𝙴𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎

Chapter Twenty: The Universes Decisions

"Maybe one day you'll understand, I don't want nothing from you but to sweetly hold your hand. Till that day, just please don't be so down don't make frowns." 

- Folding Chair by Regina Spektor

It's been a week since I started my job at the bookstore, and I've been enjoying it so far. The other day Itsuki showed up there, surprised to see me running the till. He didn't end up buying a book but he instead talked with me the whole time. During the conversation, he mentioned a book he's been waiting for a while now. After he left, I bought it for him. The book was called "perks of being a wallflower". I think he'll like it.

Turns out that we're doing a secret Santa for Christmas because most of us are too broke to buy presents for everyone. I had gotten Lily. I made a best friend bracelet for the two of us, which, I know is kind of cringy but I thought it would be cute.

I went over to Lily's house that day to help her pack, since I had already finished. We were folding clothes together talking about the most stereotypical thing two teenage girls could talk about. Boys.

"Abby, I really really hate the fact that I do but... I like someone." Lily said suddenly.

"Wait, what?! Since when?" I gasped, starstruck. Since the time I've known her, Lily definitely does not seem like the kind of person to like, have a crush.

"Since prom." Lily finally said after a long moment of silence.

"JAMES?! YOU LIKE JAMES?!" I sprung up onto my feet. Lily remained quiet. "I knew it! I knew you would start liking him!" I grinned.

"Well I mean, I don't want to like him. And I doubt he likes me back." She says, fidgeting with her hair.

"What do you mean? He's always flirting with you! He clearly likes you." I argued.

"He's always flirting with everyone, Abby." She sighed. "I've known him for like, a really long time, ever since he was in foster- I mean, nevermind. What I'm trying to say is, you don't know him like I do. I've seen him lead so many girls on just to break their hearts. He's worse than all the other guys that have used me. Because he uses every girl. I don't want to date any guy at all since they always use me, but especially not James. He's on another level of shitty." Lily explained. I sat back down on the carpet floor of her bedroom. I stared at Lily and watched as tears welled up in her eyes before she looked down at the ground so I wouldn't see her cry.

"Lily." I said. She looked up at me. "I already know that James was in foster care. Itsuki told me."

"When did he tell you?" She asked.

"On Halloween, by the pool when you and James were asleep." I replied.

"Oh." She just said.

"Yeah."

We just looked at each other in silence for a minute. I took a sharp breath.

"Listen Lily, I know that you have known James way longer than I have, but he's really nothing like how you think he is. The thing is, he's in love with you, Lily. He has been since you were little. The reason he dates and flirts with other girls is not because he's a player, it's because girls just like him, and yeah, he might like them back and they start dating, but once that feeling is over he always goes back to you. Because no matter how many girls he gets with, no matter how many hookups he has, dates, no matter how much he tries to get over you, he can't. He can't move on from you, though he wants to. He's trying. But he just can't seem to let go of you. He wants to get over his feelings because he knows that you don't want him back, he knows you only want to be friends and nothing more, and he wants to stop feeling this way because it's what you want and all he wants is for you to be happy. Though recently, he hasn't been on any dates, I haven't seen him flirting with anyone. I think it's because he's starting to realize that other girls are going to stop the feelings he has for you."I sighed after I finished.