16 Chapter 15

I find a secluded spot behind a tree and throw my bag down, then myself, fighting not to scream. I feel him sit next to me before I actually glance over and see him. His presence still an all too familiar feeling.

“Not sitting with your boyfriend today? Noticed that fiery temper of yours start raging,” he mutters to me, chuckling.

“And you decided to be the next target?” I ask him, leveling a cold glare at him.

“I’ll pass,” he laughs, and it’s so familiar and comforting that I find myself relaxing and smiling in spite of myself.

“He’s most definitely not my boyfriend. More like someone who hasn’t taken a hint,” I mutter to Colton.

“Maybe you’re giving him the wrong hints.”

I raise my eyebrows at his response and let out a small, sarcastic laugh. “Thanks for the food,” I tell him, trying to push Riley out of my head.

He nods and gives me a small smile while I plop a grape into my mouth. “Did you decide on a name for our son?”

“Definitely not Warren Alexander,” I mutter, my eyes widening.

He chuckles at my comment. I look across the grounds and spot a tall figure with black hair and a book bag slung over his shoulder walking across the grass focused on looking down at a paper in his hands. My breath hitches as I realize who I’m staring at. Connor doesn’t even glance over at us, too focused on studying the paper in his hands and the obviously new territory. Colton looks over to see what’s caught my attention. He raises his eyebrows at me when he sees.

“Know him?” he asks me.

I shake my head at him, my eyes narrowed on Connor. “No. Do you?”

“Nope. Just heard there was some new kid. Guess that’s the one.”

“Guess so.” I clear my throat and force my eyes down to the baby in my arms. “Any name suggestions?” I ask him, quickly changing the subject back to the assignment at hand.

He blows a breath through his lips and shakes his black hair out of his face, his blue eyes perfectly visible now. “I don’t think either of us cares about that. So, we can just go with little Colton Jr.”

I scoff and chuckle. “Typical and dreadful.“

“Exactly. I looked over the paper. Luckily, we chose the practical house so we have a “room” for the kid and enough “money” to take care of it.”

“Lucky us,” I mutter, looking at the now wailing electronic baby and rolling my eyes. I fumble with it, trying to figure out how to shut it up. I insert every key into the spot in its back until the right one is in and it stops crying. “So happy we planned for a baby,” I sarcastically mutter.

“It’s your birthday weekend so, as long as you keep him for the afternoon and can answer the questions, then I’ll take him for the weekend. It can be my present to you this year.”

“You don’t have to do that-” I start to tell him, shaking my head.

“I want to. Don’t worry about it. Enjoy your birthday, Nat.”

My heart lurches at the sound of my nickname from him. I stop myself from putting too much thought into it. Colton was a good guy. There’s nothing to this. “I’m not even doing anything-”

“Somehow, I don’t believe that. Happy birthday, Nat,” he tells me while gathering his things to go to his next class and leaving me sitting here, stunned.

******************

I get to gym class, still carrying my Colton Jr. Andrea shoots me an apologetic look but, thankfully, keeps her mouth shut. After the usual stretching and jog around the track, I go to my tree and sit in my usual spot. Not long after, I feel Riley come and sit behind me. I feel him lean in closer.

“Tomorrow is someone’s birthday,” he whispers in a singsong voice into my ear.

I can practically hear him smiling. I shrug. I don’t want the attention he’s trying to give me. Wasn’t he supposed to upset with me anyway?

“You’re not excited to be 16?” he asks me.

I raise my eyebrows at him. “I don’t know. What’s excitement feel like again?” I sarcastically ask him.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

I shrug with a smirk on my face. My long hair blows in the wind, almost concealing the smirk from him entirely. “It’s been too long.”

Pity feels his eyes, which only makes me uncomfortable, and look away. I don’t need or want pity from anyone.

“So, what are your plans tomorrow?” he asks me.

“Nothing,” I tell him, a finality in my tone.

I was actually thinking about going back to the diner. I had been thinking about it since I left it. It was kind of like I was drawn to it for some reason, staying in my mind at some capacity at all times. Maybe it was the feeling and vibe that came with being there and the fact that it wasn’t popular. But I didn’t want Riley to come or know about it. It’s mine and I want it to stay that way. At least there would be no chance of it being ruined if it stayed just mine. If he came, it would feel like some sort of invasion.

“Great,” he replies simply.

I give him a look over. He looks like his normal self again instead of the sick shell that he had become during English and lunch. That made me feel a little better. I wonder if he’s bipolar or something for him to be able to just suddenly be okay with me again. No, that couldn’t be it. I process what he just said then and my eyebrows furrow with confusion.

“Why is that great?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe I could see you,” he answers, sounding too nonchalant.

I scrutinize him but decide not to press it. “Maybe. Just as long as you don’t make it into a big deal because it’s not.”

“Sure thing,” he says confidently, reassuring me.

“You look and sound a lot better,” I finally note out loud to him.

He shrugs my concern off and gives me his million-watt smile. “Nothing can keep me down too long. I told you it was nothing. I felt back to my old self after being able to breathe Andrea clear air for five minutes,” he tells me, nudging my shoulder with his.

I laugh a carefree laugh that sounds weird to my own ears. “Not her biggest fan anymore?”

“Not the biggest fan of anyone who upsets my girl,” he answers, shooting his cocky self-eating grin at me.

“How bad did I make lunch for you,” I ask him, feeling just the tiniest bit sympathetic for him.

He shakes his head. “Not too bad,” he tells me, studying the grass just a little bit too hard now. I level him with my gaze. “Alright, it was miserable and even more sickening than I could imagine. She couldn’t stop blubbering about it and I couldn’t stop wanting to vomit onto her lunch plate. She’s sorry and sends like a million condolences, by the way. Her words.”

I smile softly at him. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Be sorrier for abandoning me and never do that again. I missed you and thought about you the entire time. Worried myself sick and her not being able to shut up about you didn’t help take my mind off of you. Or how hurt my very fragile ego was after you turned that temper of yours on me instead of the rightful target, I might add. But, since you’re the beautiful birthday girl tomorrow, I’m letting that slide,” he rambles at me dramatically, turning his charm one hundred percent up.

I can’t help but laugh at him. It’s amazing, honestly, how he does that to me so easily and so constantly. I take him in entirely and am amazed at how beautiful and bright he is. How the world just gets instantly brighter with him in my presence. And, again, I wonder why this beautiful and amazing boy is so determined to be in my life. Especially when someone as gorgeous as Andrea was wide open for him. Almost literally, I bitterly think. I feel him nudge me again and realize a crinkle developed on my forehead and I had begun chewing on my lip in my thought process.