Teach Me (GxG)

Eight

What the hell was wrong with me? At 12 years old I pictured myself kissing Wesley atop the Eiffel Tower, not as a stupid dare after my feelings for him had long faded.

Admit it Peyton, you're becoming a shit-show.

I groaned in shame. Of course my conscience was right. Hell, I was standing outside of Wesley's home in the cold night just because of how stupid I had been. I had shown vulnerability in front of too many people tonight, and I could not let that happen again. If Ruby could talk to me in that way and get away with it, more people would do the same. I showed a weakness.

"Peyton?" Oh no. I turned to see Wesley, who had a warm smile on his face.

I turned away so that he couldn't see my face. "Sorry, Wesley. I have a one kiss limit."

That made him chuckle. "As much as I'd like that," he inched closer to me and grabbed a hold of my shoulders, "we should probably start with getting you back inside."

I felt my emotions close to breaking free, and I pushed them down. "No. I think I've spent enough time around her."

"Who said anything about being around her?"

I rolled my eyes and gently pushed him. "Don't talk in riddles."

"Fine. I meant that the party's over now, but I want you to stay."

Oh. "And why would you want that?"

"I'll tell you as soon as you come back inside," he smiled widely, "deal?"

I sighed but followed him back inside. A wave of silence followed. I felt their gazes on me. Instead of hiding away from them, looked at them in their eyes. This lasted for a few seconds before Wesley pulled my arm and ushered me up his stairs.

He led me into his room. I felt uncomfortable in his personal space, but took a seat at the edge of his bed.

I watched him pick up a framed photograph from on his dresser. "I remember this day. Me, you, and Rebekah had gone to Hawaii with our families." He handed me the picture.

There we were: Me and Wesley were probably only 11 and Rebekah was the bossy 14 year-old. Rebekah was Wesley's sister. She looked nothing like him, though. The only similarity was her brunette hair that fell in perfect waves down her back.

I smiled. "How could I forget? We were best friends back then. I was always by your side."

He sat next to me on his bed. "You know, once we were like, 15, we just grew apart. I would always wonder where we went wrong."

I felt my emotions rising back to the surface and I tried to hold them back again. "That's life. Sometimes you just grow apart with the people that you love the most."

He shook his head. "No, this was different." He rested his hand on mine. "Peyton, you avoided me. Why?"

I tried to push my emotions away, but I couldn't do it any longer. I could feel the tears, a rapid river going down my face. I couldn't tell him why I avoided him. It was a pathetic, selfless reason.

He pulled me into his arms and I just cried in them. The emotions that I had held back had broken free. I don't know how long this went on for before I couldn't cry anymore.

Wesley went to fetch me some tissues. He handed them to me. "Damn, I don't think I've ever seen you cry before. I was beginning to think you were a robot." He grinned. I smiled weakly at his poor attempt to lighten up the mood.