Inhale

Chapter 42:

Joey watched corey sit up, as his eyes fluttered, adjusting to his surroundings.
Corey was rubbing his face, and sighing deeply. He seemed...well angry?

Joey blinked at him as he cursed, getting up, and muttering something to himself.

His hand touched the door knob as Joey called out "corey..?"

Corey turned around "joey? What are you-"

"Where are you going?" Joey asked

"Oh uh...nowhere." he sighed "did I wake you?"

"No." Joey shrugged

"Why are you up then?"

"Bad dream." Joey rolled his eyes

"Oh." Corey said looking down for a moment before looking back up "oh...would you uh...would you like to talk about it?"

"You left me..." joey said

"Oh.." corey blinked "I...well I'd never do that Joey."

"Are you sure?" Joey asked instantly "because like, I havent been the best boyfriend and I really hurt you and...and-"

"I'm more than sure..I didnt leave you...I mean I technically left you but I didnt leave you." Corey said

"I know that." Joey said sadly playing with the sheets "you dont know how much I wished and still wish I never said that at all...I. i wish I knew what crossed my mind."

"Joey I've forgiven you..." corey raised an eyebrow

"But...but it wasnt okay. I shouldn't have said It. I wish I had pulled you tight, told you it was going to be okay, said it wasnt your fault, done something more, something to make you feel better. Something to make you feel safe..something more. I wish I pulled you in, stroked your hair, played with it, made you feel loved..."

"Joey...."

"But I didnt. I hurt you. And for what? Why?!" Joey felt himself almost crying "I decided to crush what heart you had left, the heart to come forward with it after I nagged you for it. I shouldnt have...I cant even imagine how you felt."

"But it's in the past Joey?" Corey said coming back over and sitting on Joey's side of the bed.

"It still happened..."

Corey frowned as he thought "your mother told you that men cant even go through that."

Joey nodded

"And you've said youve never experienced anything like that?"

Joey nodded again

"How were you suppose to know?" Corey sighed "we are a reflection on who raised us."

"But you dont represent what I've heard about your mother?" Joey almost snapped

"Yeah....well I do." Corey looked over into the corner "I'll catch myself doing something sometimes, and I'll stop and sigh, and get even more annoyed as I know it would be exaclty what my mother would do." Corey looked back over "and I dont want to be like her. But we are products of who raised us."

"Oh..."

"And your a product of your mother. If your mother is telling you something all your life and no one had proven it wrong. Why else would you not stick with it?"

"I believed men could go through it-"

"Yeah. And that's a start isnt it." Corey said "but you've said before, your mother was good at casting stereotypes..all I'm saying is your ignorance there. Wasnt fully your fault and all that matters is you understand at least slightly now."