I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

6

This chapter caused me a lot of distress to get right. It wasn't until my amazing – newly acquired – betareader offered to brainstorm along with me, putting up with all the chaos that follows when I can't get the story right, that we together finally came up with where the story should go. (Mostly her idea, so a thousand times thank you for that.)

I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.

- Love, Ayana

"Remember we have that dinner tomorrow. The one with my parents." Alex says as he returns from the kitchen. Henry still hasn't really been able to move since their discussion. He feels like all they ever do at this point is fight or fuck. Or more precisely fight, then fuck, then fight again. And he doesn't know how long he can keep doing this, without his heart taking permanent damage.

"Do we have to?" Henry really doesn't feel like lying to Alex' parents, pretending that this thing is real. Not when he isn't sure if he wants to keep pretending for himself.

"Of course, we have too. Richards will be calling them soon, remember? We need to get ahead." Alex drops down on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"Maybe we should just stop this charade now..." Henry mumbles and Alex who had been getting very comfortable on the couch, smiling content, instantly takes his feet of the table and sits up straight, his smile completely gone and staring at Henry in disbelief.

"You can't be serious, right?" he asks incredulously.

"I am, Alex. I told you from the very beginning that this was a terrible idea." The anxiety in his body makes Henry get up and he paces back and forth, Alex following his every move. "I never even intended for it to go this far."

"No, no, no, no." Alex grabs Henry's wrist when he comes close enough to the couch, stopping him in his pacing. "You were in, Henry. You said yes. You said yes!" Desperation is seeping from Alex. And Henry's heart is breaking. He hates that Alex is so invested in this fake relationship and how it can save their careers, and he hates it even more that he has to rip it from him, But Henry just can't do it anymore. This is more than his career now. This is causing permanent damage to his heart. He has to end this. And he needs to end it now.

"Because I thought I could get you to realize how stupid it was after a few weeks of engagement!" Frustrated, Henry yanks his writs out of Alex' grasp. "But now you want us to announce our engagement. To your parents, nonetheless. And Richards will call my grandfather. My grandfather, Alex! This is a bloody disaster!"

"We can make it work, Henry. We can, I know we can... look at us, we are fucking good together."

"Stop it..." with his eyes firmly closed, Henry shakes his head, "please just stop it, Alex. I can't take this anymore. It's over." Henry doesn't elaborate what he means, because he can't fucking do this right now.

"Don't say that." Alex voice cracks and suddenly he is standing right in front of Henry, clutching Henry's hands. "It's not over. It doesn't have to be over..."

"I'm sorry." Henry pulls his hand out of Alex' and then proceeds to take of the ring. Alex gasps and he tries to back away from Henry, but Henry has an iron grip on Alex' wrist and before he can get too far away, he places the ring in the palm of his hand. "We're over. Here's your ring back. I can't keep doing this."

Before Alex can say anything, Henry rushes out the door. Only taking his phone and wallet with him. He can get his stuff later, because if he doesn't leave right now, he knows he won't be able to leave at all.

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"He left me... He just left me..." Alex tells his sister on the phone. He is still in disbelief of what just happened a few moments ago "I didn't think he would leave me..."