Emily

Everett looked deep in thought as he drove me back home. I was not sure if I ruined our dance by admitting to him how I felt. He was frozen for sometime and nodded his head, but didn't say anything. He was quiet the whole time after that.

"I'm sorry if I ruined the moment." I suddenly felt apologetic. He was having a good time and now he looked so deep in thought and quiet. It was bothering me.

We were driving in my neighbourhood and he suddenly hit the brake and looked at me.

"Why are you always apologizing?" He sounded angry and it made me a little uneasy.

"I don't know? We were having a good time, you were happy and after I told you how I felt, you seem distant. I didn't want to burden you with how I felt about you. You don't have to feel like you have to return that feelings to me, it's just I wanted you to know that."

"Do you regret sharing your feelings to me?" He asked.

"No." I said.

"Then why are you apologizing for?"

"I don't know?" I said.

"You should seriously stop apologizing for things you didn't do and for loving someone. You shouldn't apologize for loving someone." He said as he started driving.

I didn't say anything, but nodded my head.

When we reached home, he kissed the back of my hand and thanked me for coming to the party with him and I give him a smile.

"Thank you for inviting me." I said.

"Thank you for coming with me." He said. "Have a good night, love."

"Have a good night, Everett." I said with a smile.

Dad was sitting on the couch with a beer bottle in his hand when I walked in.

"Hey Em." He said and I looked at him.

"Hello Dad." I said with a small smile.

"Did you have fun with Grayson?" He asked and I was perplexed by his question.

"Yes." I said.

"Oh." Was all he said as he turned to look back at the TV.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Good." He said and his tone was unwelcoming, so I took it he doesn't want to talk anymore.

I texted Everett after a shower asking what he was doing, but he didn't reply and I wondered if everything was okay.

I fell asleep while waiting for his reply. The next day, it was just Aaliyah and I who took the bus. Evan and Bloom had breakfast date this morning and said they will meet us in school.

"How was your weekend?" Aaliyah asked.

"It was long, but good." I tell her honestly. "How was yours?"

"It was okay." Aaliyah shrugged. "I had to babysit my cousins. It was tiring, but it was fun."

We talked about our classes and our assignments due until we reached the school's bus stop.

I haven't heard from Everett since last night and I wondered what was wrong? He always try to reply? Is he in trouble for what his brothers did last night? That thought made me worry a little.

Everett showed up in the middle of the morning.

"Good morning, Em." He said hugging me, it seemed like he didn't sleep very well last night. He nuzzled my hair.

"Good morning, Everett. Is everything good?" I asked him.

"Yes." He said and I don't know if he was lying.

"You didn't reply to any of my texts?" I sounded like a desperate girl who can't stand my boyfriend texting me back. I was worried for him.

"Yea." He said, but he didn't explain why.

Everett didn't sit with us during lunch, it's not a unusual thing.. he does sit with his old friends, even though we're in a relationship. We respect each other's social life and understand that we can't always be around each other.

But what made me feel uncomfortable was that I feel like he was being distant and cold. I just wanted to let him know how I felt about him, but it came with a cause. I think he didn't expect me to say that.. I didn't expect to say that out loud to him, either. It just happened.

And I feel like he was walking away from me and that hurts. I told him, he didn't have to feel burden by how I feel about him. I guess he feels burden by it after all and for a moment, I regret telling him how I felt.

After school, he said he have game practice and simply waved me good-bye and didn't allow me to say anything.

The whole week, he have been avoiding me, it's like he's there, but at the same time he's not. He's distant and cold, but is beside me when I needed him.

And I was upset that he was being like that. Maybe I should have thought a couple of times before telling him how I felt.

We hardly spent any time together the whole week, and by Friday- I somewhat figured his excuses to not hang out.

Grayson picked me up after school. He was taking me to some theatrical music performance, and honestly I was not interested. I didn't know how to say no to him and here, I am.. dressed in a long baby blue dress and heels. My hair and make-up professionally done. He was wearing a tuxedo to match the formal outfit.

Grayson introduced me to most people as "his daughter" and of course, some of them question my existence and he honestly told them- he found out about me not too long ago.

We watched the show quietly. It was a good show, but I had too many thoughts in my mind that I couldn't enjoy it. We ate dinner at some expensive Italian restaurant and he asked about how my week went and school.

"Your mum is coming to visit me tomorrow." He said to me and I remember he spoke about this last week. "Would you like to meet her?"

"I-I'm not sure about that." I said hesitantly.

"I won't force you. I just wanted to let you know and incase you change your mind. You can call me and let me know."

"Does she know you know about me?" I asked.

"Not yet. Tomorrow definitely." He said.

"She didn't want you to know for a reason? Would she be upset if you bring that up?" I asked.

"I think it's better I bring out the topic and let her speak her mind out. It must have been hard to keep those thoughts to yourself for so long." He said.

And I know what he meant. I felt better letting Everett know how I felt about him, but look at us now?