˗ˏˋOur Differences Sequelˊˎ˗

-11-

"Should I go home for Thanksgiving Break?" I asked Anna on FaceTime.

She shrugged. "I'm not coming home. But if you'd rather be in Miami, then yes."

I didn't know where I wanted to be. California started feeling less like home, especially because Devin didn't come around as much anymore. Even when he wanted to, Jessica would need something and he'd have to cancel plans with me. I think it's been mutually decided between all of us that I'm not really welcome in his apartment anymore simply because I'm not dating him and it's illegal for me to be friends with him now.

Even when we do hang out, which is rare, the tension between us is always awkward. It doesn't feel like it used to, and I really hate it.

"Is Devin coming home?" she asked curiously.

I hadn't told her about anything yet. Josh and Anna both have it in their heads that Devin and I were going to end up dating now that I'm in California with him. I didn't know how to break the news to them that he's seeing someone else.

"I don't know." I replied truthfully. "I don't talk to him a lot anymore."

She looked confused. Like, insanely confused.
"Why the hell aren't you talking to him? Isn't he in love with you?"

"No he's not."

She raised one eyebrow. "Was there some sort of fight that you never told me about? I'm confused."

"No." I replied, knowing I was too far in at this point. "He's been seeing another girl, and I don't think she really likes me all that much. So I just keep my distance."

Anna slapped her hand over her mouth and let a curse word fly. "Maddie, what??"

She looked offended and angry and sad all at one time. "How could he ever-"

"Look, it's his choice." I cut her off. "I can't force him to feel the same way about me."

"But he does feel the same way about you. God, he's fucking obsessed with you. He said so himself— why the hell is he blowing you off?"

I stared at the screen, feeling slightly shattered all over again. "It's so complicated. And I think it's my fault."

"How so?"

I explained everything to her: starting with Charlie Pinton's appearance at Leo's car that one day, and ending with our conversation right now.

Anna still seemed confused once I finished telling her everything. She crossed her arms with an unamused look on her face.

"I still don't understand why he's dating another girl when you've been making yourself visibly available to him. What the fuck is his problem?"

I returned a similar expression. "I don't really know. Maybe he's just experimenting or trying to get over his past feelings for me."

"He's been in love with you since he was 7 years old. You don't just try to get over that." Anna countered matter of factly.

She had a point.

I shrugged. "I can't figure him out — so I guess I'm done questioning this whole thing. I'm trying to accept it and move on."

"Sounds like hell." she murmured and I laughed in agreement.

It was incredibly difficult to pretend to not care about his new relationship, but I've always been good at suppressing my feelings for him.

"I think I'm going home for Thanksgiving." I said out of nowhere. The thought crossed me so suddenly, and I missed my parents a lot.

"Really?" she gasped. "Thank god."

"I guess I should start packing my stuff. I need to call my Dad and arrange flight pickups."

~~~

When the plane landed in Tennessee, I felt instantly at peace. I retrieved my luggage and found my parents waiting for me outside of the gate.

Dylan was with them.

"You're home!" Mom cheered and hugged me tightly. "We were missing you so much."

I warmly smiled. "I missed you guys too."

We drove home and I went to unpack some things in my room. I threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and then heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Dylan made his way into my room wordlessly.

"Hi." I said. "Do you need something?"

He gave a very Dylan-like shrug and plopped down in my desk chair. "No. I'm just bored."

I blinked as he started spinning around in circles in the chair like an idiot. All I could see was a blur because of how fast he was spinning.

"What do you want?"

He stared at me. "I want your wallet."

"No. What makes you think I have money?"

"You always have money." he shot back. "Plus you have a boyfriend who buys everything for you. That's a privilege that not everyone has, Madison."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

He started laughing at my response and then shook his head. "Right. I forgot that Devin can't commit to one woman."

"He has a girlfriend?" I replied, and Dylan's expression changed.

He turned in the chair to face me.
"And it's not you, is it?"

I stared at him wordlessly. The fact that he involved himself in my life pissed me off. He wanted to be in control of everything.

Dylan sighed. "Who's the girl?"

"Doesn't matter." I muttered.

He looked at me with one eyebrow raised, and then cleared his throat before grabbing my phone. He typed my password in with ease, and then opened Devin's instagram. I'm guessing him and Dylan don't follow each other anymore.

"Jessica Burgess? Why would he- Oh.... God, she's hot."

"Yeah." I nodded. "She is."

Dylan flipped through her Instagram, observing everything about her.

"You're being weird." I commented while grabbing my phone from his hands. "Stop."

He handed the phone back to me carelessly.
"Madison, I know you want me to find out about her dark secrets, but I'm not close with Devin like I used to be."

"That's your own fault."

Dylan sat there for a second, and then he grabbed his phone and dialed Devin's number. I gave him a concerned glare as he put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?" Devin answered in a confused way.

Dylan smiled to himself.
"Do you want to lick my balls?"

"Maybe."

Dylan hung up on him, and started laughing hysterically. I was so unbelievably confused by both of them. They haven't spoken a word to each other in 2 years, and they just suddenly pick up where they left off like it's nothing.

"Is this how you make up with him?" I chuckled in disbelief.

Dylan shrugged. "Who knows."

"You should call him back and have an actual conversation with him." I suggested.

He stared at his phone and shrugged.
"I guess it won't hurt."

~~~

HE'S BACKKKKKKK i've been waiting for this part for so long. also sorry this is a little bit of a filler!