You Belong With Me

Hungover

**Wes's POV**The second she stumbled through my door, I could tell she'd had too much to drink. The smell of alcohol clung to her, mingling with the faint trace of perfume. But it wasn't until she started talking—really talking—that I realized just how far gone she was. She stood there, wavering slightly, her gaze both intensely focused and unfocused at the same time."I... I wanted to tell you something," she said, her words a little slurred but filled with an odd kind of urgency. My heart twisted as she went on, her voice earnest, almost raw.She liked me? Wrote songs about me? She'd thought about telling me all those years ago, but she never did? I didn't know what to think. Hearing her say it out loud—this confession that seemed to pull something out of the past and bring it right to my doorstep—it was more than a surprise. I'd always thought she'd moved on, just like I had tried to convince myself to.But the more she talked, the deeper my confusion grew. Part of me wanted to believe every word, to take her ramblings as truth, but it was hard to ignore the obvious haze she was in. Was this how she really felt, or was it the alcohol talking? Her speech was full of contradictions, like she was wrestling with feelings she didn't know how to handle. I didn't know if I was supposed to be happy she felt this way or worried about how vulnerable she seemed. And then there was her boyfriend—she'd mentioned him, too, in some half-hearted attempt to justify or maybe dismiss what she was saying. The whole thing left me tangled up inside.She paused, looking at me with a tired but intense gaze, and I struggled to find words. My mind was racing. What did she mean by all of this? Was this a one-time confession, or did it go deeper? Before I could say anything, she let out a long sigh and, to my surprise, lowered herself onto the floor, stretching out right there like it was the most natural thing in the world. She looked up at me with a dazed smile, and before I knew it, her breathing slowed, her eyelids fluttered, and she was out—completely asleep.I ran a hand through my hair, taking a moment to process what had just happened. Here she was, confessing to something that had been lingering between us for years, only to pass out on my floor like we were back in college after a wild night. I let out a slow breath, unsure whether to laugh or shake my head.Kneeling down beside her, I gently scooped her up in my arms. She was light, her head resting against my shoulder, her breathing deep and steady. As I carried her back to her apartment, the conflicting emotions gnawed at me. I couldn't tell what this all meant or where it left us. All I knew was that tonight had cracked something open that I wasn't sure I could close again.---**Lana's POV**The next morning, I woke up to a pounding headache, the kind that felt like my brain was trying to escape through my temples. I groaned, rolling over and squeezing my eyes shut as my stomach churned. Fragments of the previous night came rushing back, flashes of lights, laughter, and—oh, God—me standing in front of Wes, spilling my heart out in a way that made my cheeks burn just thinking about it."Lana!" Jen's voice rang out from the living room, somehow louder than it had any right to be. "Get up! You need water!"I groaned again, dragging myself out of bed, each step like walking on glass. When I finally shuffled into the living room, I found Sarah and Jen already there, looking way too amused."What's the damage?" I asked, sinking onto the couch and clutching my head."Oh, you mean besides you telling Wes you used to have a huge crush on him?" Sarah smirked, passing me a glass of water. "You might as well have just announced it to the world."The memories hit me like a wave. My drunken declaration to Wes, the way he looked at me, the way I'd just let it all spill out without a filter. I buried my face in my hands, the embarrassment crashing over me. "Oh no, I didn't...""Oh yes, you did," Jen chimed in, barely containing her laughter. "And then you went on and on about how he made you feel things or something like that. It was... intense."I took a sip of the water, my throat dry and scratchy. The worst part was that they were right—I'd crossed a line I couldn't uncross. "What am I supposed to do now?" I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else."Maybe pretend it was all a joke?" Jen suggested, though the smirk on her face didn't exactly comfort me. "Or, you know, actually tell him how you feel when you're not wasted?""I don't even know how I feel," I admitted, feeling utterly lost. "It's all so... complicated." "You like him, Lana. Don't pretend you don't," Sarah said, her tone suddenly serious. "The question is, are you going to do something about it?"I felt my face heat up, and I avoided their gazes. "But I have a boyfriend. This is messy, and I don't want to ruin things with Wes, especially now that he's back in my life.""Lana, you're miserable with that guy," Jen pointed out, crossing her arms. "And don't you think you owe it to yourself to figure this out?"They were right, and I knew it. But that didn't make it any easier. I downed the rest of the water, hoping it would somehow help clear my foggy mind. Last night had stirred up feelings I thought I'd buried, and now they were staring me in the face, refusing to be ignored."I just... I don't know what to do," I said finally, feeling defeated. The idea of facing Wes after last night felt terrifying, but so did the thought of pretending nothing had happened."Well, you're going to have to figure it out," Sarah said, patting my shoulder sympathetically. "Because whether you like it or not, things are out in the open now. And ignoring it isn't going to make it go away."I groaned again, sinking back into the couch and covering my face with a pillow. This was a mess of my own making, and now, somehow, I had to find a way through it.