slow down ➳ 이희승

𖥻 chapter twenty eight

"pick a side."

꒰🏁꒱

"hey, can i talk to you for a sec?"

"sure!" nora offers ava a smile before closing the door behind her, leaving the two all alone in her bedroom. jake & lydia errupt in a fit of loud laughter, causing the two girls to smile as nora takes a seat beside her.

"be careful, he's got the charms. he'll snatch her away from you one day or another." ava comments with a giggle, receiving a light scoff from nora.

"first, she's lesbian. second, she's very loyal. third, he's currently into milfs." she sighs. "he's almost twenty and has dated more women than all thirteen racers together. waiting for the day a cute, down-to-earth girl changes him."

"let's manifest for jake's own fanfic story." ava breathes out, connecting the tips of her fingers & placing her hands on her knees. "oh universe─"

"enough of jake, i said i'm here to talk to you." nora suddenly cuts her off & turns her body so that it's facing her. "ooookay? what's it?"

"about the interview." the older says & sits up straight, tapping her fingers on her thigh. "what about the interview?" the other asks, confused yet intrigued. "don't tell me that the pimple could be seen!" she gasps after a second, hands cupping her cheeks in despair. "noo~"

"if anything, the pimple was the least worst thing about it." nora comments with a light nod, causing her laugh to be cut short. the least worst thing?

"how is that? i've been checking the comments on every social media the video was posted. the only negative ones came from white men in their late fourties who just can't accept a woman putting a man in his place! there's this one thread on twitter that was fucking hilarious. wait let me─"

"it's not about the comments ava."

"it's about heeseung."

ava lets go of her phone and glares at her friend, shaking her head. "...what about him?" she asks, as nora bites on her inner cheeks, and ava knows that it's a sign of awkwardness.

"jake told me that he started smoking, and his drinking habits now include vodka. heeseung never touched cigs & alcohol before." she emphasizes and throws a quick glance at the brunette. "and all of that after your interview."

ava subtly nods, lips puckered as she looks at the curly haired with a hint of disgust. "sooo... am i supposed to feel bad?" she questions, receiving a look from nora, as if saying 'it's serious'.

"c'mon nora, he's been a dick to me. i don't buy his i-like-you bullshit either. you yourself said that he's a fuckass!" the brunette insists, growing angry & frustrated with this conversation. him smoking & drinking doesn't affect her in a way ─ besides, it's his choice.

"that is, before he took care of you when you had a breakdown, listened to you and comforted you, called you baby and made love to you instead of treating you like some cumsock, left katana mizuki, the sexiest woman i've seen in the entirety of my life for you, and didn't give up for two months just to apologize!"

nora snaps, fixing some stray strands of hair right after she finishes. "dang, that was a lot for one breath. but you get the point." she adds, shaking her pointer in front of the girl's face. ava catches it midway and puts it down.

"okay so, first things first, did you just put katana before me? and second of all, this psycho was after me because i fucked jay! not because he wanted to apologize!" she says, suddenly the air in the room growing thicker.

"look, katana is sexy, and you're cute. but that's not the fucking point, ava!" she suddenly raises her voice causing the girl to flinch. "jake told him about jay the night he came to you, he had absolutely no idea about it! he really wanted to apologize to you!"

"and he had no reason to apologize at all, because he did nothing wrong! all of that because you were stubborn & didn't let him explain himself!"

there's silence for a few moments, as nora shoves her face in her hands and harshly rubs. "look...i don't put you on the blame, kay? but you did some shit that contributed to the whole mess."

"had you let him explain himself that night, he wouldn't have turned into a fucking beer can himself." she says & puts a hand on the brunette's back, patting it ever so softly ─ only for ava to shake it off and stand up.

"are you siding with him?" she asks, eyes spitting fire as she balls her fists. she feels betrayed. by her, by jake, by almost everyone. but mostly by them. how can they still side with him, after all the humiliation & pain she's went through cause of him?

"you know me ava, i never take sides. i'm only stating facts. he did his part & you did your part. you both fucked up, but he tried to make an effort and you threw him off." she explains, standing up as well and approaching the raged girl.

"why don't you give him a chance?"

a chance? chance to what? to lie on her face? to explain the obvious? to hurt her more? he doesn't deserve a single chance.

besides, what does the interview have to do with the whole thing? obviously, her words affected him, but so did his. yet, no one stood up for her ─ maybe jake, but that out of pity.

"i won't. i really won't. since this bitch came into my life, i've been struggling more. i don't care if he does drugs and drinks for the rest of his life. when he publicly humiliated me ─ that being twice ─ he never apologized. why do i have to do that?"

"it's different now! he cares for you!" nora insists and ava throws her head back with a boisterous laugh ─ jake and lydia now pause their uno game just to have a better listen.

"that's fucking bullshit! and what if he cares? i don't care! let it be the reason he hates me again. life was way easier when his feelings weren't involved anyway."

nora's head leans on her chest, a sigh escaping her lips. "can you just... do it as ava and not as a way to apologize? you know, comfort him, like you've done with other people struggling."

"i─" she starts, arms crossed over her chest. "pulling the nice person card is not fair! don't make me feel guilty. i really don't want to be around him in any way right now."

"it doesn't have to be right now, take it easy." nora explains & walks up to her with open arms. "come 'ere." she coos, and ava hesitates, before immersing herself in the warmth of her hug.

"i know it's hard and all love, but... at least do it for his sake. save him from himself." she says, patting her back in a repetitive manner. "before it's too late."

ava nods with her head supported on her shoulder, slowly closing her eyes as she enjoys this intimate moment ─ it's been a while since the two spent any time together, even if the subject of their conversation wasn't what she desired.

confront him, then you're done.