Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 41•

I COLLAPSED ONTO MY BED, seeking solace in its soft embrace, yet finding none. Tears streamed down my cheeks, a painful reminder of the broken promises I made to myself, of the worthless resolutions I failed to uphold.

There was a weighty burden of explanations ahead, ones I wasn't sure I had the strength to confront. With trembling fingers, I reached for my phone in the bag beside me, scrolling through the messages until I found Gemma's last one – the one I hadn't yet opened, the one sent when I mentioned I was going to a party.

Gemma: When will you be returning from the party?

I clicked on the message, and typed.

Zoey: You won't believe what happened at the party?

I placed my phone on the nightstand and headed to the bathroom, eager to wash away the mascara that streaked my face, leaving behind an unsettling appearance.

Emerging from the bathroom, I approached my closet with a heavy heart, only to be interrupted by the sharp ding of my phone, followed by a vibration that threatened to send it crashing to the ground. Hastily, I turned towards the source of the sound.

Three messages from Gemma lit up my screen.

Gemma: Hey, how did the party go?

Gemma: What happened?

Gemma: Did you take pictures with Ximena?

I rolled my eyes at her last message.

Zoey: No, I didn't. I got wrapped up with entire situation, that I wasn't paying attention to her.

Gemma: What happened? I'm getting impatient, tell me.

I took a deep breath, calming myself for a while before typing back to her.

Zoey: I saw Liam

Gemma: You got to be kidding, are you?

Zoey: I'm not, he's dating Mackenzie

Gemma: What! How's that even possible? Why would he do that?

Zoey: It doesn't matter, he did it anyway. And I'm so angry.

Gemma: I think you should have a conversation with him, he must've a reason for ditching you like that.

Zoey: What's the point? I'm over him now, I just want to focus on my priority and resolution.

I returned my phone to the nightstand and tied my hair into a ponytail before browsing through the stack of books on my shelf, searching for something to distract myself from the turmoil in my mind. Just as I settled on a teen fiction novel, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I grabbed the book and approached the door.

Opening it slowly, my eyes lingered on the book in my hand before I looked up to find Dylan standing on the other side. He exuded a casual charm, his hands tucked into the pockets of his palazzo pants, complementing the snug fit of his green jersey.

"It seems you're quite engrossed in that," he remarked with a playful grin. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, come in," I replied, slightly mesmerized by his presence. Stepping aside, I let him enter and watched as he made his way to the one-seater couch by the window, his gaze sweeping over the room with curiosity.

"So many books," he observed, his voice calm as his eyes settled on me.

I shrugged, taking a seat on the bed. "They're mostly Mackenzie's and my sister's picks. I'm more into fashion."

"I see." His brow furrowed slightly, as if he had spotted something perplexing on my face. "Have you been crying?"

His question caught me off guard, stirring up a mix of emotions I preferred to keep hidden. I averted my gaze, avoiding his probing eyes. "I wasn't crying," I replied, my voice betraying my uncertainty.

"You're not very convincing," he noted, rising from the couch and moving closer to the bed. "I don't like it when you keep things from me. You can always trust me. So, what's bothering you? Talk to me."

I sniffed, feeling his question reopen the floodgates of emotions I had promised myself to keep in check. Despite my reluctance to confide in him, I decided to deflect his concern with a vague response. "It's nothing. Sometimes I just find myself crying over fictional characters losing something they cherish for a lie." I hoped my words would deter him, but his concern only seemed to deepen.

I relaxed onto the remaining space on the bed, setting the novel beside me. "I encountered someone I've been dreading to see," I admitted quietly.

"Who was it? They must have meant a lot to you if they've stirred up such strong emotions," he remarked gently.

I sighed heavily. "He was my high school boyfriend. He disappeared without a word, and I was left wondering if he was even alive. After the pain of not knowing, I unexpectedly ran into him at the party." My voice caught in my throat, the memories still raw.

Dylan fell silent for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully. "Was it Liam Crawford?"

My eyes widened in surprise at the mention of his name. It shocked me that Dylan had guessed correctly. I looked up to meet his gaze, surprised by the insight in his eyes. "How did you know it was him?"

"I saw the way you both looked at each other, as if you were transfixed. And then the way he left the party... Liam isn't exactly known for being trustworthy, but all I know is that he's been decent to Mackenzie," Dylan explained.

"I never wanted to see him again. He's the reason behind my orange hair and my long list of resolutions, all because I wanted to forget him and move on," I confessed, tears tracing down my cheeks.

Dylan gave me a sympathetic look, running a hand through his hair as he moved closer. "As I've said before, your priorities matter more than anything else right now. It's hard to forget, but you have to keep moving forward." He extended his arms. "Would you like a hug? It might bring you some comfort."

I nodded slowly, and we enveloped each other in a tight, comforting embrace.

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