Please point out typos if you see any!

~

"Come on, let's skip," Dean whined, looking at me. His extremely long lashes, which I was jealous of, fluttered open as he pleaded to stay home. 

I shook my head. "As much as I'd love to, my mom wouldn't appreciate it."

He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and placed a soft kiss on it. "Babe, how many times have you been disobedient since I left?"

I thought about all my rebellious phases since then and came up empty. "None."

His eyes mischievously lit up. "Exactly! Come on, one day won't hurt. Besides, you said it yourself. You don't want to see your friends. And you'll see Jasmine at the game tonight. Please?"

A very small part of me knew he only wanted to skip so we'd avoid the whole deal we had going on with Reece and Skylar. I had pushed the argument to the back of my mind, knowing nothing good would come from it. I knew it was a serious matter. I would've liked to save Dean like the countless times he's saved me. I just needed to

"Fine, but if my parents get wind of this, pick out a casket," I sighed in defeat. His eyes widened a fraction, taking my threat seriously. I'm sure my parents wouldn't really care. After all, it was one day. Sure, it was only the second week of school, but it's not like I was skipping every day. Plus, it was normal for seniors to skip a lot.

"They won't," he reassured, but even he didn't sound as confident as moments before. I rolled my eyes and tried to get out of bed, but his arm snaked around me, restricting any movement. "Stay."

"I have to take Ryder out."

"He's fine," he protested, looking at the dog who somehow managed to sleep at the foot of the bed last night, even though I hadn't let him in. I found it best not to question it.

"Five more minutes," I sleepily grumbled before closing my eyes and embracing his warmth.

~~~

Five minutes turned into two hours.

When I finally woke up, it was bright outside. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes then noticed the absence of warmth in my bed. If Dean seriously convinced me to skip school then ditched, I was going to be pissed.

Instead, I decided to take a nice shower. After, I dressed in a casual dress I've been meaning to wear. The weather seemed perfect for it.

I also noticed Ryder was no longer in my room. With a frown, I trotted downstairs, looking for him.

A noise came from the library and I instantly followed. After cracking the door open, I saw Dean lounging in one of the chairs, reading an old book.

"Hey," I softly called out, trying not to scare him.

He looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Ah, sorry. I didn't know when you'd wake up. Sorry if I wasn't supposed to be in here. I was just intrigued by the selection."

I waved it off. "Don't worry about it." I sat on the armrest of his chair and leaned over. "Whatcha reading?"

"To Kill a Mocking Bird. I don't know, I'm not really into it," he sighed, shutting the book. He looked up at me and I leaned down, giving him a soft kiss. "Good morning," he smiled against my lips.

"Morning," I mumbled back, pulling away.

"Your dog's outside. I think he had to pee."

"Thanks," I grinned, hopping off the chair. Dean trailed behind me as I went outside to let Ryder back in. During the process, I saw a yellow post-it note on the backdoor. I snatched it and let him in, closing the door behind him.

Don't forget the cup

-D.B

I laughed and looked at the Yeti cup sitting on the kitchen island. It was Andrew's and he was obviously reminding me to bring it back. I left the note on top of the cup and did my daily routine for Ryder, including putting out his food and water.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked, taking a seat on one of the barstools.

Dean, who was now fully dressed, was leaning against the wall. "Up to you."

I held back an eye roll. He was the one who wanted to skip in the first place. Now he was leaving it up to me to make plans. I hated making plans!

"Dean," I whined.

He, however, didn't refrain from rolling his eyes. "I thought girls enjoyed planning dates and stuff."

Did he just say... "Date?" I asked, perking up.

The tips of his ears turned a bright red, giving away his embarrassment. "I just thought..."

A grin broke out on my face. As much as I wanted to jump into his arms right now, I stopped myself. "Well, I definitely don't have anything planned but how about we go to Starbucks and then move on from there?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded. He was acting all cute and shy, it made me want to kiss the hell out of him. But if I started, there was no guarantee I'd stop. 

I swung my keys around in my finger. "Let's go."

"Aw, you don't want to go on my bike?" he teased, already knowing the answer. Even though I've ridden it once, it didn't change anything. I still thought it was a death trap on wheels.

"Funny," I sarcastically replied and walked out, him following behind.

The ride there was short. His hand was on my thigh the entire time, with his thumb slowly caressing it. It was super distracting considering there was no cloth barrier. I'm surprised we made it in one piece.

The coffee shop wasn't too full. Many customers were at work or school, only some men in suits occupying the space. Lucky for us, it meant there were many free tables.

I ordered my usual iced coffee while Dean got a black coffee. Gross.

"How can you drink that stuff? It's so bitter." I made a face at his cup. We sat down at one of the empty tables. My drink was still being made.

"You're bitter and I like you," he retorted, taking a nice long sip.

I wondered how he didn't burn his tongue. "Hm, that's true." I leaned back in my chair. My phone chimed from my back pocket and I pulled it out.

Jaz: Girl, where have you been? I'm BORED everyone's BORING.

I laughed at the screen and sent back a reply. I felt a little bad I was leaving her to fend for herself, but every man for themselves, right?

Me: Sorry babe. Shoulda let you known I'm skipping.

Jaz: Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm boreddddd. Emma's been acting weird lately, even more so today. Does this have anything to do with the reason you've been avoiding us?

I nervously bit my lip as I stared down at the screen. I was thinking of a million ways I could answer this, none going well.

Me: Why don't you go hang out with Dylan instead?

Okay, this wasn't fair. I was being bitter.

Jaz: Don't be like that :(

Me: Ok ok sorry. I'll see you at the game tn?

Jaz: Ok...

I sighed and put my phone down. Dean looked up at me with amused eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Bella, I have your vanilla iced coffee." The barista slid the cup on the counter and I went to grab it. The man smiled warmly at me and I returned the gesture before joining Dean at our table.

He scoffed as I took a seat. It was only after I rose a questioning brow did he explain his sudden annoyance. "He definitely wants to fuck you."

My eyes widened and I smacked his arm. "Dean!"

"What? It's true."

"He did not. He was just being nice. You should try it sometime," I replied, settling in my seat and taking a long sip. The sweetness of the coffee filled my mouth and I couldn't help but smile. The squealing of the espresso machine and the smell of fresh coffee only added to my mood.

Man I loved coffee shops.

"Are you saying I'm not nice?" Dean asked, breaking the silence. I looked over to see him smugly smiling for some unknown reason.

I thoughtfully tapped my chin. "Uh... no."

"I'm not nice? Wasn't I the one who saved your ass during homecoming and punched Andrew?"

I rolled my eyes and took another sip of the heavenly drink in front of me. "A dumbass once told me that there's no need to point out the nice deeds you've committed or else they taint the intention behind them." My mind flashed back to the night of the party and Ben. That was exactly what he was trying to tell me.

Dean didn't find it amusing. "That's so untrue! I wasn't doing all that shit just for you to think I was a good person. I was genuinely being nice."

"So it wasn't because you were hopelessly in love with me?"

He sighed in defeat. "Okay, maybe. But I would have done it anyway."

I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "Dean, just admit it. You're not the nicest." I wasn't about to let this go. "You're only nice to me, and even that's selective." I wasn't going to tell him, but it was a major turn-on. It made me feel special.

How ironic is it that last year I was one of the people he excessively bothered?

"Can't argue with that," he huffed, squeezing my hand back.

We decided to leave Starbucks with our drinks instead of sitting, even though I had no issue with just sitting around and listening to the chatter. Apparently that wasn't a fun thing to do, even though I thought differently.  

"Where to?" Dean asked, adjusting the driver's seat. I reluctantly let him drive because that meant he'd eventually have to decide our next destination. I wasn't about to suggest a place.

I stayed silent, staring out the window of the parked car.

"You're so stubborn," Dean grumbled under his breath before turning on the car and driving to some unknown destination. Normally I'd reply with something snarky like 'Yeah, but you love that' but I decided now was not the time to push my luck. Instead, I kept my eyes on the window.

Even though he was annoyed, his hand still rested on my thigh. Goosebumps formed down my leg and judging from the smug smirk on his face, he knew.

The radio was the only source of noise in the silence, but I didn't mind. Most silences with him were comfortable, never awkward.

Before I knew it, we were pulling up to a familiar park. My blood went cold just looking at the grassy area. My hand instinctively went up to my arm, where a bullet-shaped scar was.

Beachwood Park, also known as the place I was shot. I hadn't been here since that night. I may or may not have been subconsciously avoiding it. Even though the incident happened almost a year ago, I never dealt with it in a healthy way. In fact, I never dealt with it at all.

"Everything okay?" Dean asked, squeezing my leg to get my attention. I numbly nodded and got out of the car.

My hands were shaking and I hoped he didn't notice.

"Why are we here?" I tried to sound as normal as possible, but my voice had a certain waver to it.

He shrugged and looked over at the children's jungle gym. "Just thought it would be nice without kids hogging the place."

Even through my anxiety, I managed to choke out a laugh. Of course that was his reasoning.

He made his way to the play place. I slowly trailed behind, trying to control my breathing. I stuffed my quivering hands in my pockets, which my dress had. How exciting! A dress with pockets!

"Come on, slowpoke!" Dean yelled from the top of the structure. I found amusement in his immaturity, but also found it endearing in a way. Something about his child-like excitement sparked joy in me.

But I couldn't match his enthusiasm. My mind kept drowning back to that night. It hadn't been scary when I was there, but now that I thought about it, it was a dangerous situation. A million different things could have happened. The bullet could have easily hit my head or heart. What if I hadn't been discovered? The wound could've been infected and lord knows what would have followed. It didn't help that no one knew I was there.

I flashed him a tight-lipped smile and trailed over to the swingset. I plopped down in one. The ancient chains creaked under my weight. I silently prayed I wouldn't break it, then began swinging.

My hands tightly gripped the rusted chains, turning my knuckles white. If I loosened my grip even a little, the shaking from my hands would rattle the entire swing. My palms were coated in a thin layer of sweat. My heart was pounding against my chest.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My throat was slowly constricting. Two imaginary hands were slithering up my next, slowly squeezing the life out of me. 

The gunshot echoed in my ears. I jumped and immediately looked around. Dean was no longer on the playground. Panic began coursing through my veins. Had he been shot?

A pair of arms wrapped around me and I immediately relaxed.

Nothing was real. I was just having a vivid flashback. The gunshot wasn't real. Dean was here and fine.

So why wasn't I feeling okay?

"Arabella, you're having a panic attack. I need you to breathe, okay?" Dean cooed in my ear. I nodded and tried to take deep breaths. His hands wrapped tighter around me, comforting me. It was a reminder that everything was fake.

Everything except the fact that you got shot.

I had only had a panic attack once before. It was when I had found out my good friend Reece was constantly flirting with me. It was way before we were close and I'm not sure why I felt so anxious about it, but I did.

Well, I also used to have them when I was younger. The idea of spending the night home alone often did that for me. It had been a while since those occurred.

"Do you need me to call someone?" Dean asked, stroking my hair.

Yes, Dylan.

I shook my head. Dylan was the only one who knew how to deal with these attacks. He learned after one of my first freakouts. He was right by my side. But I didn't want to call him right now. He really hurt me.

Dean stayed with me until I was fully calmed down. My hands were still shaking but I no longer felt suffocated. I practiced my breathing.

I hardly noticed us moving back to my car. I was sitting in the passenger seat, focusing on my hands. My french manicure was chipped. If my grandmother was to hear about this, my dad's mom, she'd be pissed. She was always so prim and proper, a major contrast to my mom's side of the family.

Dean's hand landed on my thigh and I jumped from the sudden action. When I look up, he was looking at me with a pained expression. "Arabella, I'm sorry." His shirt was stained with tears. My hand automatically touched my wet face. I hadn't even known I was crying.

"It's not your fault," I croaked, my throat extremely dry from all the heaving.

He furiously shook his head. "It is. I–" He stopped himself and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I brought you here to remind you how the last time you cooperated with Reece went. I wanted you to remember how terribly that mission went. I swear I didn't know you'd react like that."

I looked away from his eyes. Even though he did this on purpose, my reaction was my own fault. I never dealt with the trauma. Honestly, I never even considered it traumatic, which is why I didn't seek out help. It wasn't a big deal.

Or so I thought.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he softly asked, cupping my face to make me look at him again. "I had no idea."

"Neither did I," I admitted, my voice hoarse.

He disapprovingly shook his head at me but softened when my bottom lip trembled.

Yes, I was about to cry again because I seemed to be disappointing everyone around me. It didn't help that I couldn't control this. He was blowing it way out of proportion.

The ride home was silent, but the tense kind. I didn't bother looking up from my hands, which finally managed to stay still and no longer shook. The car eventually stopped and I looked up to see my house.

Ugh.

"I'm a dick," Dean muttered, not making a move to get out.

I nodded. "You are." I couldn't truly be mad at him, but I just wished he handled it in a better way.

Sick of waiting, I got out of the car. It's only when I was in front of the door that I realized Dean still had my keys.

Looking over at my car, he was still sitting in the driver's seat. His head rested against the steering wheel in a frustrated manner. His chest was rising with heavy breaths and I could tell he was trying to compose himself.

Just then, Andrew's fancy sports car pulled into the driveway. He spotted me through his heavily tinted windows, and even though I couldn't make out his face, his bright teeth shone through. I was a little surprised that school already let out.

He stepped out of his car, setting his sunglasses on the top of his blond head. "Hey, Bella! You skipped today! Everything okay?" he shouted from his driveway.

I sent back a wave. "Everything's good," I yelled back. My throat began to ache. If I didn't drink water soon, I'd probably lose my voice.

He didn't seem to believe me. I wouldn't either if I saw me. My poofy eyes and blotchy face were proof that I had a rough morning.

Dean must have seen Andrew because within seconds, he was out of the car and by my side. "Ah, Andrew, how nice to see you," he said, but I could hear the hostility in his voice.

"Well, I do live next door so..." Drew awkwardly trailed with a smile. He was such a champ for putting up with Dean sometimes. "Oh, Bella, are you coming to the game?"

At least he hadn't pried about my messy state. "Yup," I responded with a small smile. It was all I could muster.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"She's fine," Dean replied, putting his arm around me protectively.

Andrew looked to me for confirmation.

Ah, whatta guy! I'm starting to remember why I liked him so much.

"I'm good, Drew. Thanks. Good luck tonight," I chirped, putting all my energy into making sure he knew I was okay. I knew he worried about me and I didn't want to stress him out.

"Cool. See you tonight," he waved and went inside through his garage.

I immediately dropped my smile and put my hand out for my keys. Dean gave me a confused look before putting his hand on mine. "Keys, you idiot." I couldn't help but smile at his cuteness. His mouth formed an 'o' shape and he handed me my lanyard.

Ryder bombarded me as soon as I stepped across the threshold. Dean awkwardly stood behind, unsure of whether to come in.

Without even looking back at him, I said, "Come in, we have a lot of talking to do." I could hear his sigh of relief as he entered, gently closing the door behind him. Unlike Fluffy, his dog, Ryder was loyal to me and never left my side.

I subtly patted him on the head as I walked upstairs. This time, I slammed my bedroom door on Dean's face. It was a little mean, but he totally deserved it.

When I came out of my room, he was sitting in the hallway. I was wearing a black sports bra and high-waisted, baby pink leggings, along with black Nikes. When he saw I didn't pay attention to his presence, he silently padded behind me.

The door to the gym swung open and I stormed to the treadmill. I didn't hesitate to start my warm-up, completely ignoring the poor boy following me. It was cruel but I couldn't help it.

"Uh, are you sure you're okay to do this?" Dean warily asked.

My throat was killing me at this point and I realized I hadn't had a sip of water yet. Pausing the already slow-paced machine, I walked past him. Triumph glistened in his eyes, like he was happy I listened to him.

Instead, I walked over to the minifridge stocked with various drinks. My hand skimmed over the different flavors of Gatorades before realizing that water was probably my best bet. I took out a freezing cold bottle and unscrewed the cap.

The cold liquid felt amazing on my burning throat. I swallowed half the bottle before closing the cap. If I had any more, I'd vomit.

I smugly walked back to the treadmill, put the bottle in the cupholder, then resumed my workout. Once I had a steady jog going, I looked at Dean in the mirror's reflection. He, of course, was checking out my ass.

I had to roll my eyes at that.

"I work out after attacks because it gets rid of my anxious energy," I said. My footsteps echoed in the room, the only source of noise. "You know, you could have talked to me instead."

"Would you have listened?" he snorted as he made his way so he was in front of the machine.

Well... he had a point.

"It doesn't matter Dean! What matters is that you don't trust me."

Before I knew it, he pressed the red 'STOP' button, bringing me to a slow halt. "Don't say that."

"It's true, isn't it? You don't trust me to properly repay you for saving my life," I hissed harshly.

His eyes widened. "What the hell are you even talking about?" He exasperatedly threw up his hands.

"Everything Dean! I'm talking about all those times I got drunk, when I was lonely, when I was sad, and most of all when I got fucking shot!" My final words echoed through the gym, making this a little more dramatic than it was.

"I didn't save you," he whispered, shaking his head in denial. "I hurt you."

I stepped down from the machine and grabbed his face. "Look at me. You saved me. No one else did what you did."

"I caused you so much pain."

"But it was worth it! Every single thing you did was worth it, okay? Just please let me do this for you," I pleaded. His eyes finally met mine and I could see his defenses crumbling.

Yes!!!!

"We'll talk about it," he finally grumbled, not happy that it was so easy.

"Aren't we doing that right now?"

"I mean with Reece and Sky."

Sky. He's out here giving Skylar cute nicknames but he calls me by my full name.

But he listened! He was compromising for me! He never did that before. "Deal!" I beamed and kissed him on the cheek. He looked a little surprised by the action. "What?"

"You're so bipolar," he chuckled before grabbing my face and kissing me. It was the type of kiss that made me go weak in the knees.

My favorite kind.