Shortcake - A Richpez Story

Chapter 20

Joey's POV

Seeing Lauren in so much pain kills me. I don't know what to say back, though. I know what I need to say, what I should say.

I love you.

But I just can't. I've said those three words before, told her those words before, but now they have more meaning. Those three words mean what I'm most afraid of. Lauren is someone I want to spend the rest of my days with, someone who I want to watch all those cheesy romance movies with, someone I want to watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets that cast dreams of hope of a better day, paint the ugly, polluted world with new colors. Lauren is my sunrise, my susntet. She makes the cold, angry world seem beautiful and bright and hopeful. She makes me feel the joy a child might feel whenever I'm around her.

Not now, though. Not when her face is flushed with anger, her cheeks soaked in tears, eyes glossed over in anguish. I want to reach a hand out and wipe away all of her tears, I want to hold her tight to my chest and breathe in her warm, sweet scent of...strawberry shortcake.

Strawberry shortcake, a treat her mother loved, before Lauren realized that she couldn't eat nor make it for her mother anymore. But somehow Lauren smells like her mother's favorite damn thing. Lauren is my favorite damn thing. God, I couldn't live without her, without all of her, or knowing that she hates me. Worst of all, knowing that she hated me. Or, maybe, if I left her, it would spare Lauren from getting her heart broken again. Will broke her heart, broke her soul, broke her world, haunts her. And it's my fault.

If I leave now...I can spare her from more pain. I can protect her.

Lauren's POV

Despite my pain, I notice that Joey seems to have a flurry of thoughts pass through him mind, and there's a symphony of emotions behind his eyes as he looks at me.

Now that I told Joey I love him, maybe now he doesn't even wanna be around me. Oh God, did I just push him out of my life for good?

Yes, I'm mad at him, I'm fucking pissed, and hurt, but I love him. I want him in my life, whether it be as my friend or my boyfriend...or something more.

If I lose him, that'll be the end of me.

I'm not able to take this silence anymore, that look in Joey's eyes, all of the hesitance and tension between us. So unceoss my legs, plant my feet on the ground, and start to get up and walk away. The world seems to be against me, along with gravity, at this moment, because my vision starts to go black around the edges, creeping in until all of my vision is nonexistent other than darkness, and my knees turn to jelly, feeling as if they'll give out at any moment.

But Joey, I'm not able to tell if he knows something is wrong or not, gives me a hug and kisses the top of my head. I lean my weight on him and wait for my vision to return. It does, and the weakness in my legs disappear.

He pulls away from me and looks down on me.

"I love you, too Lauren," he whispers. "I always have.Please, I'm so sorry, I don't wanna lose you, Lo, I'm so sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but if you're mad-"

"Shh, Joey, I forgive you. I don't wanna lose you either," I reply softly.

He smiles at me, relief and joy lighting up his eyes, and I can't help but stretch onto my tip-toes to plant a soft kiss to his lips.

"But Joey, fuck you."

A/N: Late yet again. All I can say is that I sat in cake today, and got assaulted many times in many different places today.

Also, self-promotion time, I'm starting to work on/put more effort into a TGWDLM fanfic sooo...check that out if you're into that I guess. Oh, and I started a random ass poem book thing...hooray?

So, did it work? Self promotion yay time?

Yeah, ok ima go now. Have a good dayyy!

Word Count: 726