useless “shh’s” and “it’s okay” to her. Strangely enough, it wasn’t too long before she was hushing down to a minimal whine.

                “I’m sorry for always crying in front of you,” Amy choked out, feeling Chris’s strong chest reverberate with tiny chuckles.

                “Well, at least now I know that I can trigger more than just swooning from the ladies,” he said bemusedly, still keeping her head pressed into him. She liked it there. It reminded her of family and it had been way too long since she’d spent time with her family.

                Amy giggled at his lame attempt at a joke, “How did you know?” she asked suddenly. Chris had warned her that this would happen. He hadn’t exactly told her the precise situation that she would be forced into but he’d warned her that he was there for her. And that analysing glance that he’d exchanged with Julie in the cafeteria... he’d known that Mike would push her too far.

                She wasn’t mad though. In fact, she was just glad that someone had been there to help when she’d needed it.

                Chris’s face fell as he tried to phrase it as easily as he could, “Michael tends to – uh – try to go too far with pretty girls.”

                Amy shifted out of his arms and looked him in the eyes, “So he’s done this before?” she asked, already knowing the answer but hoping she’d misinterpreted. For a guy to just do that to a girl was horrifying and what if Chris hadn’t been around when they’d been with him? Who had helped them?

                Chris jumped from his seat on the swings with a little yelp as he realized that a rain drop had hit him on the nose. Amy laughed at Chris’s fright, forgetting her question for the moment.

                He laughed too and outstretched his hands, palms up, to feel the rain slam down onto his skin. Amy stood up from her seat too and pulled his hand along with her to go back to get her car so that they could go home and keep warm and dry instead of out here in the rain. They didn’t need to get sick because of her.

                Chris ran ahead of her, instead taking the lead as well as the driver’s seat when they reached her car. Amy giggled at their foolishness. They’d probably looked like maniacs, running through the rain.

                “Alright, get out,” Amy stated. This was her car and she was supposed to drive it; not some seven foot football player who’d probably already adjusted her seat away from her perfect position.

                He took the keys out of his pocket and dangled them in front of her. “I think you might have forgotten these,” he said with a tiny smile.

                Amy reached for them, deciding to play his little game as she missed and instead landed on the brake handle. “Come on, Chris, give them back!” she laughed. But he retracted and she couldn’t get her keys. Fine, she giggled, she’d just have to play by his rules.

                Amy leaned close, tucking her messing and wet blonde hair behind her ear as she put on her sexiest expression. “Please, Chris,” she murmured, “Please, for me?” she said, fluttering her eye lashes and getting so close that she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d felt the chill of her breathe too.

                Chris, as if in a trance, tipped his forehead down to hers and looked in her eyes too as she felt her facade drop. He wasn’t taking her expression as the joke she’d done it for.

                Amy leaned a bit back and looked down at her keys, grabbing for them before he could realize what she was doing. She laughed and shook them in his face, hopefully breaking him free of that look that he’d been giving her. As she looked back at him, she saw that it had and she watched as Chris quickly took the keys back from her.

                “Now,” he said smartly, as if nothing had happened between them, “What street do you live on?”