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

Chapter 40

2,269 words. Read slow my loves for this is the last chapter ♡♡♡♡

Joey's P.O.V.

Preston left to go to the store. I haven't stopped crying in what feels like a year. And my soul feels like it is lifting out of my body. What I thought would be a happy ending turned into one big mess.

What the hell was going through my head when I forgave Preston and not Daniel? Daniel didn't intentionally cheat on me. But Preston did. Why was I so fucking blind and didn't accept the truth?

He promised. He fucking promised. Daniel said he would never give up. He told me that back when I didn't think I could ever love him again. But it took time to heal from what he put me through. I'm all put back together now.

Everything was my fault honestly. I told him yesterday to give me a reason to hate him. But I didn't think he would actually do it. I thought he would hug me and tell me everything would be okay. Oh how I miss the feeling of his soft lips against mine, the warm feeling I got everytime he hugged me. But I fucked that up. I was stupid and now I have to pay the price.

I put the bracelet he gave me back on his wrist, his right wrist. The wrist he cut seven times and the same wrist I cut seven times. What I wanted was for him to have something to prove that I love him. I never threw it out. I kept it all this time. Through all the fights and the arguing and the tears, I kept it. Because the one thing that has kept me sane through this god damn freak show was him.

I thought I didn't have to say I love you to say I love you. I just wanted to sleep next to him. I wanted him to tell me all the things that make him feel at ease. I wanted to forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons. I wanted to sleep next to him. I want Daniel. My boyfriend. The love of my life. The guy who never failed to make me feel lile one in a million.

"Joey?" I hear Preston whisper as he comes in the front door. I'm laying face down on the couch with my tears staining my cheeks.
"Yeah?" I say without lifting my head up. I really don't want anyone to see me like this. My eyes are blood shot and swollen, my hair is messier than usual, and i'm broken.
"I think you'll be happy if you just look up," he says in a very serious tone. I lift my head up and look towards the door.
"Dan-" I say but that is all I can get out because the fact that he is back shocked me. He's standing here.
"Joey," Daniel says walking towards me. I stand up from the couch and he stands infront of me, our faces inches apart.
"I-I thoug-thought you didn't love me?" I say through sniffles that I can somehow manage to get out.
"I could never hate you, Joey. I thought you wanted to be done with all of this. I thought you were tired of being hurt by me. So, I told you I didn't love you to set you free. But the truth is, i'm nothing without you. If I can't live every second of my life loving you then I don't want to live it," Daniel says. It wasn't that long but my mind slowed it down and it sounded like it went on forever. We are finally on the same page. We finally made it.
"I love you so fucking much, Daniel. Thank you for everything you have showed me and for everything you have taught me. I wouldn't be the stubborn pain in the ass if it weren't for you," I say with a little smile.

I tilt my head down becausd I begin to blush. Daniel places two fingers under my chin and lifts my head to make me look him in the eyes.
"All this time and I can still make you blush? I love you," he says. And then it happens. Daniel slowly leans in and connects our lips. I wrap my arms around his neck and he puts his on both sides of my face. He licks my bottom lip and I am too hungry for this kiss to make him fight for it. His tongue explores the familiar territory in my mouth before we both pull away and rest our heads on eachother's forehead.
"I'm gonna go," Preston says and walks out the door.

"We did it. We walked through hell and now we get to live in heaven," Daniel says, his face lighting up more than i've ever seen in over a year. He had a cloud over him and after these last fifteen minutes, it's gone. He's happy, we're happy.
"Even if we couldn't have found heaven, I would have found a way to walk through hell with you," I say leaning my head on his shoulders.