It’s ironic how people find solace in the very things that are slowly destroying them—alcohol, cigarettes, love.
Joshua understood that all too well. He didn’t drink or smoke, but he had certainly been diagnosed with love.
And now, his friend Brandon was drowning in the same poison, knocking back shots as if there were no tomorrow.
Joshua watched as Brandon downed another drink, his face flushed and eyes glassy, but still, there was a heaviness in his gaze that no amount of liquor could wash away.
He wondered if this was how love always ended—burning you out from the inside, until all that was left was a hollow shell chasing temporary relief.
“You think he’ll come back?” Brandon slurred, his voice thick with desperation, as he set his empty glass down with a heavy thud.
Joshua leaned back, a sigh escaping his lips. “He’s gone, Brandon. You know that.”
Brandon laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “Yeah... but I can't stop hoping.”
“Why are you even hoping a cheater like him will come back?” Joshua narrowed his eyes at Brandon, who only shrugged in response.
“Because I love him…” Brandon muttered, and Joshua blinked, caught off guard by how quietly the words slipped out.
“That doesn’t mean you should give him a free pass to mess with your mental health,” Joshua said, his voice growing distant. “You need to walk away before it destroys you.”
Brandon just pouted, his red hair falling messily over his face as he turned, pressing his cheek into Joshua’s hand. “You sound like my mom,” he teased.
Joshua shook his head, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
“You’d probably be better off listening to her,” Joshua replied, his thumb absentmindedly brushing against Brandon’s cheek. “She’d tell you the same thing.”
Brandon sighed, his breath warm against Joshua’s hand. “But it’s not that easy, you know? When you love someone, even when they break you... it’s hard to let go.”
Joshua's gaze softened, but there was a firmness in his tone. “Love isn’t supposed to break you, Brandon. It shouldn’t feel like this.”
Brandon closed his eyes, as if trying to block out the truth. “Maybe I’m just not ready to hear that yet,” he whispered, leaning further into Joshua's touch. “I just wish things were different.”
Joshua stayed silent for a moment, watching his friend cling to something that wasn’t worth the pain. He had been there before—trapped in a cycle of wanting someone who was never good for him.
“Sometimes the hardest thing is realizing that nothing’s going to change,” Joshua finally said, his voice low. “And you deserve better than waiting for someone who won’t.”
Brandon opened his eyes, but there was a sadness there, like he already knew Joshua was right. He just wasn’t ready to accept it. “I wish I could see it the way you do,” Brandon murmured.
“You will,” Joshua replied softly. “Eventually.”
“So, tell me... have you ever been in love?” Brandon slurred, his words thick with alcohol. Joshua froze, his fingers tightening around the shot glass, mind suddenly clouded.
Had he been in love? He had. That’s why the absence of a certain whiskey-eyed man still weighed so heavily on him.
Sunshine.
The deep voice echoed in his mind, and Joshua swallowed hard.
“I have,” he admitted quietly. Maybe it was the alcohol loosening his tongue, or maybe he just needed to finally say it out loud.
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Arrange Devotion | SS
FanfictionBOOK #2 They say love heals scars, but Seokmin's scars were lessons-bitter reminders that twisted him into a creature of darkness. His life was a series of brutal lessons that shaped him into someone who burns with an unquenchable fire. Protecting...
