Chapter 17: Feeling Used

"So that's her?" Peyton hisses when Odette went to the bathroom.

"Stop." I say.

"Is it?" Julian asks. "Because she's really hot bro, I bet she's great in bed."

"Julian, you're seventeen." I snap.

"We just want to know if that's the girl you like." Dad says. "So come on, is it?"

"Yes." I huff.

"Well ask her out." Julian says, confused.

"No." I say.

"Pussy." Harper says, putting her hands around her mouth.

"Yeah, I mean fuck, the guy at the mall has more balls than you do." Mason says.

I open my mouth to snap, but Odette comes out of the bathroom and we immediately fall silent.

She looks around as the quiet apartment. Normally she wouldn't say anything, but this time she does.

"You guys were talking about me." She says.

I open my mouth to tell her she's wrong, but Peyton speaks up.

"Correct." she says.

"About me and Nathan?" He inquires.

"Yes." Julian smirks at me. Odette just looks at me and I look at her, cringing.

"I have a nosy family."

"So do I." She says.

"Oh Odeletta, sweetie, you should invite your family for dinner!" Mom says, her face riddled in hope.

My family loves people, I'm sure they would get on great with her family.

"Um..." she hesitates and then looks at me.

"You can invite them." I nod.

"Okay, I will call my Dad." She stands up and goes outside, shutting the door behind her.

The moment the door clicks, Harper speaks up.

"Stop being a little pussy and go outside and ask her out."

"You won't. That guy had more guts than you!" Mason snaps.

"You don't do it, you little bitch." Julian says.

"Whatever, fuck all of you, you think I won't do it?"

I stand up and slip outside, shutting the front door behind me. She looks at me with raised eyebrows and then continues the conversation with her family. She's talking completely in French.

"D'accord, je t'aime Papa, au revoir." She listens for a moment and then hangs up, looking at me expectantly. "Yes?" She asks.

"Um..." I bite my lip. God, I'm so fucking anxious. "You know when I kissed you in Victoria's Secret?" I ask. She nods. "Did it make you mad?"

"No." She frowns. "I did not expect it, but it did not make me mad."

I nod slowly.

"I did it because that creepy guy that tried to ask you out was staring at you, and um...well, when you were crouched down your thong was sticking out of your jeans, and he wouldn't look away." I cringe.

She laughs softly.

"What is American word for protective over one's property?"

I frown.

"Territorial?" I ask.

"Yes." She says. "You are territorial." And then she smiles. "But you can not be territorial over something that you don't have."

She heads for the door, but I shoot out, blocking her with my arm. The close proximity to her makes me heart start racing and my hands start sweating. She's so beautiful. She looks up at me.

"Do you want to go out with me?" I ask.

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise and she seems to hesitate.

"Okay." She says.

"Because, I um...I mean, you're beautiful, and funny, and-wait, did you just say okay?"

"Yes. Okay." She nods. "But not on Valentine's Day. I do not believe in that holiday. There should not be only one day where you get appreciated."

She said yes. My mouth opens in surprise and then closes again.

"Okay." I say slowly.

"D'accord." She says.

She slips around me and into the house, shutting the door behind her.

Fuck. She said yes!

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and then slip inside the apartment after her, forcing myself to look neutral.

She's telling my Mom how her family is going to come, completely calm, like what just happened out there didn't happen at all.

How is she so calm? It's almost like she expected it.

When she stops talking, I speak up.

"What are we doing for dinner?"

"We are going to chilis." Mom says. "Josh suggested it."

Odette's Dad.

I can't even afford that until Monday unless I dip into my savings account. I swallow nervously. I don't want to dip into that account.

_____

We all met at the restaurant. I pulled my Dad aside and told him my situation and he just brushed me off and told me he'd pay. I hate having to ask them for help.

I shove the thoughts aside, watching everyone converse. Mom practically shoved her way into a relationship with Adelaide and Rosalie and they're talking about some nail salon in Ohio. My Dad and her Dad are talking about something, Julian is talking to Mason, Brenda is just kind of sitting there, Harper and Odette are talking and I'm just chilling here listening to everyone's conversations.

"You know," Her Dad says loudly. "I think my daughter and your son are going to make adorable grandchildren for us. What do you say?" Her Dad pats my Dad's shoulder roughly and my Dad starts laughing.

"I agree wholeheartedly." Dad says. Odette didn't seem to hear him, but everyone else around the table went quiet to listen.

"What, do you think they will have a destination wedding?" Josh asks.

"Maybe." My Dad nods, and then he hits Josh's arm. "I bet they will go to a beach, or maybe to Maine with the cliffs."

"Cliffs are too windy, and Nathan doesn't seem like the outdoors type. Let's face is, Odeletta isn't either."

Odette realizes what they're talking about and immediately says something in French to her Dad. He looks at his daughter and replies, and then she says something else, clearly trying to get him to stop.

"Bug, I am just making conversation." He says. She says something else, frustrated, and he raises his eyebrows and smirks. "Really?" She opens her mouth to say something, but before she can, he turns to my Dad. "Apparently my daughter and your son are going on a date together." He says. Odette slams her palm into her forehead.

"Vous êtes tellement mortifiant!" She exclaims. He just laughs and says something in French to her, and she responds quickly, frustrated.

Whatever she said makes his whole face light up, and immediately, her Mom and Rosalie pitch in and she waves her hand dismissively, grumbling about the bathroom, she gestures for me to move, so I slip out of the booth, and she goes storming off to the bathroom.

The moment she's out of hearing range, her Dad turns to me.

"Nathan, what are your intentions with my daughter? I know you two have been together physically, but are you with her for her body or are you with her for who she is as a person?"

"I'm with her for who she is as a person." I say, fidgeting nervously. He nods slowly.

"So her personality?"

"I'm with her for all of her. She's beautiful and smart and sassy and hilarious. She's a good person with good intentions."

He nods slowly.

"Okay." He says, and then he dives into another conversation with my Dad.

"She didn't go to the bathroom." Harper notices when Odette goes outside.

I hesitate for a full minute before I slip outside, wandering around the building. I find her crouched down against the building, a lit cigarette in her hand.

Her head is down, her right palm pressed against her forehead.

I gently reach down and pluck the cigarette from her hand. Her head snaps up and she looks at me, and then at the cigarette. She sighs guiltily.

"These can kill you." I say softly, flicking the ash off. I don't put it out, and we sit there, inhaling the smoke as it burns. "Do you still want it, knowing it can kill you?"

Her eyes study mine for a moment, and then she shuts here, shaking her head. I put it out against the pavement, squatting in front of her.

"I have not smoked since you took that one...remember?"

I nod, thinking back to the day I ripped the cigarette from her hand.

"But I have the pack." She pulls it from her purse, showing it to me. "I am stressed. My parents stress me out. I feel guilty for my motorcycle, but I do not want to get rid of it. If they found out about that..." she points to the unlit cigarette in my hand. "They would kill me."

"I know the feeling." I say softly. I throw the cigarette out in a nearby garbage can and squat in front of her again. I brush some of her hair out of her eyes, sighing.

"I'm sorry about Papa." She whispers. "He is embarrassing."

"It's okay." I whisper.

"You are a good man, Nathan." She says seriously. "And every time I see you, I get butterflies. What is that?"

I smile, studying her.

"I think that's called a crush."

"It feels like more than that, you think?"

"I do think." I nod.

"Do you like me?" She asks. "The way that I like you?"

"I do." I nod.

She smiles softly.

"Do you regret it?" She asks, her face contorting into one of sadness.

"Regret what?" I ask.

"Having sex with me."

I study her for a long time, and then I sit down on the icy pavement.

"I did." I admit. "But lately, every time I see you..." I bite my lip. "I regret it less and less. And now I don't regret it at all."

She smiles.

"Do you?" I ask.

"Not anymore." She says. She sits up so she's not leaning on the wall anymore.

I reach out to brush her hair back, but I find myself leaning in. She leans in too, closing the distance between us. Our eyes slip shut on the impact, and I kiss her. I love kissing her. Her soft lips move with mine, our tongues mixing, her nibbling on my bottom lip and me doing the same to her. I reach out and pull her small body into my lap. I can feel her fingers knot in my hair. I keep my right hand behind her head to support her, my left hand on the back, pulling her to me.

We kiss, and kiss, and kiss, and then I hear snigger.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Julian asks. We pull apart and I look at my brother, who has a giant smirk on his face. "You are lucky it was me. It was going to be Josh."

He saunters off. I look at Odette, letting out a small sigh. She smiles, kisses me again, and then stands up. I stand up too, following her back to the restaurant. I open the door with her, and then the second door, following her back to the table.

"What took you so long?" Josh asks when we sit back down.

"Well they were making out of course." Julian says.

Thanks, Julian.

_____

After class Monday, our group was in the cafeteria. My Mom finally went home, leaving with the rest of my family. We're all sitting around talking.

"We should do something tonight." Mason says. "What if we go like...to the bowling alley or something."

"We should go mini golfing." Harper says.

"That's better than bowling." I say in agreement with Harper.

"What if we go to the movies?" Brenda squeaks.

"We can't talk at the movies." Harper says. Her and Odette are best friends now, and I already know Harper hates Brenda because Odette told me.

"All in favor of the movies?" Brenda asks, raising her hand. Nobody moves. "Bowling?" She asks. Nobody raises their hand. "Mini golf?"

Everyone raises their hand, and I stile a laugh at the annoyed look on Brenda's face.

I may be nice enough not to snap on her, but that still doesn't mean I like her.

I gather everyone's trash at the table and walk over to the garbage, tossing them all out.

Some girl crashes into me-literally, and before she falls, I catch her hand, smiling.

"Are you okay?"

The second the blonde girl crashes into Nathan, Odeletta's eyes narrow, and we all grow silent, watching as Nate catches her hand before she falls, and he's smiling.

"Are you alright?" He asks. "I'm sorry, I should have been watching where I was going."

He didn't even do anything. She ran into him.

I cringe. Nathan is dense when it comes to people hitting on him. He has no idea how to recognize it.

Their hands are still joined and he looks down at her hand before pulls his back, shoving it into his pocket.

"No, no." She girl laughs, brushing her blonde tendrils out of her face. "It was me. I ran into you." She laughs nervously, looking him up at down. When her eyes rest on his face, they widen and she clears her throat. "I'm Isabella." She says. "You can call me Izzy. Or Bella." She laughs, and Nathan does too, completely oblivious to the fact that she's hitting on him. Odette looks ready to swing, and I can't help but be happy.

She likes him enough to get jealous when he's talking to other girls.

"I'm Nathan." He says, shaking her hand.

Her hand lingers in his, and he pulls back again, and I see her smile falter a little, hardly enough for Nate to notice, but enough for everyone else to notice.

"We should hang out sometime." She says, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Nate says. I slam my hand into my forehead. Odette sucks air in through her teeth and literally everyone at the table is cringing from how stupid he is, except for Odeletta, who looks prepared to knife the girl in the eyes.

"Great." She says, giggling.

Odette stands up and walks out of the café right before Isabella starts leaning in to kiss Nate.

The moment he realizes she's about to kiss him, his eyes widen and he backs up, putting his hands up in front of him.

"Whoa, wha-what are you doing?" He stammers, laughing nervously when she stops leaning.

"I um...was going to kiss you?" She says slowly.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because you just agreed to go on a date with me." She says.

"I didn't..." Nate trails off, his face flooding with realization. "No, I agreed to hang out with you."

Everyone in the café is watching.

"I asked you on a date." She says, her face bright red. Nate starts rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Um...no, you said we should hang out, you didn't say 'will you go out with me?' Or 'will you go on a date with me?'"

"So will you go on a date with me?" She asks, flustered.

"Um...uh-" he runs his fingers through his hair. "I have a girlfriend." He says. "A very attractive, French girlfriend, whom I like very much. Well, she's not my girlfriend, but um..." he coughs. He looks like he's going to pass out, and I stile my laugh by taking a sip of my drink. Everyone around the café is trying not to laugh. It's funny but I'm worried because Odeletta took off under the impression that Nathan is going to go on a date with another girl.

"She's not your girlfriend?" She asks for clarification.

"Well..." he starts. "Uh...um, I don't-it's-" he stutters.

"It's a yes or no question." Isabella snaps.

"No, she's not my girlfriend." He says, his eyes hardening. "Not yet, anyways, but she will be."

"Well if she doesn't end up being your girlfriend...I mean she's not yet, so we can go out. You can date the both of us and then decide."

His face fills with confusion.

"This is not a Derek, Meredith, Finn situation." He says slowly. "I like her, I'm dating her."

"But you're not in a relationship with her." She squeaks, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Somebody should go save him." I whisper, but nobody at the table moves.

"I mean, it's not like that. I don't know if I am. It's not official, but it's...it's complicated, I don't-"

"So date both of us!" She snaps.

"Have you even heard a word I said?" He sighs.

"You said you don't have a girlfriend." She says.

"No, I said I like her."

"But you don't like me?" She says, her eyes filling with fake tears.

This is when I wish asshole Nathan would make an appearance.

I see his face harden and I cringe again.

"No, I don't like you. You seem nice but I don't like you like that, I like who I'm with."

"But you're not with her!" The girl snaps, throwing her hands up.

"Yes, I am. Not officially, but I am. If she went off and fucked somebody else I'd be fucking livid!"

"But I'm not asking for sex! I'm asking for a date!"

"Well you're not getting any of it." He snaps. "I'm sorry for bumping into you but no, I won't go out with you, because I'm with somebody."

He turns on his heel and walks back to the table, his eyes landing on the seat Odeletta abandoned.

"Where's Odette?" He asks. Brenda and Harper are cringing, so he looks at me. "Where's Odeletta?"

"Uh, she left." I say, glancing at her half-eaten bagel with a grimace on my face.

"She left?" Nate repeats.

"Yes."

"Why?" He presses. I just stare at him. "When?" He presses his lips into a thin line.

"Shortly after you agreed to go on a date, but before you turned her down."

"So she's angry?" He asks.

"Oh yeah." Harper laughs awkwardly. "Shit Nathan, last time I saw her that mad, she was slapping you."

I don't know what to do. She left, so she's mad at me, but what do I do now?

Mason might know. Brenda gets mad at him all the time.

"What do I do?"

"Nate, she thinks you're going on a date with somebody else." I say. "And she likes you, obviously, so she's probably sad...but she seems like the person to turn sadness into anger. I suppose we could call it bitter." Mason nods. "So-"

"What. Do. I. Do?" I snap through clenched teeth.

"Either let her cool off of go after her."

"Oh god, don't let her cool off!" Brenda snaps at me. "Go after her, you fucking idiot!"

I grab my bag and run in the direction of where she parked her motorcycle this morning. Everyone is following me. Odeletta is only walking, and I reach her right when she reaches her bike, catching her hand.

She rips her hand from mine, whipping around.

Her eyes are red, and it takes me a second to realize she's crying.

"Odette," I start softly.