let me down slowly - wilbur soot

chapter 65- incoming call

(A/N hello yes this is a republish because i accidentally deleted the original. i'm so dumb. anyway on with the story)

my hands start involuntarily shaking as i open my messaging app. everything was going so perfect that i completely forgot about quackity.

alex quackity

can we talk? (4:00 pm)

i contemplate completely ignoring quackity, but my fingers seem to have a mind of their own.

wilbur soot

about what? (4:01 pm)

alex quackity

a lot of things (4:01 pm)

wilbur soot

sure we can (4:01 pm)

i anxiously await another text, until my phone starts ringing

incoming call: alex quackity

my mind starts racing as a multitude of curse words fill my thoughts. i didn't expect him to call!

before i can bring myself to regret it, i hit the green button and answer his call. i take a deep breath before bringing my phone to my ear.

"hello?" i say, attempting to keep my voice steady.

"hey," quackity responds calmly. "i just wanna talk, if that's okay?"

"mhm. go ahead."

"well..." quackity's tone is apprehensive and nervous, which confuses me. it's a tone i haven't really ever heard him use. "i kinda watched your stream."

"okay..?"

"you've been getting very close with aubrey, yeah?"

"yeah."

i bite my bottom lip as i continue with my dry, sharp responses.

"i heard a lot of things on that stream. are you guys dating?"

"no."

"well, is there anything between you two?"

"i don't know."

quackity sighs and laughs in disbelief on the other side of the phone.

"come on, wilbur. you gotta help me out here, man," he pleads with me. "i know i was an asshole last time we talked, but i really need some closure right now."

"i'm telling you what i know. it's not my fault you're asking me a bunch of short answer questions," i reply sharply.

"well, i really want to talk to aubrey. apologize to her. i wasn't very kind to her when we broke up."

"not very kind? that's an understatement."

quackity pauses for a moment.

"she told you?" he asks hesitantly.

"she told me," i confirm.

"of course she did..."

there's a long awkward silence. i start to consider things i can say to hang up and get me out of this awkward situation, but then quackity speaks up again.

"i still love her, wilbur. i want to talk to her and ask her to take me back. but i needed to see if you guys were in a relationship before anything."

"woah woah woah," i say. "i think you need to dial it back a bit. you hurt her, big q. i don't think proclaiming your love for her after breaking her heart is a good idea."

"then what is a good idea?"

i sigh slowly as i start fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

"let her go."

"excuse me?"

"if you truly love her, then give her space. give her time. give yourself time. you saw what loving each other did to your relationship. i honestly think you should wait a while, then reach out and apologize and ask to be friends. i wouldn't advise you to ask her to get back together with you."

quackity doesn't speak for a moment, and all i can hear on the other side of the phone is heavy breathing.

"what the hell..." quackity exhales after a long time. "why is this happening?"

"can i tell you something?" i ask.

"i guess."

"i genuinely think that it isn't necessarily aubrey you miss, but you miss the reassurance and comfort she gave you. you miss the relationship you had with her more than you actually miss her."

quackity takes in my words and lets out a quiet "mhm."

"i hate it when you're right, you know that?"

i grin.

"i'm always right."

"unfortunately."

we pause for a while before he hesitantly speaks again.

"wilbur?" he asks.

"yes?" i respond.

"can you please answer what i'm about to ask you honestly?"

"i'll try."

"are you in love with her?"

my eyes widen and i rub the back of my neck.

"i feel like this is a rhetorical question."

"it might be."

i smile as i can hear a happier tone in quackity's voice. though we've had our fights, and we were in love with the same girl at the same time, we were once close friends. i miss the relationship i had with him, just like how he misses the relationship he had with aubrey.

so i choose to trust him.

"yes. i love her," i answer honestly.

quackity lets out a slight laugh as he hears my answer.

"i knew it. you denied it the first time i brought it up but i knew you were lying."

"i wasn't really lying. i was just in denial."

quackity and i both laugh at my comment, and i can't help but get a warm feeling inside. i didn't think i would ever genuinely laugh with him ever again.

"i'm sorry, wilbur. i was really awful to you. i was honestly just jealous because i could tell aubrey really liked you. but that doesn't excuse my behavior."

i smile as i listen to quackity's apology. i can tell he means it.

or at least, i think he does.

"i forgive you, alex. and i'm sorry if i did anything to hurt you and aubrey's relationship. lets just put this all behind us, okay?"

"okay."

(A/N quackity redemption arc?? how do we feel about this? do we trust him? or are we still suspicious and think he has ulterior motives? hmmm! let me know your thoughts in the comments ;) also make sure to vote and share the story!! thank you very much for reading! i hope you're enjoying this insanely slow slowburn... lol i love you guys have a great day <3)