Falling For The Girl I Bullied
Chapter 23

Violet’s P.O.V.

“Are they giving you a hard time?” Jenny asked me in a concerned tone while cleaning the tables with me. I took a deep breath and looked at her helplessly. “I can’t say that they are giving me a hard time because they are not as hard on me as they were before. They still bother me but not like before”, I told her about my situation with the volleyball team truthfully. She nodded and then we both silently continued our work. “I really don’t understand your reason for joining them, Violet. It’s not like that you can’t pass the subject without being involved with them”, she sounded frustrated this time and a small smile crept onto my lips. I knew that she was worried for me and that was why she didn’t want me to work as an assistant with them.

“You are right and to be honest, Jenny…. I really don’t know why I said yes to this job. Now I can’t do anything but continue my work there and bear them”. I moved my shoulders helplessly while telling her what I did. She huffed while glaring at me and then concentrated on her work. I knew that she was angry with me, but I knew her. She was only worried for me. It was almost time to close the diner. I had a few assignments to finish, so I quickly finished my work and then went to the washroom to wash up. After finishing my business in the washroom, I went straight to the changing room and took my bag from there. Nowadays, I come straight here after practice and it is really exhausting for me now.

“Hey”, I was startled to see Ethan inside the diner standing near the counter. He had a bright smile on his face while waving his hand to me. “Hey”, I replied to him in a timid voice while clutching the strap of my bag hard. “Do you know him?” Jenny immediately came near to me and asked me in a whisper while glaring at Ethan. “Yeah… he… he is the vice-captain of the team for whom I worked”, I told her and we both exchanged a look. I was now standing in the middle of the diner with Jenny and we were both looking at Ethan with different looks in our eyes. I was a bit scared of his presence here while Jenny was on alert as if she would beat the s**t out of him if he took even a step towards me.

“Do you need help?” she asked me again and I sighed internally. I didn’t want to involve her in my matters and I was not sure about his motive for coming here. “I will handle this… don’t worry”, I tried to console her but she didn’t look convinced by me. I passed a small smile to her and then walked towards Ethan who was looking at us in amusement. “Wh… what a… are you doing here?” I stuttered once again while asking him. He sighed and then took a step forward towards me. “I was nearby here and saw your bike standing outside the diner”, he told me in a calm tone and I nodded. I was still clutching my bag strap hard. “I think it’s time to go back home, right?” he asked me once again in a calm tone and I just nodded.

“Yeah”, I replied to him briefly and then I looked back at Jenny who was still standing at the same point while looking at me with concern. I passed a small smile to her once again and waved my hand, indicating that I was going now. She waved back but the concern was still on her face. I made a mental note to text her after reaching home. “Let’s go then”, I heard Ethan asking me in a soft voice this time. He opened the door for me and I got out while biting my lower l*p nervously. Why was he here? “You don’t have to be nervous, Violet. I am not a monster”, he said while walking with me towards my bike. “Yeah… you are not a monster but you are not better than them”. I mentally scolded him because I couldn’t say those words in real.

“Let me give you ride”, he suddenly asked and we both stopped near my bike. “Uhhhh… tha..thanks, Ethan… b..but I have my bike”, I refused him politely and he pursed his lips into a thin line. I was really confused by his behavior right now. He was not in the arrogant attitude that he showed in school. “We can put it in the back”, he said and I raised my brows in surprise. I looked on the road for his car and saw a jeep standing at a little distance. “Y… you bro.. brought that?” I asked him while pointing at the jeep and he nodded. “This is mine”, he told me and I nodded once again. His parents were rich so he could buy as many vehicles as he pleased. “I … I am fine, Ethan… really”, I once again refused him and he looked at me annoyingly this time.

“I am not asking you, Carter. I am telling you that I am putting your bike on the back of my jeep and you are coming with me”, he said in the same arrogant tone that he used in school, and I mentally sighed once again. They couldn’t change. I didn’t want to be in a closed space with them but I was out of luck these days. He then raised his hand towards me and I looked at him in confusion. “Keys?” he asked me once again annoyingly and I immediately put the keys in his hand. I only wanted to go back home and had a peaceful night. He took my bike towards his jeep and I followed him silently. At the same time, Jenny also came out of the diner. She was closing the doors while looking at me with concern. “I will text you”, I mouthed to her while walking towards the jeep.

Suddenly her eyes widened and she was about to say something when I hit something hard. “Ouch”, I frowned while rubbing my side face and looking in front of me in irritation. As soon as my eyes met Ethan’s eyes, my expression changed immediately. I was looking at Jenny and bumped hard into Ethan’s back. “Are you okay?” he asked me with concern and I just blinked while giving him a nod. He then resumed what he was doing and I looked back at Jenny. She had closed the door. She shook her head while laughing a little and then waved her hand at me indicating that she was going now. “Hop in”, I heard Ethan asking me something again and looked back at him.

“I think you have a good bonding with that girl”, he commented while looking at the back of Jenny with amusement. “Yeah… she is my only friend”, I told him truthfully while looking at Jenny’s back. “Then what are we for you?” he suddenly asked me and I looked back at him dumbfounded as he took me off guard here. I tried to make an answer but couldn’t because I had no idea what to say to him right now. They were not my friends. They were friends of Kyle, who was a bully. He sighed aloud and shook his head a little. He was clearly not happy right now. His reaction increased my anxiety and I clutched my straps hard to keep myself calm. “Have you had your dinner?” he suddenly asked me while opening the door of the passenger’s seat.

“Uhhhh… Yes…. I mean.. no”, I stuttered hard not knowing what to answer him. My dinner shouldn’t be his concern, right? “Violet”, I sighed aloud while taking my name and I looked at him timidly. “Let’s have some pizza”, suddenly he chirped again and before I could say anything, he changed the direction of his car. If he had to decide for me too then why did he ask me? “What?” he asked me again and I looked at him with a confused expression on my face this time. “Don’t you like pizza?” he asked me in disbelief and I shook my head furiously. “No…. I mean.. of course, I like pizza… whoever doesn’t like pizza?” I answered him again in a panic tone. He chuckled while shaking his head.

“You look really cute when you made this face of yours, you know”, he commented in a light tone and I blushed this time. “And with this color of blush on your cheeks”, he commented again in the same tone and I felt like hiding myself in a hole in embarrassment right now. I was not used to of taking compliments and this was the first time that Ethan was complimenting me. “I just want to befriend you, Violet. I know what we did with you is not forgivable but I really hope that we can work on our friendship together”, he spoke in a very calm tone. For the first time, I felt that he is not as bad as he portrays himself in front of others in the school. But it could be another prank on me, right? What if others are waiting for me nearby Pizza Hut and surround me as soon as I reach there? The mere thought of meeting Kyle and others made me panic again.

“What are you thinking so hard?” I looked at Ethan with a panicked expression. “Hey… what’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked me in concern and stopped the car. I looked out immediately and gulped hard when I saw the sign of Pizza Hut. We had already arrived. There was no way that I could escape now. “Hey”, I flinched hard when I felt his hand on my shoulder. He immediately raised his hand in the air, showing that he meant no harm to me. “Calm down, Violet…. we are here only to eat… I don’t know what is going on in your mind. I really sometimes envy Kyle as he always read your mind easily (he muttered this sentence in a low tone)… just trust me on this okay?” he asked me while ensuring that there is no harm for me out there. I just nodded because I had no other option but to go with him now.