Trusting My First Love

Chapter 21: Jealousy is cruel

Charlie's POV

The rest of the day went far too quickly. Every passing minute made me that much more nervous. I've already been alone with Matt on two separate occasions today. What's one more, right? Being nervous now just seemed ridiculous. I am being ridiculous. I just need to keep repeating that over and over until i believe it.

We didn't go over many details for our plans later. Just that we were meeting up after school and that i would ride home with him. I assumed we would meet up in the parking lot by his car since i already know where he parked.

I was putting away my books at my locker when Eddie suddenly shut it before I finished, causing the rest of my books to fall to the ground. I wasn't exactly in the mood for any more s**t today. But it was Eddie, and Eddie has never been anything but sweet to me. So I chose to let this little moment of him being an ass go. "Eddie, is there something you want to talk about? You've been gone all day. Why come back at the end of the day? Why didn't you just go home?"

He looked around at everyone who was watching us with curious eyes. He was making another scene, and he knew it. He whisphered under his breath. "I just dont think it's a good idea for you to hang out with Matt."

I spoke in a hushed tone back. One, i didn't want to draw any more attention my way, and two, i really didn't want anyone to hear our conversation. If it was up to me, we wouldn't be having it here, but it seems Eddie needs to hear what i have to say now. I just can't shake what Matt had told me earlier about him liking me for some time now. I needed to be cautious in how i say everything. "Matt is your best friend. You trust him, dont you?"

He seemed shocked by my question. "Yes, of course, with my life."

I titled my head so he would have to look directly at me. "Do you trust me? i know we're not the best of friends, but we've had hundreds of decent conversations. You have an idea of who i am."

He relaxed his shoulders so he didn't seem so tensed up. "Yeah, I trust you."

I think he knew where this conversation was going. I shrugged my shoulders. "Okay, then you need to trust Matt and i both. He's not wrong. My mom had a talk with him, and she had a similar one with me. We have no way of knowing who's mated to who. My mother is concerned, and so I am that someone will get hurt. Keeping things as friends is really what's best. Besides, his mom is great friends with mine. It would make dinners go more smoothly if we all got along..... You like me, right? Isn't that why you got so upset earlier? Isn't that why you're having this conversation with me now?"

He looked away and nodded. "I saw you two in the cave the other night. I didn't want to think that something may be happening between you two, but something is. I guess i can't be mad that you're only keeping it as friends. It actually helps knowing that. I guess i got a little jealous, and now I'm just embarrassing myself even more. I'm sorry, Annie.... Do you need a ride home?"

Now, i was the one who couldn't look him in the eye. "Actually, Matt is taking me home today."

He looked taken back, but at least this time, he was keeping his emotions in check. He nodded slowly. "Okay, I guess I'll see you later than Anne."

I shook my head. "Are you ever going to quit with the middle name?"

He leaned in and whispered down at me. "I figured you wouldn't want anyone to hear my other nikname for you.......Princess."

I didn't expect him to get so close. He was only inches from my face. You would think that i would have learned my lesson about getting so close to these boys, but nope. I feel like im setting myself up for an epic disaster.

It felt like the air was getting sucked out of my my lungs. He wasn't backing away. He just lingered in this spot. It wasn't until he licked his lips that i realized how this looked to the people around us. I don't think he would be stupid enough to kiss me here and like this, especially after what i had just said. He's not stupid. He wouldn't dare make a move, right?

I quickly pulled back and tried to pretend that nothing had happened. I mean, technically, nothing did. I just thought this was the less embarrassing approach.

I opened my locker and proceeded to put my books away like i was doing before. I was practically hiding behind the damn thing. I heard him walk away. I couldn't bear to look at him. I could just tell that he was upset. Which told me everything. He was going to kiss me. I just wish he heard what i was trying to say. It felt like he was still reacting out of jealousy.

I quietly cleared my throat and finished up what i was doing. Just a i was about to head out of the school Sophie and Sally and there two friends Zia and Lana stepped right in front of me. I really wasn't in the mood for this. "What do you want?"

I was ready to slap Sophie as soon as the words came out of her mouth. "Seriously sleeping with both of them? Come on, Charlotte, you can't seriously be that desperate to get a title of rank. Those boys will see right through your little game that you're playing. How do you think our alpha will take you sleeping with his son and the betas son. You're an omega. A nobody. You're going to get yourself killed playing these kinds of games."

I guess Matt was wrong. These girls aren't distracted by the stupid dance enough to leave me the hell alone.

I took a deep breath and let it out. "I could be wrong here, Soph, but you almost sound like you're concerned about my well-being? And for the record, im not sleeping with any of them. Not that it's any of your business, but we are just friends."

Sally looked like she was ready to blow a gasket. She always so hot-headed out of all of them. "Why don't you just stay away from them? Just accept your place at our pack, or im going to make sure that you do. You can't spend the day with Matt and then try to kiss Eddie. It's disgusting and I'm not going to let them get caught up in a little w***e like you. We want them to take us to the dance and you're not going to come in the way of that."

Oh Sally, Sally, Sally. You picked the wrong day to threaten me. "Is that a threat?"

I had my fist up and ready to punch. I actually had my arm pulled back to do it when Matt had me by the wrist and pulled me toward him. "There you are, Charlie. I was waiting outside for you for like forever and thought we got our plans mixed up. Are you ready to go?"

I was biting my tongue painfully. "Uh, yup. I'm ready to go."

I was just about to say something back at the girls when Matt pulled me outside. I wasn't just going to let them get away with this s**t. I'm sick of it.

I yelled at Matt. "You heard what they were saying to me, right?? They deserved to be punched. I can't believe you would pull me away like that."

He turned around abrubtly. "I was trying to save your ass. My parents like you, but there is only so much they can do to protect you. Sally and Sophies dads have already been giving my dad enough grief about your consquences or lack of them. You can't just go around hitting people when they say s**t to piss you off. I understand it's who you are, and i love that you want to stand up for yourself, but you are an omega. You just can't keep doing these things that other omegas would get in way more trouble if they were to pull the stunts you have."

I hated getting lectured, and i think i hate it even more that it's coming from Matt. He has a point. I like his parents, and i wouldn't want to make things even more complicated for them. They've always been so kind to me. So i swallowed my pride. "Okay, okay. You're right."

He turned back around and continued to pull me toward the direction of his car. He opened the door for me, but he was quiet, and i couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. The silence on the way to the pack only confirmed that.

We pulled up to the pack house, and i couldn't take the silecne anymore. You would think that i would be used to his silence. He's always been that way in the past. By now that i know he can be quite the talker when he wants to be made me learn that he's only quiet when he's upset about something. He's done nothing but overshare all day, and now nothing. Then it dawned on me. "You heard everything, and I mean everything that Sophie and Sally said, didn't you?"

He turned the car off. "Yeah, I did."

I stared off in front of me. There wasn't anything to look at besides the pack house. "Are you going to ask me what happened, or do you actually think that i tried to kiss Eddie?"

I swear i could feel his anger rolling off of him in waves. Which only caused me to get pissed. His breathing was picking up. He was trying to calm himself down. "I have no right to get mad. We're friends. I just thought it meant that you would be just friends with Eddie, too."

I took my own deep breaths. "I didn't try to kiss him. He whispered something at me. That was it. Im not trying to cause problems between you and Eddie. Maybe us hanging out isn't a good idea. This is already complicating things for everyone."

I reached for the door handle, and he quickly locked it. I hated that i was fibbing to him, but i had no valid proof that Eddie was trying to kiss me. It could have all been in my head. It only looked that way because of how he was leaning down.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. Please, dont go. Thing's arent complicated. They don't have to be. Please, let's just go upstairs and talk. If my dad or anyone sees us just sitting in my car, they will come out to ask questions."

I laughed. "And they won't ask questions about me going up to your room?"

He was completely serious. "I can take you up the back stairs. No one uses those besides the omegas, and their chores are done for the day."

Oh my goddess. He was seriously trying to sneak me up the stairs. I was one of those girls. "If we need to lie and sneak around, do you really think this is a good idea?"

He got defensive instantly. "No, Charlie. I dont want to hide us hanging out. I just know if my parents know that they will tell yours, and we both know your mom doesn't want us hanging out. Your mom is being difficult right now. I just thought you were the one who wanted to keep this a secret."

Shit he is right. I dont want my mom to find out about this right now. She is all weird about the whole thing. I grabbed the bridge of my nose. "You're right. I'm sorry. Sure, we can go upstairs from the back way."

As we were heading up the stairs, i couldn't help but wonder if i was making the right decision. Either way, i need to figure it out. I can't keep doubting myself or keep going back and forth with everything. We're either friends or we're not, and the sooner I figure it out, the better.