Chapter 43 - I Like You And Backlash.

Lance. 

Whose idea was this?

Why did I bring Jack to this lunch?

''So, you know my boy is totally in love island right now?'' he slings his arm over my shoulders. We are in the same booth while Patrick is opposite us. There is a look of disinterest in his face. Almost like he doesn't want to hear about me and Ford. 

''Sure,'' he rolls his eyes as he takes a bite of his burger. 

My eyes dart around the table because this is hella awkward. It is obvious that Jack doesn't like Patrick. We all know this but I wish he would just tone down a bit on his obviousness. 

''Why are you still hanging around then?''

I look at Patrick for the answer to his question. 

He shrugs ''We are friends.'' He dismisses any other thought. 

Jack scoffs ''Friends… sure,'' he drawls his last word out. 

I release a sigh of frustration as I kick him under the table. he grabs his leg and Patrick chuckles at the scene in front of him. I just want to get through this lunch but it seems like Jack wants to be a pest to Patrick.

''Cut it out,'' I warn him so low. 

He laughs with an eye roll ''It's fine. I know your friend is just being protective. He sees me as a threat, feels like I am going to steal you away from him.''

Jack scowls ''This is not about me. I know your game. I have played that game before. Just because you stay in the side-lines and act like you just want to be friends doesn't mean you will win his heart,'' he takes a sip of his milkshake ''I know your type.''

''What's my type?''

At this point, I am just watching them. I don't know how to stop this altercation. This is all my fault. I brought Jack to this lunch, if I had just left him at home, all this wouldn't be happening.

''The desperate type. the one that always wants to take what isn't his.'' 

The harshness in his tone is mind-boggling. I don't like the way he is talking to him. I grab Jack by the sleeves of his shirt before Patrick can retaliate, he tries to push my grip from him, but I keep my stance until we are out of the restaurant.

''What is wrong with you?'' he whines. 

I frown because this is not even funny at all ''Why are you being a bitch?'' 

He laughs ''I am on your side.''

I shake my head ''There is no need for sides. He hasn't done anything wrong. Why do you hate him so much?''

''Because I see the way he looks at you.''

''He hasn't made a move. We have been alone so many times. He hasn't said anything. He genuinely wants to just be friends.''

I know Patrick has a thing for me. I know there are feelings involved in whatever is going on with him but he respects me and he hasn't pushed any boundaries. In fact, he has been so thoughtful towards me, he pushed me to be with Ford. I can't fault him because he hasn't done anything wrong. 

Jack is pro-Ford but he is being a jerk towards Patrick and I think it is very unfair. I won't stand by and watch him torture the guy. 

''He is trying to act like a friend until he can make a move. I know what he is doing,'' he tells me defensively. 

I sigh ''He was the one that convinced me to fight for Ford. He is the reason why we are together right now.''

Jack laughs ''I told you to fight for ford. Numerous times, just cause he said it doesn't mean he is the reason. You and ford would have come back together eventually. That was the inevitable man.'' 

''That's beside the point.'' 

He doesn't want to understand me.

I just wish he would get along with him. I don't want Patrick to go anywhere. I want him to be my friend. I don't have that many friends. What is the harm in adding on to the book?

''Look, he needs to be reminded. He needs to know that you are taken. I am doing you a favour.''

I roll my eyes ''He knows. Can we just get through this lunch peacefully?''

''You will see what I am talking about. Eventually.''

Jack thinks he knows everything. He is choosing to dislike the guy for things he hasn't done yet. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. I don't want to think about how he might feel, what he might do, the advances he might make later on. 

I just want to be friends with him. 

Is that so much to ask?

''Forget about all that. When we go back in there, I want you to apologise to him.'' 

He bends his head backwards ''Fuck you dude. I will remind you of this day.'' He doesn't wait for me as he walks back into the restaurant. 

The rest of the lunch goes by smoothly and all it took was dragging Jack out of there. Patrick grabs my arm gently as we walk out of the restaurant. Jack raises a brow in question ''Can I get a second with him?''

There is a suspicious look on his face but he just walks away from us after muttering ''I'll be in the car.'' 

Patrick sighs and I walk with him to a corner ''Is everything okay?''

He nods and I watch as he scratches the back of his neck nervously ''Do you think I want to steal you from your boyfriend?''

So apparently jack did crawl into his skin. 

He is bothered by everything jack said. 

''No.''

He smiles but there is no sincerity in the smile. 

''I like you. I really like you. I am not gay. I have never been gay. I don't even know if I am attracted to you. I just know that you fucking intrigue me.'' 

I don't know why he is telling me all this. these are not things I want to hear from him. I like our dynamic and now Jack has fucking messed this all up.

''Why are you telling me this?''

He sighs, my eyes shift away from him because I don't even want to look at him as he confesses his fucking feelings to me. I knew how he felt. The day he saw Ford. I could see it in his eyes. The jealousy but I chose to ignore it. Act like I didn't see it. Not put too much meaning to it. Ford doesn't seem like the jealous kind but he is jealous of him. he saw it too. 

''I don't know,'' he paces around in the middle of the street. I take a deep breath because I already know what I need to do. I can't be friends with him if he wants more ''Look, I will never come between you and Ford. I am not that kind of person that your friend seems to think. I like you and I don't want to lose this.'' 

''What is this?''

I genuinely want to know what he thinks we have. I think we are friends. He is slowly becoming someone of importance to me. 

''We're friends.'' 

He says it so casually. He honestly believes that is all we are. 

''Are you okay with being friends?''

He nods ''Very okay with it. I wouldn't try to do anything. I wouldn't push or force myself on you. That is not the kind of person I am.'' He keeps repeating those words. 

He is trying to convince himself. 

Not me. 

''I love Ford,'' I tell him point-blank. 

He nods ''I know, I told you to fight for him. I meant it. Don't let it go. Never let that kind of love go.''

''Then why are you telling me all this if you don't want anything from me.'' I want to know what is going on in his head. Patrick literally came into my life in a flash and somehow, he found a way into my heart. I care about him, I like hanging out with him and I don't want to let this go. Good people are hard to come by and he is a good person. 

I have no doubt about that. 

''Your friend said something today that really hit close to home. it got to me. I am not a bad person. I am not going to do anything to make you hate me. I won't get in your way.'' 

''I like you too, I don't want to stop being friends but if you can't handle being just that, then I will make this easier for you and let you go. I won't lead you on, nothing can ever happen between us.'' 

I have to be cold. 

Hit the nail on the head. 

Don't want him thinking there is hope when my heart belongs to someone else.