The Comet Cafe

Chapter~24

heyyy i updated early ☻ hope you like the chapter and schtuff

The sound of crackling and shuffling comes to my end of the phone. I'm worried he hung up or lost signal and I'll be forced to sit on my front step until I stop crying, which could take forever. I'm about to hang up myself, when I hear his voice a whole lot clearer now.

"Jules? Is that you?"

I sniffle and clear my throat, trying to rid the new wave of tears from flowing down my face. I don't want to cry anymore.

"Alex, I'm sorry. I-I don't k-know why I even called." This was a lie. I know exactly why I called him. He's my best friend, despite what happened at work, and I love him to death. Platonically and romantically. "I should," sniffle, "go now. Good-"

"Wait. Julia. What's wrong?" He asks, interrupting me. "Where are you?"

"On my front step." I laugh, pathetically. Now, I'm seriously debating whether or not to hang up. I need Alex here with me more than anything, but the fact I'm crying over something so pitiful like Chad makes me regret it.

"Are you crying?" He doesn't give me time to reply. "I'm coming to you, okay? Don't move or.. do anything stupid."

And, with that, he hangs up, leaving me to think about things until he comes.

I cannot believe Chad would do that to me. I don't like him as much as Alex (not even close), but he was so nice every time we talked in school and outside of it. I'm sure he didn't intend on hurting me as badly as he did and he didn't expect it to end that way. He really thought that by getting close to me would get him to April. I think about what he said about April. He loves her. When the hell did that happen? I know April is friendly with guys, much more than I used to be, but I never knew they were so close to make Chad fall in love with her. Even while he's been with Madison!

Chad won't get April. She's in love with Logan. I'll make sure he doesn't.

It doesn't take Alex very long to get here, and soon enough I see his car pulling up in front of my house. I quickly wipe my cheeks and pray my mascara isn't making me look like a raccoon. Alex steps out of his car, wearing a ripped band shirt and black skinny jeans, and jogs over to me. I stand and he takes in the sight of me in a too tight dress, face all red and puffy, and my heels in my hand. I drop the heels when I feel the need to just hug him, smell him, have him comfort me. I wrap my arms around his broad body, another waterfall of tears making their way to my eyes. It takes him a moment, but he wraps his arms around me, running his hands up and down my back. I smush my face into his shirt and grab his t-shirt with my hands.

"Shhh, shh." He mutters in my (now flat) hair. Just him being here, holding me makes me feel ten times better.

I stand there a minute or two longer, because his strong arms engulfing me and his large hands rubbing my back feels so damn good. I then step away, sniffling. He keeps his hands on my shoulders, but moves them to my face and wipes my tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs.

"I should've listened to you, Alex. Chad is a douche." I finally say, earning a small, soft chuckle from him.

"What happened, Jules?"

"He...just wanted to get to April." I explain. "He led me on and had me go on a fucking date with him. How could I have been so dumb? Why didn't I listen to you? I'm so sorry." I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to cry again.

"Hey, no more crying over that asshole." He says, running his thumbs over my cheeks. I keep my eyes closed. "I'm sorry, too, Jules. For not talking to you all week after getting pissed."