Chapter 16;
Eric p.o.v
I woke to stinging eyes and a thumping headache. I had no idea what time it was, but I realised that Tallie wasn't lying next to me anymore.
I sat up slowly and tried to remember how it had happened last night. It was the damn press that had caused this. I knew that whatever had happened, I still loved Tallie and no amount of arguing could change that.
I pulled myself off the bed, aiming to find her. I walked out of my room and was in the hallway when I saw her phone on the floor, amazingly, not smashed.
I picked it up and bought it with me, not thinking twice about it. I was worried about who had text her last night and what they had said to her to get her so angry.
I still had it clutched in my hand when I saw her. She was sat at the kitchen table, a mug of tea clasped between her hands.
She looked ... awful. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, she was pale and she still had tear tracks on her face. I hadn't let her leave my arms all night, especially when she started to cry again, for hours.
She saw me and smiled weakly as I walked over to the table, placing the phone in front of her with a small smile as I sat down opposite her.
"Do you mind if I ask who text you last night? It obviously annoyed you enough to throw your precious phone." I tried to joke, to ease the tension. She laughed slightly, so it must have worked.
"Dean. He was being a twat, like normal." Her mouth raised in a sad smile.
She picked the phone up off the table, unlocked it and poked the screen a few times. With no emotion in her face, she handed me the phone.
I read the message, unable to believe it. How could he be so damn disrespectful? I was going to kill him. "He can't say that! What a-"
"He's only saying what everyone else is thinking." She cut me off with no emotion in her voice.
She got up from the table with her mug and placed it in the kitchen sink, not looking at me.
I placed her phone on the table and followed her to where she was standing, close behind her.
"No. He's an idiot who needs a punch." I had to stop myself from taking her in my arms and kissing her senseless. "Look at me, please." I begged her.
She slowly turned around but still wasn't looking at me, and I instantly took her face in my hands.
"Don't. We both know that this can't work. Let's not pretend that this is a good idea-" She tried to shove me away but I held her firmly in place.
"I'm not pretending anything. You want to know something? I've never said 'I love you' to any other girl, only you, and I meant it." I told her the truth, getting my face closer to hers as I did.
"R-really?" She looked as shocked as she sounded. I nodded, no smile on my face - wanting her to know that I was serious.
"Yes, and I don't plan on saying it to anyone else. It hurt last night when you told me to 'find someone else', because I won't - I don't want anyone else, only you. And by the way, I only slept with one of the others, if we're being honest."
..............................
Tallie p.o.v
It was a relief to hear that, I'm not going to lie. He never actually told me if he had or hadn't slept with the others, but I had just sort of ... assumed.
I mean, why wouldn't he of? He could have anyone that he wanted. "Oh ... well, I'm relieved, I have to say." I sniffed.
"Good. I don't want you to think of me as some sort of player."
"I don't." I smiled, a lot happier than I was. He pulled me into a hug, and I instantly relaxed into him. He rested his chin on my head and I could feel his jaw moving as he spoke.
"You are so much more to me than 'just another fling' - you're the one I love. Don't ever forget that. Promise me?"
I buried my face in his chest to hide my blush. I nodded as I said "I promise. And I'm so sorry for shouting all that hideous stuff at you - I don't know why I said it, I didn't mean any of it. Are we still ... well are we-"
"Are we ok?" He asked for me. Again, I nodded. "Yes. More than ok, in fact. We've got our first fight over with, so we don't have to worry about that now." He tipped my face up, smiling sweetly at me.
"So, does that mean that we can .... make up now?" I asked shyly. He gave me a quick kiss and smiled.
"Of course. But we should probably get showered, have some sleep and some food first."
"That's true - neither of us look very lovely today." I laughed slightly.
"Oh, I don't know. You still look beautiful." Another kiss, this one deep and slow but building.
"Mmm." I hummed. "What do you say we have a shower before breakfast?" He knew what I meant, and seemed to be thinking it too.
"I say that that," He started to kiss me deeply as he started walking backwards, holding my hands and pulling me with him. "Is a very good idea."
