𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐖 ᶜᵒⁿʳᵃᵈ ᶠⁱˢʰᵉʳ

𝐱. 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇

FROM STRANGERS TO FRIENDS TO LOVERS, BUT MAYBE WE WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO END UP WHERE WE BEGAN

Conrad isn't sure when things had started to change.

He had known he'd liked her from the day they met and he had known he loved her from the moment he learned what it truly meant.

But this summer had changed more than just him and his perspective of their relationship.

Suddenly the brown eyes and dark hair he loved so much belonged to a different girl.

And suddenly the girl who used to know exactly what to say couldn't find the words to speak to him.

So when he wakes up the next morning, he finds himself truly happy and yet the girl on his mind isn't Ivory Leong.

When Ivory Leong wakes up the morning, she finds that she isn't as upset as she thought she would be.

She knows the feeling all too well.

The almost numb-like feeling that lingers on her like a pest, the one she can't get rid of for days as she tries to navigate the world after a breakdown that leaves her spiritless.

But this time felt different.

She hadn't felt so broken down in years, not since —

"Babe." She looks up and sees Nicole. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine." Neither acknowledge the crack or the hoarseness in her voice, but Nicole just gives her a knowing look.

"I'm tired. I'm just - I'm so tired." The words are too familiar to Nicole and she looks into her friends eyes, hoping to see some resemblance of the joy they used to hold.

She hates the lifelessness she sees instead.

"I know, Ives. I know you're tired, but we're going to get ready, okay? We'll put on your favorite dresses and I'll do your makeup and you'll see Conrad." Ivory doesn't notice the way Nicole practically spat the name out. "I'll make things better, I promise. I'll make sure the pain goes away."

"I don't think I want to."

"You always feel better when you dress up, remember? It always makes you feel better." Nicole smiles reassuringly, but Ivory can't tell which one of them the reassurance is supposed to be for.

She follows, almost robotically, as Nicole pulls her into the bathroom and sits her on the edge of the bathtub.

"You don't have to, y'know."

Nicole glances at her, turning the water on.

"It doesn't hurt." Ivory shakes her head. "Not anymore."

Nicole knows Ivory meant those words to be comforting.

But they weren't.