I Won't Give Up •The Substitute Teacher Sequel•

Chapter 26

Daniel's P.O.V.

4:30 roles around and I hear a knock at my door. I am excited to finally get to know the guy I fucked. You know, it kinda would be nice. But also, it will hurt because I know he was the start of why Joey and I broke up.

I fix my hair one more time and open the door with a huge smile on my face. A smile that fades rather quickly.

"Joey," I whisper as all my emotions flood to my head and I feel like i'm drowning.
"Daniel, I just needed to talk to yoy desperatley," I says searching my eyes for something to go off of. But honestly, every emotion I have right now is drained from my body.
"I really don't know what kind of sick, fucked up thing you're pulling. But I would like to know right now," I say stepping in enough where he would come in. No, I don't want him in my house. But I also don't want to be breaking down outside where my neighbors can clearly see.

"Daniel, I thought about everything. I thought about us. And you were right, I didn't want Preston. This whole time it was you. It always was you. I just had this wall built up because you were the only person who actually treated me right. I didn't know that what I had with you is what it is like to be in a healthy relationship," he says virtually in one breath. I just stand there, shaking, with anger running through my veins.
"So what you're saying is, I had to fight for you for over a year and you think just by saying sorry I will take you back?" I say running my hand through my hair.
"Daniel I thought you wanted to date me. I thought you wanted to be with me," Joey says beginning to have a hurt tone in his words.
"Joey, I had to sit there and have my heart broken more and more each and everday. And this was all because you were playing some stupid game," I say beginning to raise my voice at him because, at this point, i'm furious.
"Daniel no. You're not a game," he says with his typical 'don't yell' face.
"But that's what you're doing to me! You're rolling the dice and for some reason I end up loosing every time. So if you'll excuse me, I am going to go get coffee with Mr. Harden," I say pushing past him and grabbing my shoes. I know that Justin is supposed to pick me up. But I need some dramatic effect right now.
"You whore," Joey says to me. He just bold faced called me a whore. A fucking whore.
"You left me. You chose Preston. I'm all glued back together now. I make no apologies for how i chose to repair what you broke. You dont get to call me a whore," I say choking on tears tripping on skies.
"What I broke? What about what you broke?" He says walking closer and closer until we are inches from eachothers faces.
"You just stood there for a year. You just listened to everything I had to say whole-heartedly knowing you loved me, and you didn't say a word. You just let me pour my feelings to you while you ran off in the sunset with Preston, the other guy that broke you. Yes, we both hurt you. However, I was drunk. I had no intentions in having sex with him. Preston was completely sober. He did it willingly. I haven't had a drink since that night. And i'm sure Preston is out there right now fucking some other person. So, enjoy what you broke. Enjoy what you pushed yourself away from. Becayse the last time I checked, you didn't care about me anyways," I say grabbung the door handle, and luckily I see Justin's car in the driveway.
"I thought you wouldn't give up," Joey whispers.
"What?" I say turning around and facing him once more.
"I thought that you cared enough to fight for me til the end, til I figured everything out. But I guess that wasn't the case huh?" He says looking directly in my eyes the way he did before he would kiss me. The way he did before he would tell me he loved me.
"I guess once you keep pushing something for so long, eventually the fight is all used up. And that's what happened. I make no apologies for your own stupidity. Don't act like I didn't fight for you. I did. Hard. For a long time. So please forgive me if now that we are over i'm exhausted," I say and walk out the door.
"Can we talk later?" I hear Joey yell to me as I slam the door shut.

I could've taken him back right then and there. I could've held him like I used to, kissed him liked I used to, and just talked to him like I used to. But that was the past and this is the present. I'm just trying to protect my future.