crush | g.d. ✓

s i x - E.M.

I giggle as Ethan finishes his omelet. In two minutes. "So...I'm guessing it was good?" Grayson asks smiling. "Y-yeah," He mutters.

"That means I do have skill. Told you."

I smile at them and lie down on the couch, resting my head on a pillow and pulling a blanket over me. "Okay, goodnight you two. I need to sleep." I say.

"Goodnight, Em," I hear Ethan say. "Night," Grayson follows. They walk into their rooms and turn off the lights of the living room, leaving me to my thoughts.

Why would Matt have cheated on me? Was I not good enough for him? Was I a bad kisser or just a bad girlfriend in general? I gave him everything he wanted and loved him.

I don't know how long I've been thinking until I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. It's a notification from Spotify. I roll my eyes. I quickly open Instagram just to scroll through. My thumb slides across the screen until I see a picture of Matt. My finger freezes when I see it's him and Kelsey.

Making out.

I bite my lower lip. Tears start to well in my eyes so I shut off my phone and throw it somewhere on the couch. I don't even hesitate and let the tears stream down my cheek. I lightly start to sob, but try to keep it down so no one hears me.

"God damnit!" I whisper to myself, wiping the tears away. Why am I crying over him if he hurt me?

"Emily?" I hear a familiar voice.

"Gray?"

"I-Is everything okay? I heard you crying," He says, sitting next to me. I look down at my hands. "No, obviously not. My boyfriend cheated on me, Gray! He slept with one of my friends! How do you think I'm supposed to feel?" I exclaim.

"It was wrong of him to do that. He had no right treating you like that, Em. He's a douche," He says.

"Don't you think I know that?" I say, earning a look of confusion from Grayson.

"What? You knew who he was and you acted oblivious to it?" He asks.

"Y-Yes, okay? I knew he was a bit of a jerk but I still loved him! He made me feel special," I respond.

"But why would you stay with him if you knew he was toxic for you?"

I drew a blank. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. Except for the words "he loved me," which weren't true. He obviously didn't if he cheated on me. If someone cheats on you they never loved you in the first place.

"He loved me, Gray. He brightened my day when there was no sunshine. He respected me. He taught me things I didn't know! He, he, he-" I let a tear roll down my cheek, realizing how toxic he really was.

"He didn't love me." The words escape my mouth and a wave of relief washes over me. I take a deep breath and Grayson hugs me tightly. I hug him back.

He pulls away and looks into my eyes. "Emily, you're going to find someone better than him. Any guy would date you."

"Like who? No one I know wants to date someone who looks like this. I'm a terrible girlfriend, why do you think Matt cheated? I'm human trash! I'm not funny, pretty, skinny...slutty. Who would want to go out with-" I'm interrupted by Grayson's lips crashing onto mine.

I kiss him back and grab his face but pull away. Our faces are inches away. "Gray, what are you doing?" I whisper.

"Showing you that you don't need to be all those things you just said. You are funny, pretty, and skinny. And you don't need to be a slut for someone to like you. Y-You're beautiful inside and outside, as cheesy as it sounds. You don't need to be a model for someone to like you. Someone like me," He says. I fall speechless.

Did he like me? Even when I was dating Matt? No, he couldn't have. He's my best friend. He knows my flaws, how could he like them? Were my feelings for him real? I had denied them because I was with Matt. But...now that I realize it, he's actually who I need right now.

I kiss him and wrap my arms around him, earning a kiss back. I lean onto him and he lies back on the couch, our lips still connected. I break the kiss and lay my head on his chest, still in his arms.

They say when it's after 2 a.m. you should just go to sleep, because the decisions you make after 2 a.m. are the wrong decisions. Well that's not necessarily true.