On the way to five thousand total reads. Kind of insane, but i put waaaay too much effort into this book and I'm glad it's slowly paying off.
After not writing for ages lol sorry here's the final part of Afterglow... woo grab tissues friends x
-
"Too desperate. Too.. Too desperate. Yes, that's it!" Link was mumbling to himself, on the verge of bursting out into overwhelming laughter. With a crooked smile, and his eyelids twitching, Link was stuck on Christy's venomous words. "I'm too desperate. That's the problem. Yes, it is! Too-"
"Link, please stop.. just please."
"Did you know Rhett, according to my wife, I'm too desperate! How about that!" Link spluttered, staring over at him with an almost creepy grin plastered on his face. Rhett didn't even look up.
Link didn't even know why he went back to Rhett's anyway. After having his own front door slammed into his face, he wandered back down the streets in a bit of a daze; headache still present. The last thing he wanted was to see Rhett, as they both knew what happened, but it was either that or sleeping homeless.
The two hungover 'friends' sat on individual sofas, on far sides of the lounge, with Link in his own world and Rhett... barely coping either. Rhett held his head heavily in his hands, dragging his fingers through his messy blond hair. He didn't care to make himself look pretty for the day, as all he did was pace around the room replaying the night in his head, and hoping Link didn't go and do something he'd regret when he left.
Although angry, Rhett was beyond relieved to see Link at his front door, pleading to be let inside.
"How about that, how about that, how about fu-"
"Link will you- Link, please- Link- SHUT UP!"
Link's head shot towards Rhett, as their eyes burned right through each other like bullets. For a second Link doubted Rhett just yelling at him, but even in his aching mind he knew he did. It was so unlike Rhett's usual calm nature, and it definitely silenced him.
"Just... stop. I need to think," Rhett replied, a lot quieter and he bowed his head down again. Link shut his slightly parted mouth and stared at Rhett, blinking the new tears away from his eyes and leaning back into the sofa. It felt cold and numbing, like pure concrete. The air was suffocating. Everything was wrong.
"Right... okay then, okay," Link's voice died down. Neither made another sound, as they were too afraid to even look across. Neither could tell if the love they had for each other in the early hours of the morning was even real, but something clearly changed them both and they couldn't just forget it.
Rhett had no clue what to do. Every moment passing aggravated him more, wishing so much their families were normal again, with Jessie and little Nara alive and by his side. And Link with Christy, all safe. He inhaled sharply, batting away the thoughts that would make him an emotional wreck if he let them overtake. But with the air, Rhett caught something rather prominent.
"Link, what's that smell?" He asked, and Link kept his gaze down. He knew.
"You heard me, what is it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Link, it better not be-"
Rhett leaped off the sofa towards Link, and took in his deep, eerily familiar smell. But there was something else there. Link rolled his lips and tried to hold his breath, but ultimately accepted Rhett busted him out.
"You've been smoking?" Rhett exclaimed, back standing up over Link. "Oh come on Link, you're not even helping yourself now!"
Link remained silent, playing around with his hoodie strings as Rhett went on another angry rant which felt like it wouldn't ever end.
