Written in the Stars (W.I.P.)

Chapter 11

Dean
The memory of our talk in the car played on repeat in my head, over and over again.
"I can't deal with your issues anymore, Dean. You've been cheating on me with Rhys and I've found that I've come to like some other guys, too," he paused and avoided my gaze, staring down at his hand below mine on my thigh.
"What are you saying, Gage...?"
I knew what he was saying, I just didn't want to believe it until I heard it from his own mouth.
"I'm saying that we should break up, Dean. I can't do this anymore, and neither can you. I saw you out there with Rhys. That was love. What we have... it isn't nearly enough to match what you probably felt out there."
I then, in that moment, let myself believe it.
I didn't have a response for him, I didn't know what to say or do and I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"Every misread sign and every shallow breath reminds me of your problems, and I can't do this anymore."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my inhaler, touching my mouth to the device and holding down the button as I took in a sharp breath.
I felt like crushing it just then, and I had to put it back before I let my fiery temptations get to me.
"I understand." Was all I could manage to mutter as he pulled his hand out from under mine, and replaced it on top of it.
"Hey Dean," his voice broke as he said the words, squeezing my hand gently and looking me in the eyes again, "I love you."
I gazed into his bright green eyes and suddenly wanted to kiss him, so badly.
"I love you too."
My memory was cut off by a loud knock on the front door downstairs echoing throughout the house.
Even though I was always going somewhere, that didn't mean I ever had visitors at the house, like ever.
Only me, Julien, and Julien's current boyfriend are home, since Dorion moved out as soon as he turned eighteen this year and went to college with his fiancée, Docca Gordon.
Mom was always nowhere to be found, and father was probably off drinking at a bar with his friends.
Who knew where Skye ever was.
Probably skydiving or surfing or anything involving some form of a death wish.
I groaned and grabbed my phone, getting up and making my way down the stairs.
I walked toward the front door and gripped onto the door handle, pulling it open and gazing down at the person standing in front of me.
"Rhys." I said, keeping the surprised emotion limited in my tone.
"H-hi Dean..." He looked up at me, a spark of innocence in his hypnotizing, blue eyes.
I could get lost in them so quickly...
"So what's up? Is everything okay?" I shook my head, snapping out of my trance, and tried to focus on figuring out why he was here.
"Yes... everything's alright, but I actually came to ask you the same thing."
I contemplated telling him about last night with Gage, and I took a breath in and decided to go through with it.
"Gage broke up with me last night because, well, he can't deal with my issues, and he knows I like you." I surprised myself when I uttered those last three words.
I like you.
Rhys looked equally caught off guard as I felt, and his face turned a bright shade of red.
"I like you..." I repeated, my voice hushed down to a whisper this time.
"I like you too, Dean." Rhys muttered, taking a single step closer to me, so his nose was nearly touching my chin.
I longed for his lips on mine, and so did he, because his face inched ever so slightly toward mine, his eyes closing.
I placed my finger to his lips before they could touch against mine, and he opened his eyes, meeting my sapphire blue gaze.
"You're not taking advantage of my vulnerability that easily, Dawn boy." I muttered, sliding my finger from his lips down to his chest, to his abdomen, and lower.
He had surprisingly magnificent abs, I could feel them through his black dress shirt.
I couldn't picture Rhys working out.
He looked at me, his face going an even brighter shade of red as he was, quite obviously, seduced by my touch.
I slowly walked backward toward the couch and sat down, grabbing the remote and turning on the television, tapping onto Netflix when it came on.
"Do you think now's a good time to... chill and watch Netflix?"
I didn't phrase it how it should've been phrased, but we weren't really going to 'Netflix and chill'.
Rhys quickly composed himself, rolled his eyes, and sat down beside me, leaning on my shoulder as we sat.
"I hate how overly irresistible you are all the time, Silvers."
My heart rate spiked when he called me my last name instead of my first.
"Sometimes, I do too," I said.

Rhys
We sat and watched movies for hours and hours.
Dean told me that he had no idea when his parents would be home, so we eventually moved up to his room so I had time to hide if they got here soon.
We sat across from each other on his bed talking.
"How are you?" I asked, breaking a silence that stood between us for a couple minutes.
"I would be lying if I said that I was fine." He said, looking me in the eyes.
"Yeah... to be completely honest with you, me too." I met his gaze and just took a moment to get lost in his magnificent blue eyes, bathing in their everlasting beauty.
"Dean, can I kiss you?" I noticed how his eyes widened at my question, then slowly went back to normal as he regained his composure. "You don't have to say yes, but if it's no, please just say it. No avoiding it, no rambling, no wasting time. Just tell me no, if it's no."
He studied my face, and then gradually went lower and lower with his eyes, until I flinched back, and he met my gaze again.
"No, I'm sorry. I'm not ready," Dean said, a solemn tone in his voice that made me ache for him, "because if I do kiss you, I'm afraid that I won't ever want to stop. I'll want you and your painfully beautiful body every day and night of my life from then on. It happened to me once, and I don't want to put you through all of that again."
That was not what I had expected.
"I understand." I choked, not because I was hurt, but because I was caught off guard.
Dean Silvers caught me off guard.
He recognized the way that my eyes widened, and the way that I blushed so extremely that I felt like my face was on fire.
Dean knew me.
"Thank you for understanding." He muttered, his tone signaled he was in pain.
After a long silence, he looked me in the eyes and said, "Rhys... I still love you, and I long, body and soul, for you every day. I just want you to know that, and please don't forget it. I'm just not ready for any sort of relationship yet. It was only yesterday that Gage..." he trailed off after he choked the last words out, his voice breaking.
"I know, Dean," I whispered, meeting his eyes and savoring the feeling of just looking at him, "and I love you too."
I grabbed his hand and held it for a moment, closing my eyes and embracing this moment.
Embracing us.