A/N: Sorry for the long wait on the chapter, I hope you guys like it!
Viola Hastings
Without Duke, the days seemed to take forever. We had to act angry and distant with each other all the time, we had to ignore each other, and that isn't easy when you love this particular person. We managed to get by though. At lunch, his foot would casually graze mine, since we were lab partners in science, we were able to talk. It was even easier with Sebastian and Olivia knowing, because we could always just sneak off to each others rooms.
We were in my room, lying on the bed, having a tickle war, when suddenly, there was a nervous knock on the door. I glanced over at Duke, a panicked look on my face. Olivia and Sebastian never knocked, so it had to be someone who thought we were broken up.
I got up from the bed and shoved Duke toward the closet. He gave me a skeptical glance, pointing to the small room, but I only motioned for him to hurry. He shoved himself inside the closet and I laughed at the way he had to scrunch to fit in with all the clothes.
I glanced at the door, then back to Duke, but the closet was already closed. I opened the door and Andrew and Toby stormed in. I stared at the now empty hallway in partial shock before muttering, "Come on in!" I closed the door and turned back to them, hoping my face was conveying the emotions anger, annoyance, and get the hell out of my room, but I apparently wasn't showing it enough.
"Vi, you and Duke have to get back together." Andrew said bluntly, and Toby looked at him, a scowl on his face.
"What stupid here is trying to say is that you guys should be together. Don't act like you miss him. We know you do. You guys used to spend every spare moment together, and we know you miss that." He said, his hands moving with his words.
"Guys, I know that you're his friends, but right now, I want nothing to do with him. He wasn't the person I thought he was, and it was basically destined to happen really." I said with a shrug. Andrew looked like he was ready to give up already, but Toby wasn't.
"Come one Viola. We know you guys both miss each other like crazy." He said. I frowned and furrowed my brow.
"Guys, you're pushing this and I'm not sure I like it. I told you already, me and Duke are done. I was thinking about going out with someone else anyway." I covered, biting my lip. Toby looked at me with his eyes narrowed before he continued.
"Who?" he asked, his lips still forming the o even though he had stopped talking.
"Williams." I quickly lied, thinking of one of the cuter guys on the team. In truth, Williams had been flirting with me at every opportune moment. If Duke and I ever needed a really good cover, I could always turn to that guy and go on a few 'dates' with him. Maybe he'd get off my back, and Andrew and Toby would think I was over him.
"Are you kidding? Williams? You've got to be kidding." Toby's eyes went wide at my confession, and I sat on the bed across from him, Olivia's bed.
"Why would I be kidding? Just because I dated Duke doesn't mean I can't go after more guys on the team." I said, and I bit her lip. I sounded kind of like I wanted to date everyone on the team. I flicked my eyes to the closet, and I saw Duke's eyes watching through the slats. I widened my eyes and I could just see his lips form a skeptical frown before his face once again disappeared.
"Well, you know that Duke never liked him, are you doing this just to get back at him or something?" Andrew asked, back in the conversation now that it was getting interesting.
"Of course not. I may not like Duke that way anymore, but I would never do anything like that just to purposely hurt him." I acted like I was shocked. Toby once again glared at Andrew, and I hope they knew that the conversation was dawning on its end. "I think you guys should go." I replied, standing up. Toby looked like he was going to argue a little bit more, but Andrew gave him a gentle shove, almost knocking him onto the floor.
"Fine, but we're not done talking about this!" Toby said as Andrew shoved him out the door. Andrew threw me a sympathetic look before closing the door behind him. Duke barreled out of the closet, rubbing the back of his neck. He tripped over one of my high heels and lay sprawled on the floor.
I ran over to him and knelt beside him. "Are you okay?" I gasped, my hands on either side of his face.
"Yeah, I'm good, just in pain." He mumbled, but his lips were smiling.
"You're such a baby." I said, leaning down so my face was closer to his.
"I think I need a kiss to feel better." He whispered, and I felt his lips graze mine with his own then he spoke.
"Do you really?" I said, and I felt him nod. "If you're sure." I smiled and leaned down, my lips connecting with his in an explosion of sparks. When we pulled away, he was gasping for air. When his chest rose, it grazed against mine.
"I still don't feel good." He mumbled, and I laughed a little.
"Well, a spoon full or sugar does help the medicine go down." I joked, and he laughed.
I love these moments.
Duke Orsino
I hated him. I hated that guy. The way he looked at Viola, how he talked to her. He was always touching her. You some times got hit in soccer, but you weren't supposed to get hit on. The thing was, I wasn't even allowed to send him a death glare that said 'mine' anymore, because from what everyone else knew, she wasn't even mine.
It all started when she was standing by the bench, talking to her brother. Her arms moving animatedly and I smiled. She was always so enthusiastic; she seemed to bring life to everything. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him casually start to circulate his way toward he. He would talk to people, but his eyes were trained on her.
I started to walk over to him, to tell him to lie off, but I stopped myself. I couldn't blow it, not now. No matter how much I wanted to. I watched him tap her on the shoulder, and she turned, she was smiling, but it was fake. I could tell she was only doing it because she had to. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked to my side. I saw Toby, standing there, watching the scene unfold.
"I was talking to her the other day." He said, never taking his eyes off Williams. I wanted to smile, because I knew that he had spoken to Viola. I was hidden in the closet.
"Oh really." I tried to sound uninterested.
"Yeah. She said she was thinking about going out with Williams." He said, motioning to the two before us.
"Do you think she'd really do that?" I asked, actually believing our lie for a second.
"I'm not sure. She's been acting weird ever since you guys broke up." He said. He looked at me and I looked back at him. I hoped my face didn't give anything away. When he looked away, unsuspecting of everything, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
"I mean, we did just break up." I said carefully.
"Exactly, you guys just broke up. What's she doing moving on already?" he sounded angry, and I felt angry too. Was this how it would be if we really broke up? Would she really move on that quickly? I shoved the thought to the back of my mind, reasoning that it would never happen. Viola and I were made for each other.
"Maybe it's a rebound thing." I suggested, and Toby eyed me like I was crazy.
"You're okay with this?" he said, motioning to Viola, who had a 'get me the hell out of here' look on her face.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not really happy, I mean, what guy would be. Viola is… was perfect. I'm not going to get over it with a snap of my fingers. It'll never be that easy, but I have a feeling it's going to get easier. It's got to, right?" I felt a fear rise up in my stomach, and it made me want to throw up.
"I dunno Duke. It might." He shrugged before clapping me on the shoulder and walking off.
I stared at the bleachers, zoned out, thinking about our fake break up. Would it really be like that? Would we really just get in an argument and it would suddenly be over, severed. I thought about living without Viola, and my heart gave a wrench. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I gave one last glace at her, and saw her slowly backing away from Ben, her fake smile still plastered on her face. She walked by me, a safe distance, quietly saying, "My room," before heading back to practice.
My lips turned up at the thought of spending time with her. I hated not being able to do anything with her during the day. I hated not being able to twirl her around when she scored a goal.
I hated her not being mine.
-
"Ugh, I hate that guy!" Viola shouted when she threw herself down on the bed.
"Then why do you let him talk to you." I asked, laying down next to her and lacing my fingers with her own.
"Because then I'll look like a liar to Toby and Andrew." She said, running her thumb on my lips. I kissed her fingers and she smiled.
"I love you." She said and I smiled.
"I love you too. More than you know." I whispered and she smiled back
Her body was suddenly pressed against mine, and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. I found my arm wrapping around her waist, my lips covering hers in a heated kiss. I didn't know what was going on with me, but the next thing I knew, we I was waking up in her room, my clothes were off, and I'm more shocked than I've ever been.