18 / Butterfly

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It took 2 weeks for Alex to reach out to David. The only reason he was even willing to was because of the conversation he had with Caroline. Alex inhaled and opened his car door, making his way to David's front door. He knocked twice, and the door opened to reveal Natalie.

"Hey Alex"

"Hey"

"Can I ask you something?" She asked, stepping outside with Alex and shutting the door behind her.

"Um.... yeah, sure"

"What the fuck is up with David?"

Alex froze.

"What do you mean?"

"Clearly something's wrong, and he keeps insisting that he's fine. I reached out to every person in our friend group and nobody will tell me anything. Hell, even Liza is ignoring my texts"

Alex avoided eye contact with Natalie by staring around her.

"Alex, he literally looked like he got the shit beat out of him when I got back. What happened?"

Alex finally looked at Natalie.

"It's not my place to tell you what he did to get there, but I can tell you right now I punched him in the face"

Natalie's eyes widened.

"You did that?"

Alex nodded.

"And he invited you over again?!"

"Believe me when I say he knows he deserved it"

"Ok" Natalie nodded. "Thank you"

"I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready"

Natalie smiled a little and opened the door, leading Alex towards the podcast room where David was sitting on his laptop.

"Hey" Alex said, opening the door.

"Hey"

Alex went and sat next to David.

"Your face is clearing up nicely"

"Thanks" David laughed a little.

"I'm sorry for doing that"

"No you're not"

"Yeah, no, i'm not, but I felt like that's a thing I should say"

David and Alex both laughed.

"How are you, though?" Alex asked. "Seriously"

"Better"

"Good"

Both seemed to struggle to find the words to say.

"So the day you broke up with her..." Alex started.

Alex entered his apartment to the sound of full on sobs. He assumed somebody was watching a movie, and kept walking down the hall. The sound of sobbing intensified as he walked past David's room. He furrowed his brow and backtracked, listening at the door and realizing the sobs were coming from David himself. He knocked, and David didn't respond. He knocked again, and again; no answer. He finally opened the door to find David laying on his floor sobbing.

"David, what happened?" Alex asked, kneeling next to David.

David couldn't formulate the words to explain.

"Are you hurt?" David shook his head. Alex furrowed his brow again.

"We broke up" He finally got out.

Alex's face softened.

"Oh my god, David, i'm so sorry"

David shook his head, crying harder.

"I can't believe I walked out. I should have turned around"

"It might have just been time for it to end" Alex said sympathetically.

David shook his head. "I should have stayed there" He kept repeating. "I need to go back"

"David, don't go back" Alex insisted. "Just let her be"

He continued to cry while Alex sat next to him, assuring him that he was ok and that he needed to just stay home.

"I'm going" David started standing up. Alex rushed to the door and stood in front of it.

"No you're not"

"I don't even remember how I got home"

"You regretted it immediately. And you wanted to go back, but I talked you out of it"

"I did?"

"You kept saying you needed to go back and I told you not to"

"I don't even remember that"

"You were insistent, and I talked you out of it." Alex repeated again, looking at the ground "This is my fault. I fucking stopped you from going, at one point I physically held you back from going"

David shook his head.

"No, because I could have gone any day for the past 3 years. I don't even remember you doing that"

"I just... fuck" Alex said, putting his hands over his face. "If only I had fucking known. If I had known I would have made you go back over there"

"You didn't know, though. I never told you"

"I know. I just can't help but feel like there was something I could have done"

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I told you I would return

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I think I updated yesterday or 2 days ago but i've been suuuuuper busy so I'm sorry about that! 

Anyway here's a little bit of backstory

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