mockingbird:
I don’t. Not like that.
eastcoleman:
Do you trust me?
mockingbird:
Yes.
eastcoleman:
That makes me feel better, even though I hope we’ll never argue, just because we won’t have any reason to.
mockingbird:
Me too. But I don’t think it would be a big deal even if we did.
eastcoleman:
I hope not.
Chapter 24
Rayne
Kiss Me Kiss Me—5 Seconds of Summer
I spent half the day thinking about Easton’s reaction and couldn’t figure it out. That’s why I’m standing here in the kitchen right now with Easton, Beck, and Jax. Everything is awkward again. This has to stop, otherwise... I don’t know what will happen, but I’m not very keen to find out. I just want everything to be simple again.
But was it ever? No, not really.
Easton clears his throat and pushes back his hair. “Let’s go upstairs.”
I nod, and Easton stands up, while Jax shoots Beck a questioning glance, as if he already knows what happened. When Beck shrugs, I’m sure he does.
“Be nice to each other,” Beck shouts after us as we leave the kitchen. Yes, he definitely knows. Easton stiffens next to me, I can feel it, but I don’t say anything as we’re walking up the stairs.
His room is dark until he turns on the lamp on the bedside table. He doesn’t like bright lights, which is why there isn’t a ceilinglight. His room is messier than usual. There are a dozen notebooks on the floor in front of one of the beanbag chairs, along with loose sheets of paper that are full of his handwriting.
They’re songs; I can tell without looking closer. It seems like he was searching for something. I stand silently in the middle of the room, unsure about where to start. It seems like he feels the same way, because he doesn’t say a word. He’s looking at me, and something in his eyes makes me want to put my arms around him and hold on tight, like he’s done for me so many times. I want to chase the shadows out of his eyes and make whatever happened today disappear. But it’s probably not that easy.
“I think I made a mistake when I asked you never to argue with me again,” I finally say.
Easton looks surprised. “Why?” His defensive undertone stings.
“Do you remember when I told you that I can’t argue with Hailey because I don’t trust her?”
He nods.
“And remember when you asked me if I trusted you?”
Another nod.
“I said yes. I said it’s okay if we argue. Because I know you’ll always be there for me. When we had our first argument a few weeks ago, I didn’t remember that I had said that. Maybe I just forgot because I was overwhelmed. Whatever the reason was, it was a mistake to ask you not to argue with me again. I want us to argue if it means we can tell each other the truth. Because we’re friends.”
I don’t know why I’m saying this. Maybe to convince myself that this is what it’s all about?
