We Were Strangers| Completed

part 30

The music was blaring loudly. The bass echoed off the walls and throughout the house. It was some random person's house that we had filled up and swarmed every inch of.

It was a celebration of Emerson's successful win, so music was played, people danced, and most of all, people drank.

"Here." I looked up, meeting Tory's eyes as she handed me a red plastic cup.

She sipped from her cup, chugging the contents and making a sour face, which she quickly replaced with a smile.

"It's full." She yelled in my ear, but the music and all the other people talking over each other made it so that I could hardly hear what she was saying. Her words were a jumbled mess. Somewhere in between talking about the soccer game and a bit of work, we made our way out of the kitchen and into the living room, passing by people who huddled around in big groups.

We finally approached Enzo, who was leaning against the wall, holding a bottle of beer to his lips, taking a swig, and letting the bottle drop as we approached.

"Where's Mason?" Tory asked, her eyes darting around and toward the couch, which we were standing next to. I did the same thing, looking around for Mason. My gaze scanned the room, and it wasn't until I looked across to the side of the front door that I noticed the brown-haired boy and some girl, both intertwined as they clung to one another, lips connected.

I took a deep breath as they parted, realizing it wasn't him but some random couple.

I let out a long breath. Why was I relieved?

"Wait, isn't that Nico?" Tory's voice rang out loudly as she tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention. I noticed what she was looking at as I looked at her.

I recognized him right away. He was dressed in a navy shirt and dark jeans. When I saw him, my heart dropped—not because he was looking at me, but because he was looking deeply into my eyes. All the while, a girl clung to him, trailing kisses on his neck back up to his lips.

Looking away, I felt a pit in my stomach.

"What's going on?" Tory asked, her mouth gaping open in surprise as she looked at me for an answer.

"We..." I paused. "Broke up."

A hand flew to her mouth, covering the loud gasp that had erupted. "What!" said a second voice, this time from Enzo, who raised an eyebrow.

"It's over? "He asked hesitantly, and when I nodded, he quickly tried to hide a small smile by bringing his beer bottle to his lips and taking a sip.

 "Wow," Tory trailed off with a pout.

I forced a smile at her. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom." 

They both exchanged glances before nodding. I turned around and handed her my unfinished drink. I looked over, expecting to see Nico, but he was gone. Forget him. I shook it off and walked over to the bathroom, passing the stairs and seeing Nico and the girl at the top.

I knew that ending our deal meant still having to act as if the relationship was real and that the breakup really "hurt," but the strange thing was that it wasn't an act; I felt the cracks in my heart shatter into pieces as they desperately kissed and finally faded away from my field of vision.

I took a gulp and walked over to the bathroom, locking the door behind me as I glanced at my appearance in the mirror, especially my now smudged mascara and teary-eyed self.

I knelt forward, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water all over my face.

My brain was slowly filled with memories as I turned to look up at the mirror, from the moment I cracked his phone to the moment he jumped into my room and proposed this stupid plan, and to the end of it all. Why was I fucking crying?

As I fought my brain, denying what I knew, the truth won, and I finally accepted my sudden realization. I had feelings for Nico.