from me to u... (book three - dalton)

chapter thirty-three: more and more complications

Daya
She really wants to give you guys a shot?

Spidey
Looks like it!

Daya
Were you just grossly misreading her words and actions or
Did you just bring yourself to believe every single paparazzi headline out there?

Spidey
It might me both
God I feel so stupid

Daya
You worried your head off over nothing

Spidey
She can never know what happened between us
Please
Whatever I feel now, whatever I might feel in the future
I want to give Ariana and me a chance

Daya
...

Spidey
Please Daya!
I need this from you

Daya
I'll only do this for you for one reason

Spidey
...?

Daya
I promised you that I'd always have your back, no matter what
So I'll continue to have your back
But that doesn't mean I'm not unbelievably pissed off at you
And heartbroken

Spidey
Daya... I'm sorry
I'm really sorry
I'm really sorry for everything
I don't know how I can make it up to you
But I'll try to
For as long as it takes

Daya
You can make it up to me by pretending that things between us were just the way it was before that day

Spidey
I can do that 🙂

...

"why did you bring me here?" dalton asked, slightly slurring his words given how tipsy he had gotten at his surprise party. after of ariana's and dalton's friends retired for the night and went back to their hotel rooms, ariana took dalton back to her own room so that she could hand over his present before he passed out himself. ariana kept her intentions tight-lipped though, as she wanted to surprise him once again.

as soon as the two of them entered ariana's hotel room, ariana looked towards dalton. "stand here, close your eyes, and open them only when i say it's okay to."

dalton shut his eyes and nodded. "i'm getting slightly scared right about now," he teased while smiling. he continued listening to ariana, however, and didn't open his eyes while ariana dragged out his presents one by one. noticing how long it had been taking, dalton raised his eyebrow while still keeping his eyes firmly shut. "i'd offer my help but i can't do much with my eyes closed."

"i'm tough, i can do this!" ariana responded while laughing. as soon as she dragged every last bit out of her closet and onto the bedroom floor, ariana took off her petticoat and swooped her ponytail to a side - tidying it up. "okay - you can open your eyes."

dalton had no idea what to expect for a present. truth be told - he hasn't expected to be given anything to begin with. but once his eyes opened... the shock going through his body caused him to step back slightly. he honestly couldn't believe what he had been seeing.

framed photos of him and his family and friends.

"i asked dakota to find some family pictures." ariana began to speak, noticing that dalton needed time to process what he had been seeing. "he told me how much your family means to you, and how you had been getting home sick... so i thought i would bring family to you - even if it's a temporary thing." ariana smiled while turning to him. "i'm also very close with my family, and the sacrifice you made to be on tour with me and not having seen them in so long..."

ariana tilted her head down. "it's not much, but... i just wanted to do something to try and make you feel closer to them."

after ariana said those last few words, dalton engulfed her into his arms. no words were exchanged between the two of them, but as soon as ariana wrapped her own arms around him, she felt cool tears on her shoulder moments afterwards. words were no longer needed. it had been everything he could've hoped for and more.

the feeling ariana experienced those months ago when dalton had still been with his ex-girlfriend - the one of heartache - was a feeling she always remembered, but couldn't understand the reason for. now, after all this time, she understood why she felt that pain at that moment. it was the pain of knowing he wasn't hers, and would never be hers... because he had been another's.

but now... in this very moment ... never doesn't exist anymore.