Chapter 72: Chapter 72

I chewed on my bottom lip. I could tell that James wasn't happy with my answer, and I scrambled to explain myself.

"It wasn't on purpose, I promise," I muttered. "I just grabbed it without thinking. I didn't even realize it was Romeo's. It was too late when I realized it."

James forced a smile, running his hand through his hair. "Don't worry about it. You can wear whatever you want. Even if it belongs to your ex," He said, his voice filled with sarcasm.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Is it bad that I said the truth ? I didn't mean to upset you by telling the truth. I could have just lied to you and said it was my hoodie, but I didn't. Wearing his hoodie doesn't mean that I have any feelings for him anymore," I rambled.

My hand slowly crept down to my lap, bunching up the fabric of my skirt. I curled my fingers into tight fists. I had told him I didn't have feelings for Romeo anymore. Was that a lie? I was not even sure about how I was feeling these days. But, one thing was sure. I was moving from Romeo. I didn't even think about him like before.

James' eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I don't know what's wrong with me. I just get these feelings sometimes. But, I trust you. I really do. And, I believe you," He explained.

"It's okay, really," I said, trying to comfort him. "I get it. I know how hard it can be to trust someone new after going through what you've been through. But, I want you to know that I'm not like your ex. I want you to know that I'm honest and I care about you. But I also understand if it's hard for you to believe me. You don't have to say you trust me if you don't. I know it's not easy."

The corners of his lips curled up into a smile. I loved how his face lit up.

"Now you see why I've fallen in love with you, don't you?" He asked. "You have such a way with words, you always know just what to say to make things better. You deserve everything, to be honest."

I chuckled. "You also have a way to make me have butterflies in my stomach with your sweet words. You deserve everything too and I - "

I was interrupted by the presence of the waitress who arrived with our food. I had almost forgotten we'd ordered anything, as my focus was entirely on our conversation. The sandwiches and juices were plain and simple, nothing too fancy. But the ambiance of the snacks restaurant was cozy and comfortable, and the perfect place to have such a serious conversation. But the service was poor - the waitress had taken an age to bring our food! I was determined to eat the sandwich, though, if only so that I didn't waste James's money.

I watched as the waitress placed our orders on the table and then lingered for a moment. What was she waiting for? A tip? A thank you? I normally would have thanked her, but the poor service made me reconsider.

"Do you need something?" James asked her.

The waitress leaned closer. "Yes, I need your number," She replied, giving James a wink.

Oh boy, here we go again! Then, it was Romeo and now, it's James. That was the price of being with handsome men. A small price to pay.

I turned to look at the waitress, scanning her from head to toe. It became obvious what she was doing. I should have noticed. Her shirt was unbuttoned just enough to expose a bit of cleavage, and her smile seemed a little too wide.

This lady had taken forever to bring our food, and now she was blatantly trying to flirt with my date. The audacity!

Without thinking, I snapped at her. "Are you looking to get yourself killed? Do you have a death wish or something?"

The waitress jumped at my sudden outburst, her eyes going wide. "W-what? I don't understand," she stammered.

I threw her a deadly glare. "You know what you're doing. You're flirting with my man, and I won't have it. Now, tell me why you're doing that," I probed.

A grin was starting to creep onto James's face, and I realized I'd just referred to him as "my man."

I looked away from him. I could feel my cheeks turning red.

"I had no idea you were his girlfriend!" she sputtered. "I thought you might be his sister."

My eyes widened. His sister? We didn't even look alike. James was starting to snicker, no doubt enjoying the situation way too much.

I turned to glare at the waitress. "Just get out of here, will you?" I barked.

She scurried away, her heels clacking rapidly against the floor as she fled. How ridiculous.

James cleared his throat, his eyes boring into mine. His intense gaze made me uncomfortable, and I had to look away.

"You've got quite the attitude," He muttered with a smirk on his face. "If only you knew how you came across just now."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my cheeks turning a little pink.

"Like a main character in a teen romance novel or movie," He replied, with a little chuckle in his voice.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Please, stop."

"She's dumb," I added.

"Yes, she's dumb. She literally called you my sister. When did this restaurant start employing stupid people?" James blurted out.

"We don't even have similar physical features," I said, laughing out hard.

Now looking back on it, it was so funny.

"You called me 'your man' too, you know," James pointed out, his voice low and steady.

He was staring at me, his gaze intense and focused. I felt heat rising to my cheeks, my heart pounding in my chest.

I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, desperate to break eye contact. "We should really try this sandwich," I said, trying to change the subject.

"Do you want me to be your man?" He asked, his voice dropping even lower.

I swallowed hard. "Do you want to?" I asked back.

James let out a deep sigh. "Should this even be a question? Don't you think it's obvious? I want you, more than anything."

"It's okay if you still want to take it slow," He added when I didn't say anything for a while.

I gathered the courage to meet his gaze. "We've got a bit of a plot twist," I told them.

"What's that?"

"I want you too,"