𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐃, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 | 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐨

chapter eight; at long last

꒰꒰・┄┄・𓆩♡𓆪・┄┄・꒱꒱

"YOU BROKE UP?" Summer freezes under Steve's gaze, unable to process what he had just told her. All Summer had wanted for the past year was to have her best friend back, and now that he was standing in front of her with open arms, she wasn't exactly sure how to react. "Is that why you rushed out of the party?" She purses her lips and wraps her arms around herself.

"We got into an argument, and it got pretty heated, then before I know it, she's admitting that she never... uh..." Steve trails off, heaving a sigh.

"She never what?"

"She never... loved... me." He lets out a hollow laugh. "I don't even know why I care. It's not like our relationship was going anywhere, we both knew that. And I think that at the end of it all we were just holding onto each other for the sake of not being alone."

"I know what you mean. It's hard being alone." Summer shrugs, thinking about the time she had spent in Chicago, and how for the most of it, she felt more alone than ever. She then reflects over the events of the past few days and the horrible decisions she had already made since being back in Hawkins. "I think that the only reason I went with Billy to that stupid party tonight was because for the first time, in a long time, someone was giving me attention and I liked it. But look where that landed me."

"Summer, if..."

"It's okay. This was my doing. I'm the one that put myself in that situation when I should've listened to everyone around me to be careful."

"That doesn't excuse what he did to you."

"I know, but at the end of the day, everyone just wants to feel loved. To have some sort of connection with another person."

"Maybe some of us don't deserve to be loved?" Steve's brows meet in the middle and it only takes Summer a second to realise that he was referring to himself.

"Don't say that. Everyone deserves to be loved, others to an extent, but always loved." Summer's voice is soft as she speaks and her words leave them in a short silence.

"You wanna know what the worst part of my night was?" His eyes remain on the floor in front of him as he fiddles with the sleeve of his suit jacket. "It wasn't the part where my girlfriend admitted she no longer loved me and we broke up, or that Billy showed me up and made me look like a fool in front of everyone. It was the moment I saw him walk into that house with you on his arm," It was hard to see in the dimly lit room, but Summer could still make out the defined lines of Steve's now tensed jaw. The reminder of the night makes her wince with guilt as rage seethes through his face. "Seeing you with him and the way he was all over you... it crushed me."

"Steve..."

"But you wanna know what else really sucks?" Summer opens her mouth to answer, but he cuts her off before she can get a word in. "That I lost everything to be with Nancy and this is how things end." He presses a fist to the centre of his forehead out of frustration.