You and Me in the Old Jeep - TROYLER AU

Chapter Thirty-Eight - I'M BACK SURPRISE

wow okay

that was the shortest hiatus in existence i know but sssssh

i got an idea and oh god the reads are climbing magnificently and i was like wow better not leave it on a cliffhanger so i'm back??? i guess??? so i'll delete the hiatus thing : )

Song of the Chapter: Beside You by Marianas Trench

38

Zoe did not look happy to see me.

She had Nala in her arms and both of them seemed to be glaring at Korey and I as we stood at the door of 'Brighton'. I didn't know if they could tell, but my hands were shaking in my pockets; being this close to Troye's life, even if it was just one of his friends, was exhilarating. At the same time, all I could remember was coming here with Troye the first time I ever laid eyes on him, and it was pressing down on my throat like a fist.

"You." was the only thing Zoe said, and with that Korey excused himself to go sit in the car.

"Zoe -"

She put down the dog and slapped me in the face.

The cafe behind her went quiet. I saw Alfie's head jerk up, his nose wrinkling with confusion, and Zoe pulled me out of view around the back. "Please don't stab me," I joked weakly, but she just scowled.

"Do you have any fucking idea," she spat, and it was a shock to hear her swear, "What the hell you did to Troye? You selfish dickhead, what happened to the conversation we had? When I told you how hard it was for him to trust anyone? You -"

"Zoe, I didn't mean to hurt him, I never ever wanted to hurt him - I don't even know what happened, Jacob kissed me and then suddenly I was kissing him back but I didn't, I -" I was tripping over words out of desperation. "I fucked up, I know I fucked up, but I need to -"

"You don't know!" she interrupted, standing on her toes almost instinctively to be taller. "You have no idea!" She was shaking with rage but I was trembling too, full of so much misplaced emotion that I thought it was going to kill me. I had too many thoughts and words and apologies and nowhere to put them, no way to express them, without Troye.

I swallowed hard. Pain was shooting through me in waves, drifting through my system like nicotine. "How is he?" I asked quietly, and Zoe just stared at me.

"He's fucking terrible." she said softly, her voice full of venom. "He won't talk to us, we've barely seen him once. I know for a fact he hasn't been eating and Troye doesn't sleep when he's sad, so who knows what state he's in right now, y'know?" Her eyes were gleaming with tears. "When I did see him...he looked about as bad as you do right now."

There was silence. It smelled of hot earth and tangle of scents, pulling me in every direction as the slightest wind blew, dry as bone, rattling through the air.

"I can't do this without him." I said then.

"Do what?"

"Anything. Everything." I was unashamed to admit my dependency on Troye; where before I would have been terrified to let out any feelings, now there were so many that I'd bottled up over the years that I had to have an outlet.

I was full of love with nowhere to put it and I missed him, I missed him.

Zoe studied me intently, her eyes snagging on my face as I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood, and then she nodded slowly.

"Okay, Tyler." she said slowly. "Okay. I don't know what Troye will say, but I'll give you another chance, and I'll take you to see him."

And the world around me exploding into startling vibrancy.

short sorry

hopefully i havent lost readers sorry gang

please vote comment and add this to your reading lists if you enjoyed it

Bbbbbbbye *wink*