🔞I May be Falling in Love // Hwang Hyunjin🔞

🖤Chapter 25🖤

Harley is back in my room in less than a minute.

"Rather than arguing, we should talk about it." He says this as he takes his seat next to me.

"I agree, do you think we jumped into this too quickly?" I ask, taking a deep breath.

"What exactly are you saying?" Harley asks, quickly turning his entire body to face me, and I can see fear in his eyes.

"I just think we should get to know each other a little better first." I mumble in an attempt to keep my voice calm.

"If you think it's for the best." He gives me a reassuring smile before taking my hand in his and placing it on his lap.

"I still want to be with you; I just think making it official is a little early." Harley nods as I continue.

"I agree, but that doesn't mean you can immediately hook up with Felix." I laugh along with him. After all that, it's nice to hear him laugh.

Harley stands up and walks towards the door, but he comes to a halt when I ask, "Could you stay here tonight?"

"Of course," he says  walking back to the bed, taking off his shoes, and tucking himself under the covers next to me.

My phone vibrates as we lay in silence next to each other. When I picked it up from beside me, I saw that Cole had messaged me.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Harley and I have decided to take things slowly and not label our relationship until both of us are ready to commit." I respond almost immediately.

"That's a good idea; I've been concerned about you." 

"We're going to bed now; I'll see you in the morning."

"Audrey, I love you." Cole's message makes me grin.

"I love you too."

Thursday morning arrives like a freight train as I awaken from my wild night of drinking and arguing. As I grunt and try to close the blinds, the bright light coming through my window seems brighter than ever as if Jesus was standing on the other side. When I turned around, I noticed Harley was missing from his spot, so I assumed he was either in the kitchen or the bathroom. I walk over to the kitchen and see Cole and Harley chatting with a cup of coffee in each hand.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Cole says hello before taking a sip. I yawn and pour myself a cup of coffee.

"Did you get enough sleep?" Harley asks, handing me a plate with only two pieces of toast left.

"Yeah, but my head is killing me." Cole reaches up to the medicine cabinet above the fridge to get some Advil while I laugh through the pain.

"Are you planning on going to work today?" Harley inquires.

"Yes, and today I should be working with Felix." I respond by emphasising that Felix and I will continue to collaborate.

As we sipped our coffees, there was an awkward silence between the three of us.

"I should go home and prepare for work... I hope to see you both there." Harley says as he walks out the door.

Cole and I continue standing in silence, and just as I'm about to return to my room to get ready for work, Cole grabs my shoulder.

"Are you kidding me?" He yells as his gaze scans my body, finally settling on my neck.

"What?"

"Hickeys? So much for going slowly." Cole rolls his eyes and then lets go of his grip.

"These are from Tuesday." I snap and use my hands to cover a few spots on my neck.

"They don't appear to be a couple days old to me."

"The others are the worst." I spill, not realising the words that have escaped my mouth.

Cole's jaw drops in rage as he approaches me. "There's more?"

"It's none of your business, Cole." I snap and enter my bathroom to take a shower.

After changing into ash-washed denim jeans and a red and black flannel, I looked in the mirror and noticed the bruises were still quite visible. I grab my concealer and begin concealing the marks as best I can before grabbing my bags and meeting Cole in the car, who was already waiting.

We arrived at school after I had another lecture about Harley, and instead of arguing with Cole, I just nodded and agreed with what he said. He was taken aback at first, but he soon realised that I was sick and tired of hearing about why I deserved someone better.

"I'm going to the gym after work, so see if Felix or... Harley can pick you up."

"Yeah, sure."

I run into the performing arts building faster than my legs can carry me to avoid Harley because I needed a break from him, even if only for an hour. I knock on the dance studio door, and it opens in seconds, revealing Felix, the bright sunshine-boy.

"Hello, I'm sorry-"

I cut Felix off with a hug; all I needed was to be embraced in warmth, and Felix was the most comforting way to get that.

"Is everything all right?" Felix inquires as he wraps his arms around my waist.

Why am I crying? I begin to whimper. I'm crying over Harley and I feel so stupid.

"Let's go inside and you can tell me everything." Felix comforts as he closes the door behind us and we take a seat on the ground.

"I'm at a loss for what to do." Felix rubs small circles on my back with his hand as I begin. "Harley and I agreed to take things slowly, but I know I'm going to end up back in his bed within the next day or two." I sob even harder, leaning onto Felix's shoulder.

"So, do you love him?"

"The thing is, I fall in love so easily that it kills me and confuses me until I have no one." I whimper and pull away from Felix, my eyes red and swollen.

Felix wipes my tears away with the pad of his thumb and smiles softly, instantly brightening my mood.

"Then you don't love him; you just want to know how it feels," he responds, and I've never heard anything more accurate in my life.

"I suppose you're right. I also need a ride home since Cole is going to the gym..." I pause before changing the subject.

"I'll drive you, or we can do something if you don't want to be alone at home." Felix laughs. That laugh sends waves of relaxation through me. How is this man still single? I assumed he'd be married with children and living his happy parenthood by now.

"That's a good idea." I join him in his laughter.

We go about the rest of our day normally, teaching Felix's students the dance we created, eating lunch, and me ranting on about Harley and Cole while Felix just smiles and listens.