nothing without you

32-Awkward Exes

"Holy Fuck!" I yell.

Leila and Aiden were half naked while making out on the couch, clearly close to doing more than making out.

They jump off of each other and when they see me, look immediately guilty.

"Jesus christ this is something I could have lived my whole life and not seen." I cover my eyes. "Go on, put your clothes on."

I hear them shuffling around and after a few minutes Lay tells me I can open my eyes.

"Thank you." I say with a dry tone. "Now would someone care to explain what I just saw?"

"Well when two people really love each other there a special bond that can be created through something called—" Aiden is cut off my Leila putting her hand over his mouth.

"We just—I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. It was out of nowhere. I was crying and then there was tension and then..well, you saw what happened next." Leila looks terrified of what I might respond.

Honestly I'm a little pissed. For three reasons:
1. I told Aiden that if he ever hurt Leila again, even if it was accidentally then I would disown him as a brother
2. I told Leila that I didn't want her to get hurt again and I knew that if she entertained the possibility of getting back together with him, then she would.
3. I just never expected this. After all their past and all the shit they each went through as a result of their relationship, getting back together is the worst thing they could do.

I'm in shock. I don't even know what to say, my mouth is literally hanging open.

I keep trying to start a sentence and then stopping.

Those two have hated each other for almost a year now and all of a sudden they're fucking?

I don't blame them because if they're left alone with all the chemistry and tension that's still left over something was bound to happen. I just didn't really think that through.

"Aiden come with me. Now." I'm pissed at him. Not Leila. I didn't tell her not to I just told her to do what's best for her and that I didn't want her to get hurt. I told Aiden that if he ever touched another hair in her pretty little head that I would kill him myself.

Not that I don't think Leila can stand up for herself because she is the most competent, independent woman I have ever known but I'm still protective over my friends.

Aiden follows me upstairs and we enter my room.

"Why the fuck are you doing this to her? I thought you had a speck of decency left. Look I know that you have a bad history with Lay, but I thought that you cared enough to not do this again. To listen to what I told you specifically! I normally will not get in the way of yours of Lay's relationships but I'm sorry if I can't help myself right now. You are doing a shitty thing to my best friend. You have done some shitty things to quite a few people but I've let it slide after scolding you a bit. I'm not letting this one slide. I know that there's that one thing that you just can't pinpoint that prevents you from being able to commit. I have it too. I just have the human decency to not drag someone along for the ride. I have the human decency to be honest about not being able to be in a relationship. I thought you had at least some of that but I guess I was wrong." I storm out of my room and slam the door behind me.

I go downstairs to see Leila anxiously pacing the kitchen.

"What happened? Tell me everything." I ask her, my voice serious but not harsh.

She explains the entire story in detail.

I understand what happened, why it happened, how it happened. I just thought that there'd be more thinking on both sides.

"Look, Lee-Lee, I don't want you getting hurt. I love my brother but you can do so much better than him. He has the same issues with commitment that I do and that's fine but I don't want you to have a false sense of security in your relationship with Aiden. I'm going to be brutal because I think that's what you need, I don't think you're ready for a relationship. I think that you need time to be by yourself and to thrive without depending on others for your self worth. You've come so far with that in just a year and I don't want whatever is going on to ruin that. It's not my decision to make. You can do whatever the hell you want to do and I will never judge you but I will give you advice along the way."

She gives me a huge hug.

"I love you. I'm so lucky to have you as my best friend." Her words are slightly muted against my shirt. We stay like that, hugging for at least 5 minutes.

God I can't believe this happened. They were supposed to be awkward exes.
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A/N: triple update bitchessss. I can't believe I've stayed on schedule to get to chapter 40 by September 1st still. That's impressive cause usually I give up on these kind of things.

The next chapters are going to be lots and lots of tea so you all need to mentally prepare for that. I have everything planned so that's exciting.

Love you all and pls remember to vote 🥺

kisses 💋
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