Mending A Broken Soul (Mavin)

Chapter Nineteen: Smiles

Chapter Nineteen:
Smiles

I raced forward towards Michael as he sat up in bed pulling him in for a long hug. He blindly grasped at my back and eventually just gave up and let me hug the living daylights out of him.

"Oh god... I thought something bad happened to you," I whispered, pulling away from the hug. I looked at Michael and analyzed everything about him.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the way he looked when he first woke up.

However, I realized pretty quick how confused he was. I mean, I couldn't exactly blame him. How would I feel if an ex of mine broke in and woke me up on my day off by hugging me to death.

I sat back a little and let him adjust himself. He didn't seem as surprised as I expected him to be, instead seeming very calm. Or maybe that was because he just woke up.

Whatever it was, it didn't stop him from starting the conversation.

"I wasn't finished you know," He told me. I nodded, looking down.

"Yeah, Geoff told me," I said back, suddenly feeling very awkward in his presence.

"Can I finish now?" He asked me. And for whatever reason, I wasn't ready to hear his side. I wanted to know the answer to my question first.

"No. I want to know why you thought any of this is okay. This isn't high school, Michael. You can't just date someone because someone bet you to," I said, progressively letting more anger seep into my voice.

"It wasn't a fucking bet, Gavin." Michael growled back when he heard my anger.

"Well it bloody seems like one to me. Doing something because Geoff asked you too. Tell me, how much did he pay you to do that," I growled back.

"He didn't pay me. I don't know where you're coming up with any of this. God Gavin, you're so fucking stubborn sometimes. You can't possibly see the truth," Michael said.

After that I stood back up beginning to walk towards the door while anger pulsed through me. I didn't come here to fight. I came here to figure out why Michael did what he did. But it was obvious I wasn't going to get any information out of him without a fight.

However, as I reached to open the bedroom door more to leave, I was suddenly reminded of something. It seemed like it happened so long ago but in reality it was only a year ago.

"Wait! Did I forgive him?"

"That's for you to find out. Not me."

I blinked my eyes rapidly as I remembered. The dream. The creeper. Everything was coming back to me.

I was living my dream.

I walked back to Michael and sat down, surprising him. He sat back up and stared at me as I stared blankly at the wall.

"Please... Just tell me... How could you do that to me?" I asked him.

"Gavin, I wasn't trying to hurt you. I really didn't think it would hurt you-," Michael began. I just shook my head as more tears fell from my eyes.

"How could you ever think it wouldn't hurt me? What were you thinking you were gonna do the day you finally told me? 'Oh yeah, by the way Gav, our entire relationship was fake. Hope you didn't get too attached!'" I retorted, feeling my throat constrict as more tears welled into my eyes.

Michael was silent.

Finally, when he looked back up and stared into my eyes, he said something that I actually vaguely remembered.

"You forgot a huge chunk of it. 'But, over time, I realized I do actually love you. And that I was wrong to do that, Gavin. I want you in my life and I want to be there when you make that first real smile that you haven't made in a year. Nothing could ever change what I did, but maybe if you could find it in your tortured and broken little heart to forgive a douche like me, I promise I will try my hardest to make all your dreams come true,'" Michael told me, using a very sincere voice.

I thought over everything he just told me. I had heard that all before and I hadn't thought much about it then, but now, hearing it again and knowing the reasoning for it, made me think.

Finally, I looked back up at him. I stared into his sad, sunken, brown eyes and felt the corners of my lips lift up.

A smile.

A very real, genuine, happy, Gavin Free smile.

Michael's eyes brightened as he realized I wasn't faking this smile and he gladly accepted the hug I offered him. I pressed my head into his chest, hearing his heartbeat thumping away in his chest.

"Gavin?" Michael asked me in a timid voice.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Do you forgive me?" He asked me.

I squeezed him tighter and breathed in his scent. If this wasn't where I should've been, then I didn't want to know where I was supposed to be because I responded with a positive and clear;

"Of course I do."

And just like in the dream, though it confused me at the time, a thought bubbled in my head.

And for the first time in a while, I was happy.
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Guess what guys.
This is the end of the book.
I have one more chapter after this, but it's the epilogue so... It's not really a chapter.
So, yeah... Wow. I told myself I was gonna wait to post this but then I was like... NOPE! And I posted it anyway.
I don't what to say. This was my favorite story to write and now that it's over it's pretty hard to convey my feelings for it.
So, please, let me know what you thought of this chapter or of what you thought of the story as a whole (it could also include the first book as well!). In all honestly, I loved to write this for you guys.
After the epilogue, I'll be posting another chapter just wrapping up this story with my own thoughts and stuff. So if you have any questions, please ask me and I'll answer them in that chapter.
Well... I guess there's only one thing left to say.
Thanks for reading!