He tried kissing away the tears that'd just fallen out of my eyes.

…I slapped him.

"JOSH! Stop it, god damn it!" I yelled furiously.

"Stop what?" he asked.

I snorted, secretly infatuated with the confused expression on his face.

But soon enough, anger took over love's place; obviously, he didn't know why I was crying.

I began yelling, "I saw you! Don't pretend you don't know! You and Arianna were making out in Starbucks! You knew I loved you, didn't you? You knew I was head over heels for you. You knew how terrible my life was, and you changed that, despite the fact that I made it completely obvious how much I despised you in the first pla-"

"Lexi," he began, but I cut him off. "Don't you 'Lexi' me! Shut up and listen! I've wanted to say this for months and since I began I am going to FINISH, damn it!"

Am amused smirk began to form on his face, but I ignored it as the rants that had been festering in my soul let loose.

"I hated you, ok? I hated life, I hated everyone and everything. And when you found that out, for some obscure reason, you started to care and tried to make everything better.

"After SIX LONG MONTHS of trying to break down the walls I'd put up around myself after Nick," I struggled to come up with the right words, "began abusing me, you managed to break through them. God knows how, 'cause even I don't know, I mean, I swore off guys for good after Nick broke my jaw–"

His face suddenly became murderous as he remembered how he found me unconscious, lying in the street, my unaware body being battered and bruised by my then-boyfriend.

He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off with a "Shut. Up. And. Let. Me. Finish."

So he shut up and let me finish.

"You became my best friend, my confidante, my – cliché as it may sound – hero, and the one I knew would always be there. And when you began acting all weird around me three months ago, I was shattered. When I finally mustered up the courage to talk to you, you told me that you loved me, remember?" by now, I was openly sobbing and choking out my words.

"I-I was shocked," I began, "what was I supposed to do? And then you kissed me –" I was cut off as I noticed a reminiscent smile appear on his face, but this time I did nothing to wipe it off, because a sappier version of his grin was mirrored on my own face.

"I began falling for you, and I began falling hard. Soon, it came to the point where you were the reason I woke up everyday. The reason I went to bed early, 'cause I knew I'd dream about you. The sole reason for my freakin' existence. But – and here's the funny part – I couldn’t tell you, now could I?"

I let out a bitter laugh as he asked, simultaneously meek and confused, "You couldn't?"

"No, Joshua, I couldn't, you and Arianna were together, remember? A month after I told you I loved you as a friend, you stopped loving me and had a crush on Arianna. God, Josh, ARIANNA? Couldn't you think of anyone else? Mr. Mathews would've been better than her!!"

Okay, I admit, it may have been jealousy talking, but I was internally satisfied as a disgusted grimace took over Josh's beautiful features as (undoubtedly) an image of our fat bald old principal plagued his mind.

"All you did was talk about her! It was Arianna this, or Arianna that. For a freakin' MONTH, you never asked how I was, if Nick was giving me any problems, anything. No, the only thing we – well, more like you - talked about was Arianna, 'member?

"Oh, oh, and remember how jealous she became when she caught sight of the lovesick looks I gave you? Yeah, that was effing hilarious, wasn't it?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "she told you to stay the hell away from me, and here's the annoying thing: you DID! Whatever happened to bros over hoes and all that crap, huh? What?" I inquired, shaking with rage.

I didn't let him reply as I continued, "And then you guys broke up, 'cause you "couldn't handle the stress of being in a relationship". Was that really it? 'Cause after last week, it sure as hell seemed to me that you still loved her and wouldn't mind getting back into a relationship with her - even though you TOLD me that you loved me and that Arianna was your rebound girl – not your true love!"

"Last week?" he asked, running his hands through his soft hair in an irritated gesture, and I suddenly felt an unappeasable urge to play with said hair.

Stop thinking that, damn it! Yelled my internal self at me, and then proceeded to tell me to focus on the matter at hand here.

"Starbucks? You two were glued at the lips? Oh, and don't even dare tell me that she kissed you, 'cause I totally saw you kissing her back!"

"She DID kiss me!" he responded frantically, "I didn't kiss her back, I swe- OUCH!"

I guess you're wondering where that came from: I slapped him.

"Listen, Lexi," he began, not even caring about his now bright-red cheek, "you're the one I love, not Arianna. I swear, as soon as you regained consciousness after Nick … you know, and asked, 'what the hell happened and who the hell are you?' I instantly knew that one day I'd fall for you, and I'd fall hard. Look, Lexi, I love you."

I love you too, I wanted to say, but my anger was talking, not me.

"It doesn't matter whether you love me or not, 'cause I hate you. You've put me through enough pain as it is. Hell, I've put myself through enough pain as it is - because of you. I just…hate who I am when I'm with you lately, so get the hell over me and go back to Arianna, ok?"

I immediately regretted saying that and wished I could take it back as soon as a tremendously hurt expression marred his face – but I didn't.

"No, it's not okay," he responded stonily, and a rush of affection came over me as I remembered how adamant he was on tearing down the walls I'd built around myself after Nick, "Know why?"

I sighed, "Why?"

What was WRONG with me? I loved him more than anything, and yet was treating him worse than crap.

"Because I love you," he replied boldly, and I suppressed a sappy grin.

"Prove it," I asked, forgetting all about how much he hurt me – or rather, how I hurt myself and blamed him.

"How?"

"Kiss me" I replied, baffling him.

However, he evidently didn't mind, as he arched his neck down and kissed me, making my heart thump so loud I was sure he could hear it.

Tears –of relief, this time – made their way down my face, and as soon as Josh saw them, he bent his head down to kiss them away.

…This time, I didn't stop him.