26- Numb

Bella's POV

Today has been really hard, I couldn't take my eyes off Ashton and Effie. They were always together and they both looked happy, Ashton never smiled that much when I was around. We usually sent most of our time fighting or ignoring each other.

"Bella!" Matt called.

"What?" I asked.

"You have been staring at them for quite a while, don't you think you should stop? People are starting to notice" He said. I felt really embarrassed.

"I wasn't staring at them, I was thinking" I said. He nodded and left.

Ugh! Why can't my life just be normal?

"Hey!" Jessie greeted.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Don't be so harsh, did you see Matt's face? The poor boy looked so sad," She said.

"So?"

"I think you should apologize. Just because Ashton broke up with you doesn't mean people around you have to feel it too" She said.

"We were never dating," I said, continuing my work.

"I know you're hurt and I can't change that. But I really hate this always moody and grumpy side of you so I have a plan" She said.

"A plan for what?" I asked.

"A plan to make you come back to your real self and move on" She said.

"If it about making him jealous it's not going to work because he doesn't like me"

"No. My cousin Mark is single and he's pretty funny, so I think if you guys hang out with each other-" She said, then I interrupted.

"No! I'm not hanging out with your cousin, I don't want more problems" I said.

"Yes you are. He's coming to pick me up later and we're going to meet his friends so you are coming"

"I don't want to see his friends," I whined.

"Yeah but you have to," She said.

"Ok, I'll come" I surrendered.

His friends might be fun.

After the long day at work it was finally time to go home. Jessie's cousin came to pick us up.

He's very tall with a well built frame. He has dark brown hair and green eyes, he wore a black T-shirt and black skinny jeans with black sneakers. He looked great in black, I could tell that it's his color. He's the definition of hot but I'm not interested in him.

"Mark, this is my friend Bella. She's coming with us" Jessie said with a smile on her face.

He nodded without looking at me and entered his car. He's so rude, he just pretended like I don't exist.

"Your cousin is so rude" I complained to Jessie immediately he couldn't hear us.

"He's just not fond of girls," She said, dragging me to the car.

We drove for an awful thirty minutes. The car has been really quiet since Mark doesn't like to listen to music, we all stayed here in silence. Jessie also made me sit in the front seat beside Mark and I hated her for it but I don't want to make it seem weird so I didn't complain.

We finally arrived at the place where we were meeting Mark's friends. The club was packed with people and the music was so loud.

I don't really go to clubs so it's a little weird for me. The first time I went to a club mum and dad put me on time out for two months and forbid Adrian to see me because he was the one who invited me.

Mark led us inside the club. It's a really big club, everywhere was dark and light only shone upon the strippers on the stage. Everyone was screaming and dancing as they watched the strippers.

"Can we go home?" I asked Jessie.

"No, we just got here and we haven't met his friends yet," Jessie said, pulling me to the counter to get a drink.

I ordered Coca-Cola because I don't drink alcohol and I heard that people spike punch and I also heard that juice is another name for alcohol. While Jessie ordered beer.

We walked back to the table where Mark was sitting.

I sat opposite Mark while Jessie sat beside him. They talked for a while before she went to use the bathroom.

"Bella right?" He said, taking a sip of his tequila.

"So now you acknowledge me? earlier you pretended like I didn't exist" I said. He chuckled and smiled.

"I'm sorry if you found it offensive, I was in a bad mood earlier" He apologized.

"Is that why you called the music lame?" I asked.

"No, the music was lame" He said.

"No it's not. One Direction is awesome and they're not moody" I smiled.

"Have it your way but I still think they're lame" He said.

"Whatever" I rolled my eyes.

"So... Jessie told me you just broke up with your boyfriend" He said. That girl!

"Yeah I did, it's not like we were dating" I said trying to stop myself from crying.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," He said.

"If you knew you were going to be sorry why did you bring it up?" I asked.

"I don't know" He shurgged.

"You're lame" I said.

"I am" He agreed. "But in a hot way," He added.

"There's no hot way of being lame. You're so full of yourself" I said.

"Whatever. I think my friends are here" He said waving at them.

I looked back at them, the people I saw really made me want to sink into the floor. Ashton and Effie were the friends we were meeting.

I quickly looked away and tried to think of an impromptu plan to get out of here, maybe I'll just lie that I'm going to the bathroom and then I'll escape.

"Bella these are my friends" Mark said, pulling me to his side.

"Hi" I said, I waved at them. I don't want this to be awkward although it already is.

"Is she the cousin you wanted us to meet?" Ashton asked.

"No, she's my cousin's friend. Jessie is in the bathroom" Mark explained.

"Let's sit," Effie suggested.

We all sat on the table we were at earlier. Mark and I were sitting opposite Ashton and Effie, she couldn't keep her hand off him and it's so annoying how they're touching. It hurts my eyes and my heart.

I can't believe I still feel something for that jerk after all he had done to me.

"I'm back!" Jessie cheered as she approached our table.

"Why is Ashton here?" She asked angrily.

"You know him?" Mark asked.

"They both work at the same diner I work at" She said.

"Ok. Since you already know each other we can go now" Mark said.

Where are we going?

"Where are we going?" Ashton asked.

"To see a movie" Jessie said.

"I think we should just stay here," Effie suggested.

"Sure" Mark and Jessie said in unison.

"Do you want to dance?" Ashton asked Effie. She nodded and they both left to dance.

I took a sip of my Coke and tore my gaze from them, I don't know why it hurts so bad. He said he never liked me and I had to understand that, I guess I just had hope that he would snap out of whatever was going on.

"I'm going to dance," Jessie said, leaving before I could say a word. I guess I'm left with Mark.

"Are you ok?" I asked Mark. When I noticed the sad, angry and confused expression on his face.

"No," He said. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, he nodded.

"Effie and I used to be together until suddenly she decided to break up with me because I caught her cheating. I've tried to make her understand that I still want her despite the fact that she cheated, but she seems to have developed some feelings for Ashton and now they're always around each other I don't know why" He explained. I guess they both are meant for each other, he's a player she's one too they're a perfect match.

"I guess we're riding the same boat," I laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Ashton was my ex boyfriend" I confessed. He looked really shocked and surprised.

"Nice try, Ashton doesn't date" He said.

"He told you that?" I asked.

"Yes. Whenever we ask him he just says he doesn't have a girlfriend or he's hanging out with his friend" Mark shurgged.

"I guess we were really a joke," I said. Everything he told me hurt me so badly but the fact that he thought of me as a friend hurt me the most.

"Why did you break up with him?" Mark asked.

"I didn't break up with him. He suddenly decided to stop talking to me and said that he never asked me to be his girlfriend so I shouldn't keep deceiving myself" I said as tears streamed slowly down my face.

"Why did you think he wanted you to be his girlfriend if he didn't even ask you?" Mark asked. Does he not understand that this is the wrong time to judge me?

"Because he was leading me on and making me believe that he cared, he even said he loved me and he called me his girlfriend in front of people. What do you expect me to think? That he doesn't love me?" I sobbed.

"Relax, I didn't know it was like that. I'm sorry, love" He said.

"Don't call me love" I said, pushing his hand from my shoulder.

"I have a proposal for you," He said.

"This isn't business," I laughed.

"Aren't you going to ask me what it is?" He asked.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Why don't we be a couple for a night?"

"Eww.. No I can't date you for a night" I said with disgust.

"Please. Let's just hangout together, two brokenhearted people just trying to feel good for a night" He said.

"Do you mean the deed?" I asked. The thing I'm not allowed to do until my wedding night.

"No!" He said very loudly.

"Great, I'm in," I said.

"So babe do you want to dance?" He asked with a smile on his face. I nodded and took his hand.

We danced for a really long time and we were enjoying ourselves, I caught Ashton and Effie staring at us a few times but I didn't care.

"I'm going to get some drinks, I'll be back soon" He said before leaving.

I sat on the chair close to where we were dancing and decided to check if I had any missed calls. So far I don't have any texts or calls, I'm surprised how my parents aren't worried about me, it's past my bedtime and I'm still out, I guess they're realising that I'm an adult.

I placed my phone in my bag and looked up to look for Mark but the sight my eyes caught were just too much for me to handle.

I quickly ran out of the club, I sat on the floor and looked at the sky as tears streamed down my face. This is a very familiar scene, the scene where I run out and cry because Ashton did it again. It's like history is repeating itself. Do you know what scene it is?

Why?! It's like I'm cursed. I caught him kissing her, it looked so passionate that I envyed her.

Maybe love isn't my thing, I think I'm better off as a cat lady. I'm allergic to cats.

This place isn't for me, I don't belong with these people. They're much more different from people I normally hang out with.

I need to get out of here, I need a place just to breathe and feel alive.

I picked my phone and called Liana and Aubrey but none of them answered.

I guess I'll have to walk. I picked up my stuff from the floor and started running, I could hear Jessie screaming my name but I don't think stopping would be worth it.

I ran across the street when there was no car around, before I could make it to the other side of the street I felt a deep pain in my waist and I felt myself fall to the floor. My whole body was numb and I couldn't move, it was almost as if I couldn't control my body.

Everything started turning black and my sense of feeling, hearing and sight slowly faded away not before I heard his voice.

The voice that  reminds me of how bad this summer has been, that reminds me of how cursed I am.

"Bella!" He screamed.

Adrian.

A/N

Chapter 26! *applause*

2000 words!

I bet you weren't expecting the last part.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for not updating sooner, I had thirteen classes this week and I'm super tired.

Shoutout goes to ddrrrs2pt0 thanks for voting and commenting in the previous chapters

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Mine is tiktok, though I deleted it today.

Have a nice day!

Bye!