Metanoia (Shirbert AU)

Understanding and Clarity

A/N: You are not ready for the reasoning for the chapter title. You'll understand a character and their actions much better after this chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment. Love you guys <3

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Gilbert's POV:

"You want to know what the worst part is Gil?" she paused, "The worst part is that you've broken my heart multiple times, but somehow I still love you with all the broken pieces because I can't find the courage to let go."

She loves me? My face drops as her words dawn on me. She fiercely yanks her arm out of my grasp and I stumble back.

As she walks away I can't help but talk back to her, despite my mind telling me to bite my tongue, "It's okay, I understand. You can leave. Eventually, they all do."

I heard an exasperated huff escape her before she continued to walk home. My head hung loosely as I shook it ashamedly. I looked back up in the direction she left and I took a step forward to chase after her but a pair of arms held me back.

"Wait, we weren't done talking," said Josie as she looked up at my face pleadingly.

"What the hell was that! That wasn't talking Josie! You kissed me out of the blue and now look what happened! Have you ever heard of consent? You can't just walk up to people and kiss them!"

She looked down at her feet as she loosened her grip on my wrist.

"You're right I'm sorry, I just needed to get that out to confirm what I actually came here to say."

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Rewind - 10 minutes before Anne arrives:

I stood under the tree outside the gates of my farm. I looked down the dirt path and spotted Josie Pye making her way up towards me.

"Hello, Josie," I said as my lips stretched into a thin line.

"Hey, Gil-," she interrupts herself. "Oh sorry, I mean, Gilbert," she replied sheepishly.

"Get to the point. Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

She kicked at the gravel under her feet, "Are you mad at me or something? You've been ignoring me all week."

My jaw clenched, "You lied to me."

She stopped kicking at the dirt and looked up. Her face was pale, "What do you mean?"

I glared at the blonde girl, "You know perfectly well what I mean."

"Ok, yes, I lied," her shoulders slumped, "But we had just become friends, and Anne was trying to get in the way."

My blood boiled, "You told me that she pushed you and threatened you into never speaking to me again! You made me get mad at her over something that was your fault!"

I stepped closer to her, "You played it off as if you're the victim, but you and I both know that you have been tormenting Anne for months! What do you have against her?"

"You-," her voice shook, "You know about that?"

"Cole told me," I spat.

Josie's eyes glistened when she broke eye contact and looked down.

I stared at her waiting for an answer. Then, faster than I could blink she grasped my shoulders and brought me down into a kiss. I stumbled at the sudden weight and grasped the only thing in my reach to steady myself. Too bad the only thing I could hold onto was Josie's waist.

I immediately pushed her off, ready to yell at her again. My eyes shifted to a figure behind her, Anne.

Oh no.