Survive 2

Chapter Twenty Five

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

November 19, 2022.

Madison Stone's Point Of View.

"Bryan?!" I scold him and don't even give him time to somehow try to explain himself, I just walk away from him.

"Mad!" He yells my name, but I ignore him, walking past a few people and into the house again to try to get closer to Andrey, who has left where he was and quickly mingled with the people at the party.

I try to approach him, but I can't because of the difficulty I am having walking here, because it seems that more people have arrived, and because, unlike me, he is managing to walk quickly here.

We pass through the living room and he goes toward the door of the house, where I can get a little closer.

"Andrey!" I call out to him and I know he hears because he shakes his head in denial, but he ignores me completely.

He leaves David's house and I leave too, running a little and catching up with him.

"Andrey!" I call out to him again and this time he stops walking and finally looks at me.

"Now are you ready to have something with someone?" He sneers angrily and I am afraid things will end the way they did the last time we argued.

"Let me explain what happened."

"Will you explain to me that you were close to each other and then you kissed? I don't think I need an explanation for that."

"That's not what happened."

"That's not what happened? I know what I saw! I told you he liked you!" He throws it in my face.

"And I told you that it doesn't matter. You are the one I like."

"But he is the one you kissed," he looks at me angrily and goes to walk away from me, but I deny it and hold his wrist, making him stop and look at me.

"He stole a kiss from me! I didn't kiss him out of good will!" I speak and his expression changes from angry to surprised.

"HE WHAT?" He shouts and goes to walk toward the door, but since I know what will probably happen if he walks in, I hold his arm, trying to stop him.

"You're not going to do anything! I'm the one who has to solve this, not you."

"And what are you going to do?" He asks angrily.

"I'm going to.." I try to think of what I'm going to do, but I'm so nervous I can't formulate the sentence.

"Stop defending him even though you know he's wrong." He raises his voice and some people start to stare at us.

"Lower your tone of voice."

"Mad!" Bryan calls out to me as he appears in the doorway and I get desperate as Andrey turns away from me and heads in his direction.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU DECIDED TO KISS HER?" He shouts drawing more attention to us.

"Andrey." I move closer and try to pull him away from Bryan, but I can't.

"Dude, just fall away. This is something between me and her," he looks at me, "Shall we talk alone?" And before I can even think of anything to say, Andrey answers for me.

"She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Dude, can you stop intruding where you clearly weren't called upon?" Bryan raises his voice also facing Andrey, but then directs his gaze to me again. "Mad, can we talk?"

People get closer to watch the fight, and the only thing I wish now is for David and Ryan to show up, because if things get worse here, I won't be able to stop Andrey and Bryan from doing whatever they want to do.

"We can," I speak with the intention that when I go to talk him, he will turn away from Andrey, thus avoiding a bigger argument and my blue-eyed ex looks at me as if he is indignantly surprised.

"You said what?!"

"She said that.." Bryan goes to tease, but I interrupt him.

"Shut up, Bryan," I say and the people around start making noise, making me take a deep breath.

I shouldn't have come to this party.

David appears with Emily, Ryan and Ashley at the door and seeing the look of desperation on my face and the people around me and their friends, he walks down the small steps of his house entrance with the guys, stopping beside us.

"What's going on here, guys?" David asks and I look at him.

"Stay with Andrey while I talk to Bryan. Then I will tell you what happened if Andrey hasn't already," I speak and feel Andrey's gaze burn into me.

"Okay," David agrees.

"Thanks for taking away the joy I was feeling from winning the game," Andrey ironizes and then walks past Bryan, who was in front of him, entering the house soon after.

"We will talk later, Andrey." I think to myself.

"Bryan, let's go," I speak and he agrees, so I walk away from my friends with him following me and start to walk past the audience we made, the same one that makes way for us to pass.

I cross the street and walk some more until David's house is out of my field of vision, stopping right after by a tree where Bryan stops in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Mad. It wasn't my intention to make you feel disrespected.."

"I didn't feel disrespected, I was surprised and sad that you still like me." I say and he takes a deep breath before answering me.

"I tried to let time erase my feelings for you, but I couldn't. I moved to Royalty to be near you and it hurt to see that you had already moved on." He confesses and it breaks me inside, because I can't tell him the same.

"I don't even know what to tell you, Bryan.."

"When you broke up with Andrey, I created hopes that we could still come back, but given the situation you were in, I didn't try anything out of respect for you." He gives a short pause. "I love you, Madison."

"I love you too, Bryan, but.." and he doesn't even let me finish talking.

"But it's not the same way and that's what hurts me," he says and I can see his eyes watering which only makes this situation more painful.

"Yes and you don't deserve to be loved in half. I love you so much, Bryan, but only as a friend. You deserve to be loved by someone who only has eyes for you and this someone is not me."

He stares at me for a while, totally disillusioned after I say that.

Me and all our friends already suspected he still had feelings for me, but it was still surprising to hear him say what he said.

"That's enough for me," he turns and starts walking, causing me to deny it.

"Bryan!" I call him and am surprised when he turns around with tears falling from his eyes, which makes my eyes water too.

"If I had known that when we broke up to become more mature, we weren't going to get back together, I wouldn't have accepted our breakup." He speaks and turns around again.

"Bryan!" I call him again, but this time he goes on his way, making me stay here alone and let tears fall from my eyes, because I don't want to lose his friendship.