(ʟᴏᴠᴇʀʙᴏʏ!)//sʜɪʀʙᴇʀᴛ

xiii.

gilbert sat on his floor, dreading what he was going to do.

he stared blankly into the camera. his bags were noticeably dark, his hair clearly a mess, and his face not shaved.

"i don't know how i'm going to do this but....i need to." he paused, recapping everything that had happened. "for you guys, and myself and willow...as you all know willow and i have been dating for almost two years now and those two years have been amazing. we've been on so many adventures and hit so many milestones...but all good times have to come to an end."

he was taking long pauses in between each sentence. he'd never thought he would have to do this. "you guys know i haven't been updating any social media as much, causing many to panic. the reason why is, willow and i are broken up." a tear slipped out. in this moment, he thought. he could either a) call willow out or b) spare the both of them. "we've just been very distant with each other lately and busy with our schedules. but i want you to know, there is no hate on willow. it was a collective decision between us two." it's funny how many lies you can tell in just one minute, he thought.

"i would be lying if i said i didn't see it coming but i will never stop loving her. she's helped me with so much these past few years i've known her and i could never stop thanking her for it." he wiped away his tears and faked a smile. "i love you all so much but i need a break. a break from this busy life of mine full of meetings and videos. just me and some friends, chilling out from our busy lives. i thank you all for my privacy at this time. you are all loved and i cannot wait to come back. bye."

he turned his camera off and curled into a ball. he cried a few more tears and got up to go into his bed. before completely shutting the world off, he looked at his last few messages to anne. apologizing so much and the final text. 'i'm sorry, i'll leave you alone for good.' text. he didn't think it would be so hard to lose two people that meant the world to him but it was. willow was completely moved out and anne just wasn't at her dorm anymore. his friends have been in and out, especially xavier who is also going through heartbreak. but for now he just wanted to be alone.

✵

anne laid on the floor of the sawyer's room, strumming to billie eilish's "because im in love you", while sawyer talked on the phone with marilla, trying to reason with her for anne to come on his tour. "only for a few cities though." she kept zoning out the conversation with the thoughts of the fight with gilbert. his face was so broken and tired. it was hard to not talk to him everyday. something they used to do everyday. he kept trying to reach her but she ignored him. she's never seen that side of him before. violent. sawyer still had a black eye and his lip was split but healing. "thank you so so much! you will not regret this!"

he ran over to her and laid down with her. "me and you babe." sawyer convinced her school that going on tour would help her musical career and she would still do all of her work. it was all coming so quick, causing anne to panic but she couldn't let sawyer know. so she put on her best fake smile and kissed him. her phone interrupted them.

diana❤:ummm check gilbert's channel asap!

she clicked on the app and it was the first thing to pop up. what happened to willow & i. she took a deep breath and clicked it. there he sat, the most blank expression on his face. he talked and anne could have cried. she didn't even want to see the comments. he hasn't been on anyone's social media in forever, which was new. he explained the break up and it seemed almost too fake. "hold on, i have to call diana."

she left the room and called her. "ummmm, WHAT THE HELL." diana screamed, causing her mom to yell. "sorry mom! anyway, what happened?"

she sat in silence. "i don't know, i haven't talked to him since the fight."

"i'm not saying you have to check on him, i am just suggesting it. i'll let you go. i love you." she frowned.

"love you more." she joined sawyer on the couch and cuddled up to him. her fingers lightly brushed over his dark eye. "i am so sorry." he just hugged her even tighter and kissed her head, which was all she needed.

"don't be. soon it will be just us. now c'mon, we are leaving tonight. you still have to pack." he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

✵

gilbert was buried in his blankets while the guys sat at the end of his bed, except for clark. "please get up, gilbert! we are begging dude!" ethan said, lightly hitting his leg. no answer. "whatever, i am going to eat whatever is in your fridge. charlie, jerry, you know damn well i can't cook come on." charlie followed him out to the kitchen, leaving xavier and gilbert.

"i know what you are going through, man. i mean, seeing clark and cole everyday together. it does something to you. but you know what i regret? not talking to him before it was too late. maybe things would have been different." gilbert just remained face down, sighing. "what i am saying is, talk to her! before it is too late." he just laid there.

"GILBERT!" jerry came running in. "anne-is-going-on-tour-with-s-sawyer!" he said out of breath. gilbert shot up looking at the picture on the phone.

"w-what?" everyone looked at him as he got up to get changed. "where are they? for how long? who else with? w-"

"go to her man, before it's too late." xavier put his hand on his shoulder and he ran out of the house to his car. he texted josie, jane, and ruby for the place that she was and he finally got it. a huge bus sat in the parking lot and anne was on top of a few bags while they were being loaded, playing her ukulele. the thing that brought her here. she just sang and gilbert sat in a trance.

"what the hell are you doing here?" sawyer. he cut him off before he could even talk. "just leave, gil. she doesn't like you nor will she ever. just let her be happy and leave her alone. i'm not trying to be that guy but i guess i have to be. we are in a happy relationship and you are just bringing her down. so please leave." he sat silently, looking at her smiling.

"fine b-but can you tell her i came." sawyer nodded. "thanks, good luck and p-please keep her safe." he left even more heartbroken than before.