𝒹𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 ⁱⁿ 𝐣𝐮𝐥𝐲

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗

☆ "i could never hate you."  ღ

Eleanor and Angel moved in sync with the beat, completely immersed in their own world. The party blurred around them, unnoticed, as they danced without a care. Across the room, one particular person couldn't take his eyes off Angel. Admiring her? Maybe.

Matt leaned against the wall, smiling as he watched her. Eleanor caught his gaze, instantly recognizing what he was thinking.

"Seems like someone likes you," she whispered to Angel, smirking.

Angel's face flushed. "Shut up. No, he doesn't!"

"Go talk to him!" Eleanor urged.

"No way! I'm not leaving you alone!" Angel protested, glancing nervously at her friend.

"I'll be fine," Eleanor assured her. "I was heading to the bathroom anyway." Before Angel could argue, Eleanor gave her a firm push toward Matt.

Eleanor grinned to herself as she walked away, confident she'd just created a match made in heaven. But as the music faded into the background, she felt the urge to escape the crowd. She wandered upstairs, searching for an empty room to unwind. Every door was locked—until, finally, she found one that wasn't.

Without thinking, she swung the door open.

Her heart stopped.

Sitting on the bed was the last person she wanted to see. The one person she had been trying to forget.

Chris Sturniolo.

Chris's eyes widened, startled. He sat up from where he'd been scrolling through his phone, both of them frozen in the tension-filled silence.

"I... I think I should go," Eleanor muttered, already reaching for the doorknob.

"No, wait," Chris blurted, standing. "It's okay. Stay. Please."

Hesitant, Eleanor stepped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. She immediately pulled out her phone, frantically texting Angel for backup. No response. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Chris doing the same, probably messaging Matt. Also no response.

Chris cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Eleanor blinked, caught off guard.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, softer this time. "The last thing I wanted was to hurt you."

Eleanor stared at him, disbelief crossing her face. "Chris, you ran out of the house and slammed the door in my face. You unfollowed me on everything." Her voice rose, sharp with emotion.

"I know," Chris admitted, his voice wavering. "I shouldn't have done that. I overreacted. But I miss talking to you, Elle. I miss our sleepovers. I miss you."

Eleanor's breath hitched, her guard faltering. "I miss you too," she said softly, her voice trembling as she fought back tears.

Chris's eyes softened as she leaned her head against his shoulder, her fingers brushing against his hand in a silent truce. For the first time in months, it felt like nothing had changed between them.

"You don't hate me?" he asked quietly.

"I could never hate you," she whispered, a small smile breaking through her sadness.

Chris smiled back, the moment heavy with unspoken emotions. But their bubble was popped when the door creaked open. Angel and Matt stood there, wide-eyed and confused.

Matt broke the silence. "We're leaving. Just thought you'd want to know."

Eleanor shot up from the bed, hastily pulling Angel out of the room.

In the hallway, Angel smirked knowingly. "So... want to tell me what that was all about?"

"It was nothing!" Eleanor insisted. "Chris just apologized."

"Sure," Angel teased. "Because resting your head on someone's shoulder is a totally normal reaction to an apology."

Eleanor narrowed her eyes. "And making out with someone you don't like is normal too, right?"

Angel's face turned crimson. "We didn't make out!"

"I saw you," Eleanor said flatly.

"Fine! We made out," Angel admitted with a groan. "And maybe I like him, okay? What's the big deal?"

Eleanor smirked triumphantly. "Finally."

Angel crossed her arms. "Now admit you like Chris."

Eleanor froze, the truth catching in her throat. "Fine. I like Chris," she blurted as they reached the car.

"FINALLY, you came to your senses!" Angel squealed, hopping into the back seat.

Nick, who had just appeared out of nowhere, leaned into the car with a suspicious glance. "What are we talking about?"

"Nothing," Eleanor said quickly, squeezing into the back seat beside Angel, her face burning red.

The drive home was anything but peaceful. Nick and Nate wouldn't stop talking, despite Matt's warnings that everyone was exhausted. When they finally pulled into the driveway, Eleanor bolted for the door, desperate for solitude.

She collapsed onto the couch, letting the weight of the night pull her into sleep.

𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 // 𝖧𝖨 𝖦𝖴𝖸𝖲!! 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗂 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝟥 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝗌𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂'𝗏𝖾 𝗎𝗉𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽, 𝗂𝗆 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖨𝗍𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗍𝗋𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗎𝗉𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾! 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖺!