never alone

[eleven]

there were eleven seconds until the end of the game. the home team was already winning, but with scouts watching seth needed to get this touchdown.

the whistle blew and roman yelled "hut!" before he caught the ball and threw it down to seth. he caught and ran the last six yards untouched as he ran straight through the end zone. the team chased after him cheering as they had beaten the 'untouchable' owls.

sasha heard the cheering all the way from her apartment. the entire campus was celebrating. she wished she had been there for seth's big moment, part of her even hated herself for being so selfish the past week.

she had told her teacher's she had the stomach bug and was able to class online. she hadn't talked to anyone the whole week, but none of that mattered. she hadn't talked to seth for a whole week. she missed his big game. she ignored his knocks every night. she ignored all of his texts and calls.

she cried every night as her mom's words played in her head. "go die." not one onze of sleep.

she couldn't shake the feeling of being unwanted, but with seth she knew was wanted. she knew he liked her as much as she liked him. she knew he genuinely cared for her and she shut him out.

she looked at the clock, it was eleven o'clock. she sighed as she tied her hair up. she pulled gray, baggy track pants up and zipped up her fuzzy, black sweater before heading out to seth's house.

she walked very slow. she didn't know what she was going to say. he probably didn't even wanna see her. tears filled her eyes at the thought.

sasha soon arrived at his door. she stared at the dark brown oak. she didn't wanna knock. she looked around to see it was pitch black. she looked at the time, it was almost one o'clock in the morning. she sighed as she knocked on his door. tears filled her eyes when she heard his feet hit the floor as he walked towards the door.

the door swung open to reveal a shirtless, tired seth. he rubbed his eyes as he looked at her. a frown immediately found it's way onto his face.

seth observed her state. she had dark eye bags around her bloodshot eyes. she was very pale, which meant she hadn't been eating and his heart broke. she opened her mouth to speak, but a tear fell down her cheek instead.

he pulled her into a hug as he wrapped his arms around her neck tightly. she quickly wrapped her arms around his torso as she sobbed into his chest. he pulled her into the house and locked the door.

"i-i wasn't there for you." she mumbled into his chest. "i am so sorry i let you down." she said as she sobbed. his heart broke. she hadn't let him down. she could never let him down.

"no." he said as he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "you didn't. i'm just glad your okay." he added before planting a kiss on her forehead.

more tears poured out of her eyes as he interlocked their fingers. "calm down, baby. everything's okay. i'm going to make you some tea and we're gonna talk. okay?"

"okay." she said quietly as he lead her to the bar stool in his kitchen. she sat down on it as he boiled the water. they sat in silence until he fully prepared the tea and sat down diagonally from her.

"what happened?"

"my mom called. boy does she hate me." she said with a sad chuckle. she wiped her tears before looking down into her cup. "it's always been like this, she always hated me."

"don't say that."

"it's true." she said before she went silent. she decided it was time for seth to hear her story. "when i was younger it was me, my dad and of course my mom. we lived on his ranch, he loved that ranch so much. i had a good life back then. i was seven with no worries. i was a daddy's girl, i loved my dad with my whole heart, he showed me what real love was."

"i'm glad." seth said as he listened to her story.

"that made my mom mad. she was jealous that he loved me more than her, so she started to resent me. every chance she got she would hit me or humiliate me. dad told me it would stop one day." she paused with a sigh. she took a gulp as she told the next part of the story. "but, one day me and my dad were playing hide and go seek. i was hiding in the barn while he was counting outside. he opened his eyes and saw that the bedroom was on fire. he ran thinking i was in there. he uh, he never made it out." she explained as tears fell down her cheeks.

"sash, i am so sorry." seth sighed as he grabbed her hand and held it. she looked at him with a sad smile.

"s'okay." she said. "after that, my mom moved to the city and was furious that dad had died in the fire and not me. since i was eight years old, she would beat me, burn me with her cigarette buds until she got too drunk or too high to care anymore. i basically raised myself, but i hated myself also. everyday she reminded me that it was my fault my dad ran into that house. so when she called a week ago and said it, i let it get to me, i am so sorry."

"there's no need to be sorry. i promise you i wasn't mad, i was just worried. none of this is your fault. you didn't kill your father sasha, you hear me. that was just a really sad thing that happened, but i want you to know it wasn't your fault." he said as he planted a kiss on her hand. "not you fault even a little bit."

"thank you, seth."

"anytime." he says before pausing. maybe it was time he opened up about his past too. "when i was born, my mom passed away. she didn't even make it past child birth."

"oh my god, seth i am so sorry." sasha said as she looked over at him. she hated that he had been through never having a mom. she may have hated hers, but at least she had one.

"it's cool, but when my dad heard she died, he didn't stick around. he left me at the hospital. didn't even look at me." he explained before looking at sasha. she sighed as she caressed his cheek. "but, my grandfather raised me. in this beautiful house. he told me stories about my mother growing up and it almost feels like i did get to meet her."

"i'm glad that he was here for you. i wish i could've met him."

"me too, you would've loved him. he was just like me. i like to believe that i take after him. he died last year, sadly. i miss him everyday, but it's getting a little easier when i think of how much happier he probably is now that he's in heaven with my mom." seth explains as he stands up and takes sasha's hand. he pulls her into his body.

she looks up at him as he sadly smiles down at her.

"next time you ever feel like this, just talk to me okay. i understand hard ship and pain, okay. i understand the feeling of being unwanted. you are not alone, never." he says as he brings his lips down to hers. seth kisses her passionately before pulling away. "i am always here for you."

for the first time in a week, she smiled. she pulled him down for another kiss and for the first time in a what felt like a life time, she didn't feel alone.

she had him.

a/n quite long, sorry. hope y'all liked it