saving us || sequel to 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦.

8 - confrontation

song recommendation: break my heart again - finneas

jade lockhart

"Jade?"

I recognize the soft voice immediately and slowly turn around to meet his eyes.

"Why did you follow me, Theo?"

His face looks tired, probably from all the alcohol as his brown hair falls over his face loosely in the wind of the night.

"You looked upset," he shrugged as he took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, thank you." I reply shortly, turning back around to look out on the water once again.

I hope that he would've left by now, but I hear the sounds of his approaching footsteps and after a moment I can see him out of my peripheral vision beside me.

I keep my eyes focused on the crashing waves in front of me, paying close attention to every ripple.

"You have beautiful eyes," Theo blurts out but quickly clears his throat awkwardly. "I- um...they just look very deep in the moonlight. They have a sort of sparkle in them."

I give him a weak smile, still not turning around to face him. I can see that he's still looking at me and I'm not sure if it's just the amount of alcohol I've had, but this makes my cheeks blush slightly.

"Is it true...that you don't love Ryder?"

I take a deep breath, not exactly knowing how to answer the question that's been haunting me for the past twenty minutes or so.

"The truth serum made me say no, so I guess not." I frown as I look down at the ground below me. "It's complicated."

"Hey," Theo whispers as his fingers cup my face to lift my chin up, now facing him with our faces only inches apart. "I understand. I get that you don't know how you're feeling right now. But I know that if you ever change your mind about us, I'm here..."

We both go silent as I feel his hot breath against my face. His eyes flicker down to my lips and stay there for a moment too long, looking at them as though he were studying it.

And then, he lens in closer. And I don't stop him.

His lips are almost touching mine as I begin to close my eyes until I hear someone clear their throats from behind us.

I turned around to see Ryder looking at me sadly in the moonlight. His eyes looked regretful and guilty and I felt my heart breaking just looking at him.

I pull away from Theo and try not to look at him. I don't want to see his reaction to what almost happened.

"I'm just going to go..." Theo sighs in defeat as he gives me a weak smile and walks away, leaving just Ryder and I.

"About what happened in there, it's not what you think. I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Ryder." I sighed, turning away from him to look out over the glistening sea once again. "I thought that maybe last night meant something to you, but then you go and hook up with Eleanor? I mean, who even is she?"

"Jade, it was nothing. She and I were good friends back in first year before Malfoy befriended me...we were just catching up!"

"Catching up?!" I asked, bewildered by his excuse. "You call having sex with that chick, catching up?"

"We didn't have sex!" He tells and I feel my heart stop. We're both breathing deeply, not sure of what to say next.

"What do you mean-"

"She kissed me. That's it. I didn't even kiss her back. It only lasted for a second, I swear..." he states with a breaking voice, pleading with me to believe him.

I turn around to see that he looks truthful in what he's saying. His eyes look desperate as they look into mine and I fell my heart rate increase.

"So nothing happened?"

"Yes, nothing happened." He confirms as he takes a single step closer to me. "I promise."

I give him a sad smile as I try to believe him. He wouldn't lie, would he? I'm pretty sure the truth serum affects are still subtly in effect.

However, his face still says sad. His lips are curved into a frown as he looks me up and down, analyzing every inch.

"But it's true, you don't love me?"

I suck in a breath. This question will be the death of me.

"If the truth serum revealed that, I guess it's true..." I sigh sadly as his features drop a bit more.

He looks away from me for a second, as if trying to distract himself before turning back to face me.

His lips are now pressed in a straight line, not showing as much emotion as before when he sighs, "I shouldn't have been surprised..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask a bit bitterly, slightly offended by his comment.

He takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes and then reopens them.

"It's how you've always been, Jade. You don't let people in. You won't allow them to care for you or understand you. Whenever someone gets to close to you, you find a way to push them away."

I gulp, not liking him calling me out like that I look down at the ground once again.

"You're afraid of getting hurt," he claims, his voice low and quiet. "But in the end, it's never you that's getting hurt."

When I look back up to say something, he's gone and I'm left alone with my thoughts once again.

I'm not the one getting hurt? My whole life, I've been screwed over by feelings.

I may not always show it on the outside, but I care too much. It makes me doubt my every move and doubt everyone intentions.

But that's the way I've been raised.

The world is full of people who will do you wrong. How do you know it's not the ones you care for most?

—————

just a little sad...

A next chapter will be fun though hehe

please vote🖤