33.

I'm burning up. The cup of coffee in my hands feel icy with how hot I am. Sweating, stressing. Is this the end of us? He's here, at my house. How did he get here? How did he know I was here. I'm fucked. Why did he-

"Sorry I came here. You must be shocked." Too many thoughts are running through me, I can't speak. All I can do is nod.

"Everything that's happened is... insane, really. I should have given you more time but I think we need to talk this out, to give you some peace." Nod nod nod. That's correct, I wish I had more time to think about us breaking up. God, he cheated on me and I still want him? Is that how far gone I am?

"I can't stall this any longer, so here goes-" It's the end. We're over. I'll never get to wake up to glowing golden hair and a handsome, rested face. No more late night kisses with the blinking city lights. No more lying around in each other's company but never getting bored of it. It's the end.

"I didn't cheat on you with Lindsay."

I sit up straighter. Is he serious. Searching his face, all I see is sincerity. Should I trust him? I don't know if I can, and as much as I hate to, so want to trust him. So badly.

"The night of the party, she did try to get onto me, but I would never do that to you, and you saw how she treated you at the café. I brushed her off, but she forced me into a kiss." Oh god, what have I done.

"I ended up punching her, and I honestly don't feel bad about it, anyway, it creeped me out, so I went to find you to leave."

"I didn't know, but I'm so sorry, if I had know I would never have-"

Words started to pour uncontrollably from my mouth, and luckily it was everything I had been meaning to say. My angel smiled so kindly, even after I acted like satan himself.

"It's okay, it's not your fault, I'm sorry I blew up on you."

"It's fine, I understand now and I'm still so sorry."

"You don't need to apologise for anything."

I shook my head violently, sitting even straighter and tucked one leg under my other,

"I do need to apologise. For so many things. You didn't need to tell me what happened that night if it made you feel uncomfortable, but I pressured you, which is so wrong, and everything I said the morning I left, I didn't mean any of it and I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, it really is, soon you're going to apologise for your existence so please." An angel. How did I get so lucky? His smiled made my heart finally beat again. I smiled as wide as I could with my dehydrated, crackled lips. I'm sure I looked like a monster to him.

"That video, by the way, was not me, obviously, but i'm a little hurt you can't even tell the difference between your own boyfriends body and some random guy..."

It dawned on me how quick I was to blame him, and the waterworks started. I had been such a dick, but he came all this way for me still.

"I'm sorry, sorry I didn't know, you're right, I should have known and I-" Laughing filled the room, or more the sounds heard at the heavenly gates. Like a serenade from cupid's angels, I swooned at the sound.

"I was only kidding! Tons of other guys look just like me on their torsos, and i'm sure she did a bit more then just a video to get to you, I wouldn't blame you if you fell for it."

I heaved a dreadful sigh. He was right, the video lit a small match alight, but her texts were the pool of gasoline the match was thrown into, sparking well... everything.

"She did say some... other things. God, now that I look back on it, I feel like shit. It was such on obvious trap."

I was confused when Aether stood up, but then he sat next to me snd patted me leg,

"After I yelled at you that night, I think it would be fine to find me suspicious, her messages getting to you don't make you stupid. I think everyone would fall for something like that if they had just had a fight with their loved one." He was so amazing. So smart, so handsome, so perfect. I grabbed his hand. It was only a few days but I held onto him like he would turn to dust if I let go.

"I'm so glad i'm here, back with you. All those crazy bitches texting me nonsense don't know shit."

I looked up at him. He got harassing messages too?

"I got a bunch too, do you think it was planned?"

He leaned into me and groans loudly, I could feel the rumble in his chest,

"Why are they so fucking invested in our personal lives!? Don't they have their own to live?"

I laughed at that, he was right. How quickly everyone had been to voice their irrelevant thought about our relationship was concerning, to say the least. They acted like 30 year olds who screams 'breaking news' when two teenage celebrities unfollow each other. Imagining the middle age weirdos constantly refreshing celebrities following list, make me think of people at school lurking in the shadows with binoculars, watching us from a distance eating lunch and talking like normal people. But obviously, to them we weren't real people at all, because two guys dating is the craziest fucking thing to ever happen on the planet. All of this made me feel less worried and stressed about what they said. With Aether, I can see so many things in a different light.

"You're right, they're so creepy, we should run into the woods and become one with the trees." We both laughed at my horribly joke, but it finally felt normal between us again. The love was coming back to me, and I couldn't help but rest back on his shoulder.

"I'm so happy you're here. I think this is horrible to say now, seeing as what we have been through, but I think it just further proves that... I love you." I don't even care that I'm mindlessly speaking from my heart, it felt like the perfect time to say it. After an intense battle almost, to prove our love was strong enough to endure, and it was. All of a sudden, after my silent whisper of a confession, Aether was up and jump around in front of me.

"I love you too! I came here to say that, and I think your timing is perfect! I love you!" I gasped as he grasped my hands and tugged my up to stand in his arms, I giggled like a little girl and squeezed him tight, falling back and landing on the couch again. I sighed gracefully into his neck. This was the beginning, it felt. We loved each other, that opens a whole new chapter in our lives. We stayed in each others arms for a while longer. Mum and dad had left to give us more space, and told me to call her when we settled things. I reached for my bag, only then remembering a very important something I hadn't seen in a bit, especially because his presence is so big. I reached him phone, telling my parents we had made up, and so soon as I was going to as about Chubs, I'm sent a photo of him dressed as a posh business man.

"What are we going to do about Lindsay? I don't know about you, but I need revenge."

Looking up from my phone, I silently agreed. What could we do? Looking back at the photo of Chubs, the outfit gave me inspiration.

"I think I know what we can do."

Another 4 more chapters till the end 🫠 Yes I pushed it back one more chapter, also look at me posting 2 days in a row