Alex exhaled slowly, wiping a tear off my cheek with his thumb. “That’s not true.”
“Then why did he say it?” My voice cracked, and I pressed a hand to my chest. “Why did he tell me to get out of his face? Why did he let me think I was nothing to him?”
Alex looked away for a second, running a hand through his hair, clearly fighting his own frustration. Then he leaned closer. “Because he’s stupid. Because he listens too much to the surrounding noise. But you need to know something, Aurora.”
He paused. His voice softened—rare, almost disbelieving of himself for saying it. “He loves you.”
I froze, eyes flicking up to meet his.
“He told me,” Alex continued quietly. “That night we hung out. He said it. He said he loved you, Aurora. And I’ve known that idiot since we were kids; I’ve never heard him say that word about anyone.”
My lip trembled again, the tears coming faster. “No, he doesn’t. He—”
“He does.” Alex’s tone stayed calm, steady, like he wanted to anchor me with it. “You should’ve heard him, Aurora. The way he talked about you… It wasn’t just words. He changed, and you know it. He became better because of you. And even if he thinks he’s not good enough, he still loves you. That doesn’t go away overnight.”
He sighed and sat down next to me, pulling me gently into his chest. I didn’t even resist. I just let him. The tears came harder, soaking into his shirt as he patted my back slowly.
“Joshua’s stubborn,” Alex said against my hair. “He’ll fight his feelings, push people away, and then hate himself for it. But if there’s one thing I know about him, it’s that he doesn’t stop loving easily. And I can promise you that much.”
I shook my head weakly, my voice muffled. “He’s not coming back.”
He exhaled, the sound rough. “Aurora,” he said quietly, “listen to me.”
I did. Because for once, it wasn’t the voice of Joshua’s best friend, it was someone who had seen the worst of both of us.
“You said you love him, right?”
My breath caught, but I nodded. “I—I do.”
“Then chase him.”
My head snapped up. “What?”
Alex straightened a little, expression firm. “If he doesn’t come back to you, you go to him. Chase him.”
I blinked, confused. “But he—he told me to leave him alone—”
“Joshua says a lot of things he doesn’t mean,” Alex cut in, his voice low but certain. “He listens to everyone else more than he listens to himself, especially when it comes to you. He thinks walking away is protecting you, but he’s wrong. You want him?”
My throat felt tight. “Yes.”
“Then prove it,” he said simply. “Force yourself in if you have to. He won’t stop you.”
“I don’t know if I can…”
He leaned in closer, tone soft but determined. “You can. You just have to show him that you still want him, that he didn’t lose you completely. Because that’s what he’s scared of, Aurora. Losing you. He’ll never push you away if you show him you’re not scared of him anymore.”
I stared at him, heart pounding.
“Chase him, Aurora.” His voice softened, but his eyes remained fierce. “He won’t back you down. Not if you show him that you still want him. Not if you remind him what he’s fighting for.”
Alex stood, brushing the grass off his pants, and reached down to help me up. “You’ve both been miserable long enough,” he said. “So go get him back.”
—
Friday.
The last day before break.
