let me down slowly - wilbur soot

chapter 49- slow down

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wilbur's pov

it's been forty-two hours, two minutes, and sixteen seconds since aubrey hung up on me.

i'm pacing around my kitchen with my phone on the counter as i wait for her to call.

i look pathetic.

right before i'm about to stop dancing circles around my phone, it starts ringing, and i zoom to the counter and pick it up.

incoming call: niki!!! :)

i exhale quickly and my heart slows down.

"niki?" i ask as i answer her call. "did you talk to aubrey? how is she? is she ignoring me? did something happen?"

"slow down," niki says. "i'm taking this as she hasn't called yet?"

"no. not yet. did she answer you?"

"yes."

my eyes grow wide.

"what did she say? why is she ignoring me?"

"please! slow down!" niki groans. "i'm not going to be the one to tell you anything. that's aubrey's business to tell you. but she's not mad at you. or upset with you. if that eases your soul at all."

i let out a huge sigh of relief.

"it does. it eases my soul a lot."

"i'm glad. but she's okay, just-"

my phone starts vibrating against my ear.

"hold that thought, i'm getting a call." i bring the phone down and check who's calling.

incoming call: aub-dawg

she's calling me.

after forty-two hours, four minutes, and nine seconds, she's calling me.

"niki, i'm sorry, i got to go. aubrey's calling," i say, not wanting to keep aubrey waiting any longer.

"of course, i hope everything goes well," niki replies kindly. "bye!"

"see ya."

i hang up and immediately answer aubrey's call.

"aubrey!" i exclaim. i immediately regret that. i sound way too enthusiastic.

"wilbur," aubrey says softly but happily. "i'm so sorry i didn't call back immediately, i-"

"please don't apologize. it's okay. i'm okay. are you okay?"

why am i so nervous?

aubrey giggles slightly.

"i'm... fine," she replies.

"no you're not. niki told me that when a girl says she's fine, she's not actually fine."

aubrey clicks her tongue.

"you sure have your way with women, don't you?" she jokes.

"of course. they don't call me wilbur heartthrob soot for nothing," i reply smugly.

"there's no way anyone calls you that."

"you're right. no one calls me that. but you can be the first."

"i'll pass." aubrey pauses for a second. "alex and i broke up."

...

WHAT?