𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

A few hours had passed and Toby had now fallen asleep on the couch. However, sleep seemed elusive for the other two blonde teenagers. For a while there was complete silence, you would be able to hear a pin drop on a carpet if it just so happened to occur. Holly and Henry stewed in this mute environment, basking in the slight discomfort it provided until Henry spoke up. 

"Well, tonight was fun." He peeped. His words sat in the air for a moment before Holly replied. 

"Yeah, it really was. I can't thank you enough for still wanting to take me." She said, a quaint, yet genuine smile on her face. It was unspoken, but the two of them sort of knew that this conversation was going to end up way more serious than either of them would've liked. 

"I didn't know you were such a big fan of Midland." Henry spoke, his voice laced with uncertainty. 

"Yeah, Toby introduced me to them a few months back. As you could probably tell, Cheatin' Songs is definitely my favourite." 

As Holly professed the reasoning behind her love for Midland, she was mentally recounting that day in the car with him.Windows down, wind blowing through her hair, screaming country lyrics with a man she didn't even know she loved yet. She felt herself become full with this warm, fuzzy feeling and she couldn't help but blush slightly. She thanked the stars that Henry couldn't see that.

"Fair enough. I like them too, but I'm nowhere near the whole screaming lyrics and stealing Toby's cowboy hat kinda fanboy. You win this one." He joked, drawing a soft chuckle from both of their mouths. 

The both of them then sighed in unison. Perhaps it was a way to mask the uncomfortable silence. 

Henry sat there, contemplating how he should go about this. Should he be direct? just outright say he knows that she and Toby love each other? Or should he be more discreet about it and just simply mention the dance and come up with some segue onto the more heart-wrenching subject. 

Little did Henry know, Holly was having herself a little internal warfare of her own. Now that she didn't have any sort of distraction, she was now drowning in a pool of suffocating thoughts. However, before her thoughts could torment her any further, Henry broke the silence. 

"You must really love him, don't you?" 

After hearing those seven words fall from Henry's lips, Holly wished she could go back to being tormented by her own cynical mind. 

"What?" 

"Toby. I saw the way you looked at him tonight. I saw the way you looked at him when you danced with him, I saw the look you gave him when he gave you his jacket at the concert. But it wasn't just tonight. I see a lot more than you think. I see the not so discreet looks in class, I see that sometimes you forget you're at school and have to remove your hands from the other's before anyone sees it."

Holly fell silent. Henry had noticed it all this time? How come he didn't say anything? Why did he wait this long to speak up?

"But.. but I love you too." Holly confessed, her voice filled t the brim with distress. 

"Yeah, I know, and i love you too. But we both know you love him more." He whispered, gesturing to Toby who was still asleep on the couch next to them. 

Holly went silent again, trying to think of something to say that could possibly soothe him. However, the silence spoke volumes for Henry.

"It's okay. I'm not angry with you. I just want you to be happy, and if that's not with me.. well as much as I hate it, I'm not going to let my own feelings get in the way of you being happy."

Holly didn't say anything to that either, but Henry could hear the slight sniffle of her nose. He shifted himself towards her, pulling Holly into his arms.

"Don't cry. It'll be okay. You'll see." He comforted as he masked the tears that fell down his face by leaning his head onto the top of hers. 

Holly continued to cry. She felt terrible. She knew that no matter when, where or whatever, it would always be Toby. It had always been Toby.  "I'm sorry, Hen. I didn't want it to end up like this. I never wanted to hurt you." 

"It's okay.." He spoke, patting her head. "I'll be okay. I promise." 

The two of them part for a moment, looking into each other's eyes despite not being able to make out their faces. "One last kiss?" Holly questioned.

Henry didn't say anything. He merely just placed each hand on either side of her face and pulled her in. Their lips met, melting themselves into the kiss. The exchange was short, sweet and sad. It seemed to be filled with regret. Not necessarily regrets of kissing each other in this moment, but regret for how it all turned out.