One Day. ~ Ethoslab Fanfic~

Chapter 13: Reconciliation

I walked up the large wooden stairs and into the bathroom. Turning on the light the dark room illumined and I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a wet mess sticking to my face and I had no eyebrows. Laughing at how terrifying I looked, I opened the cupboard under the sink. My makeup had still been there untouched.

I took a hot shower and changed into the clothes he had given me, then put on some eyebrows. I opened my soaked bag and searched for my phone in hopes that it wasn't ruined. Finally, I found my phone that miraculously survived the rain and saw that I had been flooded with messages. From Jese to my parents, I had 12 missed calls and messages asking where I was. I decided to call my parents back first, and my mom had answered very angrily on the second ring.

"Where the hell are you??" She screamed angrily.

"I'm at the library, why what's going on?" I replied in as calm of a voice as I could muster.

"I've been calling you non-stop. It's pouring rain outside and most of the buses stopped running. Are you close to anyone's house?' She asked slightly less upset.

"I'm sorry I had my phone turned off. But yeah, I can get Jese to pick me up or something and I'll just stay at her house. I'll talk to you later." I replied and hung up.

Since Daniel and I had broken up, I haven't went anywhere other than the library to study, making it the perfect excuse. I still hate lying to her, but what choice did I have? Collecting myself once more, I gathered my soaked clothes from off the floor and rung them out in the tub. I found a plastic bag in the cabinet under the sink and threw the wet mess inside then tied the ends.

Taking the bag, I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. The smell of coffee filled my nostrils and my heart fluttered. The smell alone brought me back to such simpler times. The late afternoons spent together, learning everything about each other, talking for hours on end and falling in love. My eyes filled with tears as memories of the day we fell apart came flooding back to me as well.

"Hey is everything okay?" He asked turning towards me and away from the steaming cups of coffee.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm gonna call Jese and see if she can come get me. My mom called and said the roads by my house were bad." I replied blinking away the tears. I could feel my throat begin to clench and heat rush to my cheeks.

"Yeah, she called me while you were in the shower to see if I knew where you were." He replied leaning against the counter, arms crossed.

"I see." I answered not knowing what else to say.

"Well drink something before you go, you'll catch a cold otherwise." He grabbed one of the mugs and extended it to me.

"Thanks." I answered taking the cup from him and placing the wet bag on the kitchen floor making a soft crinkle. I wrapped both hands around the steaming cup and felt the heat begin to thaw my cold fingers.

We stood in silence drinking our coffee until the lights began to flicker. The weather began to intensify and the sound of heavy rain echoed throughout the house. Gentle sounds of thunder soon grew louder and with one loud boom the lights went out.

"I'm sure they'll come back on." Daniel answered from the dark.

Moments passed and after awkwardly holding my empty cup, I carefully made my way to the sink and placed it gently inside. Washing the cup then putting it in the drying rack, I turned to him and reached for his empty cup.

"You don't have to." He said in my direction.

"It's the least I can do." I replied looking down and playing with the drawstrings on the pants he had given me. After a quiet sigh, I felt his hands find mine and place the cup gently in my palm. I turned to the sink and washed the second cup and placed it in the rack next to the other. Memories of washing the dishes after our pasta nights together began to replay in my head. Him standing behind me as I washed, pushing my hair to the side and holding me from behind. I brushed away the thoughts and turned around.

We shared a comfortable silence as the weather surrounding us worsened. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. I closed my eyes and leaned against the counter next to him. "I miss you." He said quietly.

"I miss you too." I replied. The tears finally broke free and I quietly sobbed, slowly lowering to the floor with my knees pressed against my chest.

"I never wanted any of this to happen, I miss you so goddamn much. Nothing feels right without you and I am so sorry. Please, I love you so much." I exclaimed in between breaths. The sound of me crying was matched with the sound of the rain pelting the windows around us. The house fell still as I caught my breath minutes after. As I readied myself to stand up, I felt two familiar arms wrap around me. "Please don't go. Stay with me tonight." He pleaded. The light from outside was just enough to illuminate his sullen face coated with wet streaks that stretched over his cheeks. His eyes red and puffy, matching my own. I nodded.

We stayed in that position, holding each other, as the weather thrashed outside and the world grew louder.