Teach Me How to Love Again (Sequel to Dirty Little Secret)

Chapter 26: I'm Never Gonna Let You Go, Boy

*~(The title of this chapter is from Never Gonna Let You Go by Chantal Claret)~*

On Saturday, I asked Gerard if he wanted to hang out. He was a bit confused, but he agreed to it.

"Is there some occasion I forgot today? You never ask me to hang out," he laughed. We were walking up the stairs to my apartment.

"Just lonely. Plus you're okay to hang out with, I guess," I chuckled.

He chuckled. "You're kind of alright too, I guess," he joked. We both went up to my apartment. I tried to hide my excitement as I let him in. He sat down on the couch, and I sat by him, closer than I usually would.

"So, um... Gerard, there actually is a reason I invited you here," I said, trying to fake some sadness so it looked believable.

"What's wrong, Sky?"

I faked a sad sigh. "S-so, d-do you know how I've been trying to decide if I want to stay with Pete, or go back to you?"

He suddenly looked sad. "O-oh. So you chose Pete? That's okay then. I really want you to be happy. W-we can still be friends if you want."

I tried to hide my smile, but I failed. I let a small smile show, before I gave in and smiled widely. "I chose you," I said quietly.

His eyes widened. "Wait, what?" he asked.

"I said I chose you!" I exclaimed.

Suddenly he smiled the widest I had ever seen him smile. He got up off of the couch, and picked me up. He spun me around and peppered my face with hundreds of small kisses. Now he set me down and hugged me as tight as he could. It was almost as if he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go. "Oh my God, I've missed you so much," he whispered.

I smiled and kissed his lips passionately for the first time in far too long. This kiss was the most emotional we had ever had. I felt wetness on my cheek, and I noticed that a tear had slid down his cheek. This made me start crying tears of joy. God, this was amazing. We pulled away soon and he wiped my tears with his thumb. He looked at me with the most love in his eyes I had ever seen. I wiped a few stray tears from his face.

"Thank you so much for coming back to me. I promise I'll never hurt you again. I love you more than anything. You mean the world to me. I'll never be unfaithful again," he whispered. I swept his hair out of his face and kissed his forehead.

"I know you won't. I trust you," I said. He smiled even wider. He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes as if he were asking consent just to hold my hand. I nodded and he interlaced our fingers. He wrapped his other arm around my waist and we hugged with our hands interlocked. I kissed him and he let my hand go. He sat on the couch and pulled me onto his lap so he could cuddle me. He placed a few gentle kisses to my neck and I felt him smile against my skin.

"God, I can't wait until you graduate. Then the world can finally know you're mine," he whispered. "Then I can hold your hand and take you places. I want the world to see how lucky I am."

I blushed at this. "And I want the world to know how lucky I got as well. You're the best."

He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then he closed it again. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke. "I... I l-love you. I don't mean to like... Rush things or anything. I just want you to know I still love you just as much as day one."

"I love you too, Gerard. I'm sorry I left you."

"Baby, don't apologize. You did the right thing by leaving me at the time. I obviously needed some time to get my shit together. I'm sorry I didn't just tell you what happened with Eliza."

"No, no. I do need to apologize. I... I shouldn't have said some of the shit I said. I shouldn't have said the shit I said at prom. I didn't mean any of that shit. When Kristin told me you were in the hospital, I was so disgusted with myself. I could never bear living without you. Especially not if I'm the reason you're gone."

"N-no... I probably needed to hear that shit. I deserved it anyway. I'm sorry if I really did make you sick back then. I was kind of a monster. I'm not proud of who I was up until now. Even when we first started dating, I only ever hurt you. I'm gonna treat you right now. I'm gonna treat you how you deserve to be treated, because you mean the world to me. I'll even let you go through my phone and shit if you want, just in case you don't trust me yet. I get it."

I smiled. "I love you so much."

"I love you more, Sky. You're my world," he said, then he kissed the top of my head as I cuddled into his chest on the couch. He unlocked his phone and started to mess around on it, making sure I could see what he was doing. He really wanted me to trust him. That was sweet.

I noticed something and I blushed and giggled. "I'm still your lock screen?" I asked. It wasn't a very good picture of me, honestly. He had snuck it one time while I was still living here. I was laughing in the picture. Gerard had probably said something dorky and made me giggle. That's what always happens. "God, that's such an awful picture of me. You should change that shit."

"Of course you're still my lock screen, honey. It's not an awful picture of you! I think it's cute. The only reason I'll change it is to get one of you with your pink hair. I really like your pink hair now," he said, and he began to play with my hair.

I planned on sneaking a picture of him eventually for my lock screen. My lock screen used to be him, but I changed it after what he did. Right now it was just a picture of Katie holding up a picture she had drawn of Frank and I.

I liked not having to stress anymore.

I'm so glad to have Gerard back. I'm never gonna let go of him like that again.