Chapter 64: Chapter 64

"Why did you suddenly get so quiet?" James asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I turned to face him. "Nothing. Just wondering why the author ended the story that way. It's not fair that the female lead died, leaving the male lead to mourn her for the rest of his life."

I noticed him smile slightly. "Not all stories have a happy ending, you know," He said.

I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. "I know. My story is going to have a happy ending though," I uttered.

"So is mine." He seconded. " You should not let a book get you so worked up. You can always find another book to read," He rambled.

"It's not that simple," I muttered under my breath.

We were nearing my house. The entire drive had been filled with our conversation about a novel with a tragic ending that I was still upset about.

The rest of the drive to my house was silent, except for the music that played softly on the radio. James sat humming along to the song, bobbing his head in time with the beat.

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when we reached my house and he pulled over to the curb.

"What's with the sigh?" James asked, turning to face me. "Did you not like being in the car with me?"

I couldn't help but smile. "You're overthinking, you know. I just had a really long day at school, and I am glad to be home," I uttered.

James heaved a sigh of relief. "That makes me feel better. I was afraid I was being too boring for you," He told me.

The corners of my mouth tugged upwards. "No, I had a lovely evening with you. Thanks for everything," I beamed.

"It was my pleasure," He replied, beaming a smile at me.

His charming eyes bored into mine, then drifted down to my lips. I knew what he was thinking, and before he could say anything, I leaned in and kissed him.

His eyes widened in surprise, then softened as he kissed me back.

As I pulled away, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "It was a nice evening for me too," He said with a wide grin.

I returned his smile, picking up my school bag and the teddy bear he'd given me, and unfastening my seat belt.

I was just about to get out of the car when I turned back to him.

"We should talk later, okay?" I muttered, before climbing out of his car.

I wasn't sure of what we would talk about, but I knew we would need to. I wasn't sure where we stood and I needed to figure that out.

I closed the car door, watching as it drove away. Then, I turned and made my way towards my house, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.

I spotted my mom's car in the driveway, and knew she was home. I walked inside, and found her on the couch in the living room. I went over and gave her a big hug.

"Hi, mom," I said, a big smile on my face.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said, giving me a warm smile. Her eyes were fixed on the teddy bear I was holding.

"How was your date?" I asked her, preparing to run to my room before she bombard me with questions.

"It was good. I enjoyed the date," My mom answered with a half shrug.

Then, her eyes drifted down to the teddy bear in my hands. "That is adorable! Is it from James?" She probed.

"Yes," I said, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

A knowing smile appeared on my mom's face. "Are you two dating?" She asked with a sly grin.

"No. Not yet," I said, looking away from her probing gaze.

I wanted to leave it at that. I didn't want to say any more.

As I walked upstairs to my room, I couldn't help but think about the way I'd answered my mom's question. Did that mean I wanted to date James? I wasn't sure how I felt about him. I only knew that I liked him. I enjoyed his company and the way he made me feel.

"Am I ready to be in another relationship?" I wondered as I laid on my queen sized bed.

The thought made me feel a bit anxious. I'd just come out of a relationship and I wasn't sure if I was ready to put myself out there. I was not even sure if I was over that dickhead. I was not sure if I'd gotten over him.

Well, I thought I was over him. Until last night. I squeezed my eyes shut as the flashbacks came rushing back. The way he touched me in a way that no one has ever done before. The way his mouth circled around my nipples.

I buried my face in my hands. No, I should not be thinking about him. I should be thinking about James.

But, the thought of Romeo kept swirling around in my head, making it difficult to focus my mind on anything else. Why couldn't I stop thinking about him? I wanted to be over him.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. I needed to forget about Romeo and move on. He didn't give a damn about me. He never really cared about me. He never deserved me and my love. All he ever did was hurt me, over and over again. I was such a fool to fall for him. He claimed to love me, but all he did was to hurt me.

I blamed myself for falling for him. I was just a naive girl flattered by his attention. I kept letting him in, even though he didn't deserve it. I should have walked away the first time he hurt me, but I didn't. I thought he would change, and I kept hoping for the best. But, I was only fooling myself.

Not this time though. I was done with him, and any feelings I had for him.