'i bet if i give all my love,
then nothing's gonna tear us apart'
a habit of looking for love in the wrong people; everyone knows aubrey can't keep a woman.
everyone knows he has such a habit of kiss and tell, everyone knows he keeps getting h...
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"i think...we should be friends," airie answered as she looked over at landon from the garden table, stirring her drink with her straw. "i had fun, really, but...there's a lot going on for me right now and i don't want to drag you on," she finished, breaking her gaze from his and looking down at her cup. he shook his head and reached over to rest his hand on hers, airie looking up as he rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. "it's no worries. i figured this was coming, but i didn't want to press it out of you," he paused to shift in his seat, giving her a gentle smile. "i wanted you to come to me about it when you were ready. i'm always here for you."
"you- really?" she asked as she looked at him, raising her eyebrows up a bit and pursing her lips. she wasn't expecting him to be so...calm, about it. maybe because she was so used to always having to deal with blow-back and theatrics, but he actually...respected her decision. he respected her choice, to not be with him. he was gentle in the way he talked to her, gentle in the way he held her hand. he gave her a look that restarted those butterflies in her stomach and she sighed softly through her nose. he lifted their hands and kissed the inside of her wrist.
"anytime you need anything, ever, you can call me, text me, whatever. just because us, together, didn't work out, doesn't mean that i'll push you away. don't ever think i'm not a phone call away."
"you know," airie started as she held his hand, looking from their hands and up to him, "same. i'm always here when you need me, okay? if you need anything, ever, i'm here for you."
as airie sat in her car after their meeting, she exhaled slowly; she'd never had someone comfortably respect her decision like that, other than aubrey. she'd never had someone take her word as for what it was, and continue to treat her like a human being like that, other than aubrey. landon was comfortable with their decision, a happy mutual decision, and respected her even if he still wanted to be with her. she leaned her cheek in her palm as she grabbed her phone out of her purse, scrolling through her messages; she had a few unread ones from the group chat, one from her mom, a few from her brother, and just as she prepared to tap on the thread with armond, a text pinged in from aubrey.
'from: aubrey hey, you doing alright today?'
she pursed her lips as she looked at the message; it was a string of all the ones he'd sent where she had yet to respond to him. besides, after the baby shower, she was scared to talk to him -- she'd let landon down without a reason, but couldn't quite come to terms why. she knew she'd let him down for aubrey, but she was acting like a chicken when it came to talking to him. she didn't know what to say to him, but what she did know, is that she wanted to be with him again. she wanted to give them one last go, but the way it wasn't connecting in her head was getting to her. in a moment of pure nerves, she turned her car on and began down the highway to his house.
as she drove, she felt her face get hot, and a burning sensation in her eyes; was she about to cry? and if she was, why? she smoothed a hand over her hair before moving a hand to wipe her face as a few tears trickled from her eyes and over her cheeks as she drove to his house. she couldn't remember the last time a person made her this emotional over them, and at times, she wished she couldn't feel anything -- she wished she couldn't feel all the things she felt for him, all the things she wanted to feel for him. she felt like she was losing her mind, and as much as she wanted to hate him -- she couldn't.
