let me down slowly - wilbur soot

chapter 48- care

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aubrey's pov

as i lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, my phone rings suddenly. i groan. ignoring wilbur hurts, and i'd give anything to answer his call. to hear his voice, his comforting, soothing, voice...

but i shouldn't. not for a while.

i check my phone and see who's calling

incoming call: niki nihachu <3

my eyes widen. niki?

i haven't spoken to her in so long, what could she possibly need from me?

i immediately answer and bring the phone to my ear. i clear my throat as much as possible.

"niki?" i ask, begging my voice not to break and for tears to not flow down my face. "it's been a minute, how are you?"

"i'm well!" niki replies cheerfully. "but how are you?"

"also well, thanks for asking."

the line goes silent.

i'm such a bad liar.

"what's going on?" niki asks.

"quackity and i broke up."

i cringe after laying everything in front of her so quickly.

i can hear niki gasp and i let myself start crying again.

"aubrey!" panic arises in niki's voice. "i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to pry. i just-"

"i'm not crying because of you," i say through a sniffle, wiping my running mascara. "i... i really needed someone to talk to. i appreciate you a lot, truthfully. it's just, alex hurt me a lot, and the boy i was with before him hurt me a lot... and..."

i choke on my sobs and stop talking. niki mumbles a bit and lets me rant.

"may i ask... and please tell me if i'm pushing my boundaries... what did they do to you?"

"well, alex was just always kind of controlling of me. never wanted me to talk to other boys, and when he broke up he was being really... manipulative? but he's been my friend for so long, so i ignored all the red flags. i've always known him as this sweet, funny, caring person. and now i've seen a side to him i didn't think existed."

i slightly laugh as i cry. probably out of embarrassment that i'm sharing this much.

"and the other boy? would you be comfortable telling me about him?" niki asks sweetly. "this stays strictly between you and me, by the way. i won't tell a soul. and i heard that telling people how you feel helps you feel better."

and i believe her.

so i tell her everything.

the good, the bad, and the ugly.

all of it.

and when i'm done, niki doesn't talk for a few seconds, and i'm worried that i overshared.

what if she hates me and doesn't want anything to do with me anymore? what if she realizes that i've been hurt so many times that i'm so close to being pushed over the edge and breaking?

i roll my eyes at my subconscious thoughts.

i'm overthinking. 

as per usual.

"i'm honestly just trying to figure out what to say," niki says suddenly. "i know saying sorry doesn't really help, but aubrey. i'm so sorry. you didn't deserve to go through that. i'm so proud of you for staying strong. i'm sure it's difficult." i nod grimly.

"it is."

"well, at least they're both out of your life now. you have so many people that care about you. like me, tommy, tubbo, and wilbur. especially wilbur."

my heart rate picks up.

"what do you mean 'especially wilbur?'" i ask as i sit up in bed.

"the reason i'm calling is because he told me you weren't calling him back. he was worried. and he's told me a lot about you. i can tell he really admires you."

a light blush spreads across my face.

"really?"

"really."

"i should call him back, shouldn't i? god, i can't believe i tried distancing myself for a day. i just thought it would be better for me-"

"you can call him tomorrow?" niki suggests. "sleep on everything. you'll feel better in the morning."

i get out of bed and check the clock. it's almost 5 pm. i haven't eaten all day, and i haven't taken a shower. but i have time to do all of that, then get a healthy amount of sleep.

"i'll do that," i reply, getting out of bed and putting my feet on the cold wood floors. "thank you so much, niki. for everything. for checking on me, for letting me rant, for the advice... i'm really glad i met you."

"anytime, aubrey. i'm always here for you."

"i'm gonna go now, i need to take care of some things."

"okay! i love you, talk soon."

"love you too, bye."

i hang up and for the first time all day, i smile.

a small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

(A/N y'all it hurts so much having aubrey go through this pain omg :'( but it's for the plot!! ugh whatever. ANYWAY! thank you guys for reading :DD it would be cool if you could vote, comment, share, and add this to your reading lists!! ik i say that all the time but it really helps out. THANKS ILY BYE HAVE A GREAT DAY <33)