Lost in Arcadia Chloe Price x Reader (Life is strange)

Part 9 The Fool (Redux)

I woke up the next morning on the floor, my head pounding like a jackhammer. The room was a disaster—papers and books scattered everywhere, the empty bottle lying next to me in a pool of its own contents. I groaned, pushing myself up to a sitting position. The light filtering through the window felt like knives stabbing into my eyes. for something, anything, to make the pain stop.

"What the hell " I muttered, rubbing my temples.

I looked around the room, taking in the mess I had made. My clothes were rumpled, and I reeked of alcohol. I spotted the trash can and crawled over to it, dry-heaving as the hangover hit me full force. After a few agonizing minutes, I collapsed back onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

Regret washed over me in waves. I had let my emotions get the better of me, drowning my sorrows in a bottle instead of facing them head-on. The lyrics I had written for Chloe were gone, lost in the chaos.

I knew I needed to clean up, but the thought of moving made my head spin. Instead, I lay there, contemplating the mess I had made of my room and my life. Chloe was still out there, hurting because of me, and I was here, lying in a heap on the floor.

Determined to make things right, I eventually forced myself to get up. I started picking up the scattered papers and books, each movement sending jolts of pain through my head. As I cleaned, I resolved to apologize to Chloe properly, to show her that I was truly sorry.

But first, I needed to survive this hangover. And maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to piece things back together.

The next two days were a blur of headaches, nausea, and regret. I tried to focus on my homework and stay out of Chloe's way, giving her the space she needed. Max checked in on me occasionally, offering words of encouragement and reminding me to stay strong.

I could barely eat, the thought of food turning my stomach, and the hangover made every sound and light seem amplified. My dorm room felt like a prison, the walls closing in on me as I wrestled with my thoughts. I replayed the argument with Chloe over and over in my mind, each time feeling the sting of her words afresh.

On the third day, as I was cleaning up my room again, I found the crumpled piece of paper with the unfinished lyrics shoved under my bed. It was dirty and torn, but the words were still legible. I sat on the floor, smoothing out the paper and reading the lines I had written:

"If you take a step towards me You will take my breath away So I'll keep you close and keep my secret safe No one else has ever loved me No one else has ever tried I never understood how much I could take Then I saw the worst was over When I laid my eyes on you—"

The last line was incomplete, but the emotions behind the words were still strong. I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that these words were meant for Chloe. I needed to finish what I had started and find a way to make it up to her.

If you take a step towards me, you will take my breath away So I'll keep you close, and keep my secret safe No one else has ever loved me, No one else has ever tried I never understood how much I could take Then I saw the worst was over when I laid my eyes on you It was all that I could do to know my place Out of all the past illusions, out of all the dreams come true I was gone until I finally saw your face

For the next two days, I dedicated myself to recovering and completing the lyrics. My room was still a mess, but I focused on the task at hand, channeling all my emotions into the song. The lines flowed from my pen with a mix of desperation and hope. I knew these lyrics were more than just words they were my way of expressing everything I felt for Chloe. I replayed the moments we shared, the way her eyes lit up when she was happy, and the pain hidden behind her rebellious facade. As I wrote, I realized how much Chloe had changed my life and how deeply I needed her to understand my feelings.