drowned ✔️

• t w e n t y - s e v e n •

I somehow found myself at Rhys's house, still suppressing the torrent of tears that I felt building as heat behind my eyes. It took all of my will to not burst into a useless puddle of tears, leaving none for keeping me away from Rhys's house.

I knew that it made me look desperate. I knew that it made me look broken. But right now, I just wanted to be in his comforting embrace, away from the staunch cold echoing through the night air. I rang the doorbell, an uneasy feeling churning in my stomach.

"Hey-" Rhys's brother answered, his face breaking into a flirtatious smile as he recognized me. "Wassup, babe. Come back for another round?"

"Uh," I paused, unsure how to respond, "is Rhys here?"

"Possibly. But you don't want to be with that pussy. I'm much more manly than him," he smirked, leaning against the door suggestively. I shifted my weight, pursing my lips in an effort to refrain from punching Rhys's brother. My expression elicited a sigh from him, as he then proceeded to yell over his shoulder: "Rhys, your fuck-buddy's here!"

My cheeks were splotched with an uncontrollably deep red as Rhys came down from his room, confused.

"Hey, Nara," he greeted me softly, shoving his brother away from the doorframe. Zax skulked away from our conversation, in the general direction of the kitchen, our words being well within his earshot.

"Hey," I choked out, before clearing my throat. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, of course," he replied, widening the open doorway, so that I could pass through. He led me up the familiar staircase to his room, closing the door with a small thud behind us.

I turned to look at him once I entered, the electricity from the school parking lot reigniting as the door shut us away from the rest of the world. Taking a few steps closer to where he was standing, I pressed my lips against his firmly.