𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐞

𝟒𝟑.

Will Byers

I allow my fingers to trace over the edges of the creased paper before finally looking over and reading through the lines slowly.

'If I'm being entirely honest, I have a lot to say to you.

Why don't I start with 'sorry'? Yeah. I'll go with that.

I am so so sorry for what I said to you yesterday. It was all just in the heat of the moment and I didn't know what else to say.'

I'm already over what happened. Mike already apologised to me and it's not like I'm still holding grudges over it. Then again- this was written the day after the incident took place.

But why is he showing me this then? It's just an apology letter, right?

'All that you wanted was for the day to go as planned, but I changed that because I couldn't stand the idea of losing El.'

I pretty much always knew that. It was always about El which is totally understandable since they were in a relationship- maybe I shouldn't have gotten so angry myself and instead took the fact that they were dating into consideration.

'But it wasn't because of her. It's because I was scared of what comes with it.'

Oh?

But what would not wanting to lose El have to do with me whatsoever?

I really have to stop overthinking everything and just read everything at once. I'm sure it'll make sense. Mike always knew how to make sense of things.

'Let me just restart.

Will,

I like you.

There, I said it. I finally said it. I finally said it after weeks of denying it.

I'm not sure how far I'm going with that, but what I do know is that I can't keep ignoring the way my cheeks heat up when you look at me, or the way my heart physically aches when you have to leave. Your eyes aroused me immediately from the second I laid eyes on you, in a way that I can't even describe - it was like a bunch of bullets shot into me all at once. And now more than ever, my heart is aching. I don't want you to leave. There are too many things about you I've gained an attachment to.

Allow me to list them:

- There's something about you that makes me want nothing more than to protect you 24/7.

- Your laugh. I promise you, William Byers, it never fails to light up a room.

- You're so serious about the things that you're passionate about.

Anyways, there are a lot more things that I can get into details about another time.

Also- I know how weird or uncomfortable this must be to read considering that we're both boys. I'm fucked up like that.

And I can understand that you don't feel the same way, because of course, you're normal. If that's the case, I promise never to bring it up again. No hard feelings.