Flames || Rhink

4:23

Things after that became real. 

Everything fell into place. 

I felt normal. I could hold Rhett's hand without people staring. I could kiss him in the halls of Mythical Entertainment without question. I could touch him whenever I pleased.

I was happy. So happy.

But when things got real, they also got hard. I now worried about Rhett finding someone else. I worried about not being enough. I worried about things I used to never even consider.

That's what love will do to you.

It had messed with me so much that I couldn't help but let my mind wander the night Rhett called me at 3 am, intoxicated.

His sentences were slurred and he was talking nonsense. He told me over and over that he loved me and that he never knew he could love someone as much as he did me. As flattering as that sounded, I didn't understand why he was drunk. 

Rhett never drank by himself. I knew that from years of friendship. He thought it was a waste of time, so who was Rhett with? Why was he drinking? Why wasn't I invited?

It sounds ridiculous, but I couldn't help myself. 

"Rhett, you're drunk. Why are you drunk?"

He chuckled, "Oh Link, don't mind the why. I just am."

I sat up in my bed, as I heard another voice in the background.

"Who is that?" I asked, my eyes prickled with sudden tears. Rhett just laughed, "What?"

"Who is there with you?"

The room went quiet for a moment. I heard nothing but the seamless breathing from the other end of the phone.

"It's Cole, Link. It's my brother."

Cole went on to say hi from somewhere in Rhett's home. Rhett sounded upset, drunk and upset.

"Did you think I was cheating on you?" Rhett asked then, anger peaking in his words.

I sighed deeply, "I don't know, Rhett."

"Seriously? You think I would do something like that?"

Rhett was never too drunk too understand conversation. He was never too wasted that he let things go. I was stuck.

"Rhett, don't," I began but was cut off by the instant rage storming through the end of the line, "Stop. Just. Not you Link, I would never dream of hurting you. No matter what the situation. No matter if we were together or not. You need to understand that."

And with that, he hung up.

I didn't call Rhett back, nor did he call me. Instead, I messaged him once. All I said was I love you. That's all I needed to say. 

Rhett and I never left things unsaid. We spoke our minds to each other most of the time. We were never afraid of what the other might think until we were afraid. 

An hour went by before I heard back from him.

At 4:23, my phone lit up with a message. All it said was, "I love you."

--

Small chapter.

I just wanted to say that I am truly sorry about being away for so long. Ever since I got my job, I haven't done much but sleep and work...and eat way too many snacks. (I work at a gas station.) I'm also going on vacation in four days so. I'm so busy. I'm going to try and write more. I know this story is going kinda slow, but I promise, it'll go somewhere.

Thank you all for reading. You are the absolute best.

Sending good vibes. 

Thanks for being your mythical best!

-Robin