Good Things Never Last

Chapter 40

His face shone brighter than I had ever seen it. A genuine smile never left his face as we danced the day away until darkness fell. Eventually, Dream dragged me home so I wouldn't be grumpy in the morning. Or that's what his excuse was anyways. The bubbling feeling in my tummy appeared to be fueled by our small conversation the entire trip there. Before saying his goodbyes, he accompanied me to my bedroom door.

"I had a really good time tonight. I wouldn't have done it with anyone else apart from you"
I gazed up into his eyes as he towered over me, a flustered blush appearing on both of our faces.
"The feeling's mutual Clay, thank you for tonight"

Subconsciously, we both found ourselves shuffling nearer to each other, our faces inching closer by the second. Dream placed a gentle palm on my rosy face as I stood there looking at him. He gently brushed his thumb down my cheek, his gaze darting across my face for a brief moment before he closed his eyes and leaned in.

I shot up from my pillow with wide eyes and immediately facepalmed. From that day on, I'd been thinking about what I wished had happened, what could have happened, and every thought had given me butterflies in my stomach.

I crawled out of bed and made my way down to the main section of the house. As I started down the stairs, I noticed the muffled voices ringing out through the corridors.

"Just admit it Clay. You care about her. You fucked up all of our plans just to stay in her good books because you think you might have a chance!"
I froze on the stair I stood on, wincing slightly as it creaked.

"Why the fuck would I care about her? She's worthless like each and every one of her pathetic little friends. She's our prisoner for god's sake Punz it's called being in control! She's fallen right into the trap and hasn't even batted an eye! They're all just pawns in the game. Our game! I wouldn't care if someone shot the bitch right now"

Now that hurt.

"You're in denial Clay"
"I don't give a shit about her, I don't give a shit about anyone! I never will"
"Prove it"

For a few seconds, silence rang out in the room below me before the sound of footsteps quickly faded away.

I couldn't move after hearing what I had just heard. I just stared at my feet, speechless. I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces as I turned away to return to my room, away from the boys and the man I had just realised I had feelings for.

Dream's POV

I gradually gained the strength to get out of bed. I hadn't slept at all, a strange bubbly sensation kept me awake as my thoughts continually returned to Y/N. Concerned with how the strategy was progressing. Yeah, that was it, that's where the strange feeling came from. After all, she was still an enemy.

After I stood up and stretched, I began to make my way up the stairs, heading for the kitchen. I hadn't expected anyone to be awake yet because it was barely past dawn, so I was taken aback when I saw Punz's distinct figure in the room.

"Morning Punz"
He quickly turned to face me, a fake-looking smile on his face as he walked over.
"Ahh Dream, just the man I was looking for, I want a word"
I nodded and walked over to the kitchen counter to make some coffee to keep me up for the rest of the day.

"How'd you miss?"
I sharply turned back to face him with a confused expression under the mask.
"What?"
"How'd you miss your shot on Tommy?"
I felt myself stiffen as I looked down at the slightly smaller male.

"What?"
"How'd you miss Dream?"
"I couldn't get a clear shot"
I turned away so I had my back to him, trying to keep a calm tone.

"Oh come on Clay, we both know there were at least a hundred opportunities for you to shoot the brat, yet you didn't. Why?"
"Because I didn't have a clear shot Punz!"
I clenched my fists and rested my elbows on the counter, avoiding eye contact.

I wasn't lying when I said I couldn't get a good shot on Tommy. During the duel, my hands trembled more than they had ever done before. I hate to admit it, but I had been scared.

"We both know that's a bunch of bullshit, Clay, you just didn't want to hurt the fragile little girl's feelings, did you?"
His voice had a slight cockiness to it, which seemed to irritate me even more.
"It's got nothing to do with her. I couldn't get a good shot, alright? Why would I care about what she thinks anyway? She's literally Tommy's sister"
When I turned to face him, the smirk on his face angered me even more.

"Exactly, she's Tommy's sister, so if you hurt Tommy you'll hurt her too and your too much of a pussy to do anything about it"
"I didn't even consider if it would hurt her alright? I was nervous and that's all. Everything was on the line Punz, and that's far too much pressure, even for me"

"So you're in denial now, wowww Clay wow. Kinda thought better of you, not gonna lie. I get why you're trying to feed me your bullshit but it doesn't mean you need to lie to yourself as well, jeez."
I took a step closer to him. My knuckles turned white as I held back the urge to punch him in the face.

"What do you know?"
"I know that you care about her Clay!"
"I don't"
"Just admit it Clay, you care about her. And you fucked up all of our plans just to stay in her good books because you think you might have a chance!"

"Why the fuck would I care about her? She's worthless like each and every one of her pathetic little friends. She's our prisoner for god's sake Punz it's called being in control! She's fallen right into the trap and hasn't even batted an eye! They're all just pawns in the game. Our game. I wouldn't care if someone shot the bitch right now"
"You're in denial Clay"

I took another step forward, closing the distance between us to just a few inches.
"I don't give a shit about her, I don't give a shit about anyone! I never have and I never will"

"Prove it"

It was too much for me. I turned around and walked away, battling the impulse to break a few of his teeth. As I walked back down to my room, I grabbed my hair and sighed, trying to figure out where that argument had come from. Despite the fact that not a word of it was a lie, I found myself doubting it. I didn't know what to do.

I had two choices: befriend the girl and keep her happy, or stick to my plans and avoid disappointing my friends. It was a simple decision.