EIGHTEEN || SEVENTEEN spin off ||

Chapter Sixteen || Aftermath

The remnants of an intensely competitive round of Uno were strewn across the small kitchen table. Van sat across from me, while Taissa sat beside her. And then there was the thought of Natalie, my so-called girlfriend, who had nearly driven me to the brink of insanity with her Uno prowess.

Van, ever the voice of reason, glanced at me with a bemused expression, her words dripping with exasperation. "At what point do you guys mature, she is literally your girlfriend," she remarked, her tone tinged with a mix of amusement and concern.

I couldn't help but scoff at her comment, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "She's an asshole," I grumbled, my voice laden with annoyance. "I hate her."

A knowing smile played on Van's lips as she leaned in slightly, as if revealing a well-kept secret. "You love her," she corrected, her eyes meeting mine with a hint of sympathy.

But I wasn't about to admit defeat, not in front of Van and Tai. "I hate her," I reiterated stubbornly, my gaze fixed on the wooden table.

Taissa, always quick to pick up on the nuances of our banter, chimed in with a sly grin. "Because she gave you a +4?" she teased, her tone playful.

I sighed, the memory of that fateful +4 card still fresh in my mind. "Exactly," I confessed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. It was true; Natalie had executed that move with a cunning precision that had left me reeling.

I can certainly help you add more thoughts and details to your narrative while maintaining the quote format to make it feel like a person wrote it. Here's an extended version:

I scoff at them and then go into my bedroom, contemplating the situation in a way that makes me question, "I'm not being dramatic, am I?" But, honestly, it's Uno we're talking about here – a card game where the stakes rarely reach dramatic heights.

As I settle into my room, there's a knock at the door, but I confidently remain in my bedroom, fully aware that Van is likely to answer it.

A few seconds later, I hear Van's voice echoing through the house, "Y/N! Nat wants to talk to you!" An immediate sense of reluctance washes over me, and I can't help but respond with a resounding, "No!" My determination to stay cocooned in my room intensifies.

I sprawl out on my bed, the ceiling above becoming a canvas for my thoughts.

My door creaks open and Nat, sensing my steadfast resistance, takes a cautious step into my room, a hesitant greeting escaping her lips. "Hey" she says softly. I maintain my defiance, not bothering to lift my gaze from the ceiling as I utter a single word once more, "No."

"I'm sorry for giving you the +4," she says, her voice tinged with regret. I turn my gaze from the ceiling to meet her eyes. Her words echo in my mind, and I can't help but recall the moment she played that card in the game. "You laughed and called me loser right after pulling it out" I mumble.

"I'm sorry, I was an idiot," she continues, her expression sincere as she takes a seat on the edge of my bed. I watch her closely, her apology sinking in. I had never expected her to say that, to acknowledge her mistake so openly.

I sit up, propping myself on my elbows and regard her with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. "Yeah, you were," I reply, not willing to let her off the hook that easily. It's almost as if I want to test whether her apology is genuine or just an attempt to smooth things over.

She remains silent for a brief moment, her eyes searching mine. The tension in the room is palpable, and I can feel the weight of our words hanging in the air. Then, in a soft, almost hesitant voice, she utters a single word that catches me off guard: "Kiss?"

I scoff in response, a reflexive rejection born from a lingering sense of frustration. "No," I retort, my initial reaction rejecting the idea of such a swift resolution to our disagreement. But even as I say it, something changes. Maybe it's the earnestness in her eyes or the sincerity in her voice, but doubt creeps in.

Before I can even process my own conflicting emotions, my hand moves of its own accord. I find myself gently but firmly gripping her jaw, pulling her closer until our lips meet. The kiss is soft at first, tentative, as if testing the waters of forgiveness. But as seconds turn into minutes, it deepens, fueled by passion.

I pull away and lay back down, feeling the warmth of the pillow beneath me. Her smile is like a ray of sunshine, and it washes over me, filling my heart with a sense of contentment that's hard to put into words. "I love you," she says, those three simple words carrying the weight of the world in that moment. "I love you" I say in a whiny voice, mocking her completely before scoffing.

Her eyebrows raise in that delightful way they always do when she's amused by my antics.

I clear my throat and mumble softly, "I'm sorry, that was immature."

~~~

I'm very sorry for not updating recently! i've been busy w school and getting ready for my gcses, i've also got some writers block atm :(