Idiot..

7. Regret

RAYNE POV:

After school ended, I sat in my room in disbelief, wiping my tears as Axel's words lingered in my mind like a bitter aftertaste. How could Axel casually dismiss our friendship, claiming it was all a prank? The words reverberated in my mind like a broken record, it was like a stab to the heart. Why the fuck would he do that?! Three months wasted on a friendship that didn't even matter. 

" 'Can't you just get it through your thick skull? We're not friends, we never were.' Blah blah blah. Fucking asshole.."  I muttered to myself, frustration boiling over into anger. 

As I replayed the moments we shared, the inside jokes, the vulnerable conversations, it was all just a stupid joke that was easily played on me. I thought I had found someone I could trust, someone who understood me, but now it was all a "joke". The weight of the realization sank in. I stared blankly at the wall, very fucking disappointed that Axel was never the friend I believed him to be. The friend I wanted him to be. It wasn't just about the prank; it was about the disrespect for my feelings. 

My disappointment turned to anger. The anger was all towards me for being so naive, for letting someone like Axel into my life. But more than that, it was anger at Axel for betraying the trust I had placed in him. 

I should have stayed. 

Talked it out. 

Maybe tell him that I wanted to go on a date with him.

Sure I didn't like him at the time but I wouldn't mind trying.

I should've stayed.

AXEL POV

"Why did I fucking say that?!" I hit the punching bag with my fist. I try to drown out the words I said to Rayne, the confession I claimed was a joke. As the bag swings back and forth, my anger turns to regret and sadness.

My knees give out as I kneel on the empty gym floor. The one person I actually cared about was now fucking gone from my life because of my stupid lies and mistakes. I sob into my bloodied hands. The room feels suffocating, the air heavy with the aftermath of the choices that I made. 

I'm desperate for Rayne's forgiveness.

How would they ever believe someone like me? 

I want Rayne.

I need them in my life.

I cling to the hope that somehow I can earn back their trust and rebuild what I've destroyed. 

I get up and I hit the punching bag once more, my bruised and bloodied hand aching and throbbing with pain. 

I'm much a mess for one fucking person.

But that person means the world to me.

RAYNE POV

I call Yuna and tell her everything. After a couple of minutes of hearing me rant about Axel, she finally speaks.

"Axel is just..." I hear Yuna sigh on the other line. "He's something. I don't know him that well, I'll admit it, but he's not lying to you."

"Yuna, You should have seen the way this fucker looked at me." I rest my face in my hands, the memory of Axel's gaze haunting my thoughts. "It was like he was playing with me, fucking around with my emotions. I can't believe I fell for it."

Yuna's voice carries a note of sympathy as she responds, "I get it's frustrating, but people can be complicated. Maybe try talking to him about it. We both know there is more to him than just 'Big and scary Axel'."

I scoff at the suggestion, the frustration bubbling up. "Talk to him? After what he did?  He's not the person I thought he was, Yuna. It's just... it's so disappointing."

Yuna offers a comforting tone, "I get that, but don't let one person's actions define your view of everyone. Some people are just messed up, and it's not your fault. But, ill say this again, he's not lying to you, Rayne."

"How the fuck do you know?" I lay on my bed.

Yuna sighs. "Ryker. He told me that Axel likes you."

I sit up.

What? 

Fuck does she mean "like me"?

As a friend? As a crush? What?!

"Uh... Rayne?" Yuna says. "You there?"

"Uhh, Yeah. Still here." I snap out of my thoughts.

"Why would Ryker say that?" I ask, my voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

Yuna hesitates before responding, "I don't know the details, but Ryker mentioned it casually. Said Axel has been acting weird around you lately. Thought you should know."

Weird? My mind races, trying to connect the dots. 

Axel's sudden confession, the subsequent denial, and now the possibility of him liking me? The room feels smaller as I process the newfound information, my thoughts a tangled mess of emotions and unanswered questions.

"Like me how?" I ask.

"As a crush. Have you not seen the way he acts around you?" Yuna says. 

"Yuna, this is... I don't even know what to say," I admit, my voice a mix of surprise and skepticism. I fall flat on my bed and look up at the ceiling. 

The confession wasn't a joke. I get up and grab the note that I shoved to the bottom of my trash can.

"Can I tell you what he wrote in the note?" I ask, looking at the crumpled-up note.

"Go ahead," Yuna says.

" 'Dear Rayne, I've been wanting to say this for a while'.... Blah blah blah... Normal sappy shit... 'Rayne. I say this from the bottom of my heart. I haven't been the best person to you or others. I'm willing to change that if you give me a chance to prove it. I like you. Really.' " I stop reading. "The rest is just.. sappy shit." I sigh deeply and I hold the note in my hand. 

Yuna is silent until she finally starts speaking. 

"Yeah, you need to talk to him."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

im not normal bro