𝐼𝑛𝑘 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡

Chapter 17: Ugly Reality

As soon as he entered my apartment, a strong stench of cleaning supplies hit me in the face. It made my face scrunch a bit as I'm used to him smelling like some type of wood mixed with rich smelling plants and a hint of fruit. Y'know, cologne smell. Something that doesn't make my eyes water and make me want to gag.

"Holy shit you smell like you just came from the bleach factory." I cough a bit not being able to handle the pungent smell anymore.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Turns out Baudelaire decided to knock over a wine bottle onto my white carpet. It was silly of me to bring a wine bottle over to the coffee table where he could bump it with his nose. Thankfully I got most of the stain out."

"That's good but your gonna have to change cause I think I'm going to suffocate from the smell if I hug you."

"Yeah, sorry I didn't think to change. I wanted to be here as quick as I could for you."

"Thank you. Oh! And good news since last time you slept over you left some clothes here. Let me go get them."

I head back to my room and grab his clothes from off the chair I hung them over. I then walk back to where he is before handing him his 'The Cure' t-shirt and his black sweats.

"Thanks darling I'll be right back."

I watch him head to the bathroom and decide to pour myself a drink while waiting. My indecisiveness takes over though and it takes me a minute to finally decide on my drink of choice.

I grab a beer from the carton and open it with a bottle opener Heather and I bought on a trip to Germany a couple years back.

That trip will certainly never be forgotten. All the bars we hopped to and all the castles we traveled to. It felt like we were in our own world curated perfectly for us.

I'm kicked out of my thoughts though as Jd comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Better?"

"Way better. Want a beer?"

"No thanks but I do want to hear about what happened."

"Yeah so," I turn towards him and sit on the counter as he puts his hands on my waist, "I had to meet some of Heathers friends tonight and it was going great actually. I meant some friends from highschool and there was this nice girl named Cindy which I feel like I could've got to know better if this Sasha girl didn't decide to bring up past trauma. I mean yeah she didn't know but you should never say that shit in the first place! She had no right to say I was using Heather as a therapist so I wouldn't be suicidal and end up in the news! She doesn't even fucking know me. Who does she think she is saying that.....," I take a deep breath as to not get overly upset, "anyways...het words brought up some past events...it made me feel shitty and for some reason embarrassed. I want to forget what occurred, and I honestly did for a bit, until she reopened the wound."

He stood there listening intently with eyes full of understanding. I could tell that even if he didn't go through what I did, he'd still somehow understand just how I'm feeling.

I have to point out something though. Usually when I tell him about people like this, I can see the pure rage in his face and I can tell he is already planning on what he'll do. But this time, there was no trace of those emotions.

"Darling I'm so sorry. She had no right to talk to you like that. Veronica don't take whatever she said to heart. I know that your not using Heather, I mean I see the way you two interact. Your the bestest of best friends. Maybe you might even be lost siblings for all I know. I honestly think that Sasha was just jealous of the friendship she'll never have with Heather. Your perfect the way you are, you are a strong and clever and gorgeous and a perfect friend to Heather. Never forget that."