Afterlight (Fanfiction) - EDITING ✓

chapter fifty-nine

— Jay Bieber

The ride back to California was quiet. Dean and I barely said a word to each other the whole way, and honestly, that was fine by me. I had too much on my mind to get into a conversation I wasn't ready for. The trip took two days, but it felt longer, especially with everything that was waiting for me on the other end. Chloe, her crew, the chaos with Damien and Raven—things were about to get serious, and I couldn't afford to mess this up.

When we finally pulled up to Chloe's place, I felt a strange sense of relief, mixed with a bit of anxiety. This wasn't just about me anymore; it was about all of us. I knocked on the door, and when Chloe opened it, her eyes softened at the sight of me. She smiled, the kind of smile that felt like home.

But then she noticed Dean.

Her face instantly hardened, and without a word, she slammed the door shut in both our faces.

I stared at the door, then at Dean, who was leaning casually against the wall, a smug grin on his face. "Well, that went well."

I banged on the door again, trying to keep my cool. After a moment, it creaked open just enough for Chloe to yank me inside, leaving Dean outside on the porch.

"Long time no see, love," Dean called out from the other side of the door, but Chloe ignored him, her focus laser-locked on me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she hissed, her voice low but sharp. "You brought him here?"

I held up my hands in defense. "Chlo, it's not like that."

Her eyes were fierce, and she crossed her arms, clearly not buying it. "He's an idiot, Justin! After everything he did, you're just gonna pretend like it's cool?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I know you don't trust him, and honestly, I don't blame you. But we need him. We can't take on Damien, Raven and his gang alone."

"You don't need him, Justin! He'll stab you in the back the second it benefits him. You know that."

I could see the fear in her eyes, the paranoia creeping in. She was scared, not just of Dean, but of losing me. The stress of everything had been eating away at her, and I didn't want to add more weight to her shoulders. So, I kept quiet about Damien—for now. I'd deal with it when the time came.

"Look, I'm not saying we trust him completely," I said, keeping my voice calm. "But for now, we have to work together. Once this is all over, we can decide what to do next. But I'm not leaving you, Chloe. Not ever."

Her eyes softened, but I could still feel the tension between us. She sighed, turning away from me. "I just... I can't lose you, Justin. I feel like everything's falling apart."

I stepped closer to her, wrapping my arms around her from behind. "You're not gonna lose me. I promise."

She didn't say anything, but I felt her lean into me, her head resting against my chest. We stood like that for a while, the silence between us filled with unspoken fears and promises.

Later that night, Dean and I sat down to talk about what came next.

"You should go talk to her guys," I said, leaning back in the chair, watching him carefully.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "You think they'll listen to me?"

"I already sent them a message that you're coming. They know who you are. Just... be careful of Raven lingering around. I'm pretty sure they're already suspicious of him, but now, they will be for sure."

Dean nodded, looking thoughtful. "I'll leave first thing in the morning."

That night, we all sat down for dinner. Chloe couldn't keep her eyes off Dean, watching him like a hawk, but Dean kept to himself, not saying much. It was tense, but there were a few moments where we managed to break the ice. I made a stupid joke about our old high school days, and even Chloe cracked a small smile. Dean just rolled his eyes, but at least the mood lightened a little.