𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 & 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦, 𝐦. 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨

¹⁵

hope woke up due to light shining brightly through her curtains and she groggily rubbed her eyes. she sat up in her bed before dramatically dropping back onto her back with an exasperated sigh.

it had been 3 days. 3 whole days without speaking to matt and just barely speaking to nick and chris. it seemed minor but ever since they found one another again, there wasn't a day that went by where they didn't speak. it might have been one small exchange back and forth or even a simple snap but what mattered was the mere fact that they were communicating. it felt like they were back to square one, longing for each other but not knowing how to fix anything or where to even begin.

hope knew she had overreacted a little and at the same time, matt knew he shouldn't have blamed her in the way he did. they both understood they could have dealt with it a lot more maturely yet here they were, avoiding the other in the hopes that a miracle would pass and any tension would disapparate immediately.

3 days wasn't a long time but when it came to the ache in their chests and the constant poundings in their heads, it sure felt like a long time. even the seconds seemed to drag on for ages as their thumbs hovered over their phone's keyboard, wishing they would be brave enough to send the message they had typed out over and over again. rewriting and erasing, rewriting and erasing and eventually caving. caving as they fell into the pit of doubt, minds swirling at the same prospect of uncertainty. they were unaware of what the outcome would be and if they were even allowed to apologise in the first place. it was foolish to say the least but didn't love make everyone foolish?

hope mindlessly picked up her phone from her bedside table and clicked the power button on, her eyes quickly scanning for a certain message from a certain person, but to no avail. she brushed the thoughts out of her mind and answered anyone else who had messaged her before grunting in frustration. she made a quick trip to the restroom and an even quicker one to her wardrobe before she decided she looked and felt satisfactory for the day.

she was spending the day with her small family anyway so she made her way downstairs and greeted her parents who despite their knowledge, offered her breakfast. hope never ate breakfast; she wasn't sure what it was but something about swallowing food at an ungodly hour made her stomach churn and even the thought alone made her feel nauseous.

she declined politely but still sat down at the table to join in on the conversation they were having about dylan's co-worker.

hope's jaw dropped open, "she's married? no way!"

"that's what i said! the woman is the physical embodiment of not marriage material," selena nodded her head furiously.

"that's not even all of it. she's married right but guess what? she had an affair with my boss' son, it all went down during the night shift," her dad prompted their shock.

simultaneous gasps occurred from the mother and daughter as they took in dylan's explanation. they glanced at each other with wide eyes before they burst out laughing.

they weren't sure what was funny. someone getting cheated on certainly wasn't but the absurdity of the situation was a little impossible to not laugh at. their laughter rang through the room and soon, dylan was laughing too. it took a while for them to collect themselves and a lot of scolding each other to shut up before they were moving on with the conversation.

"what are we eating today then?" selena asked as she rubbed her hands together in excitement.

hope's mum loved cooking all the way down to selecting the spices to watching it all come together. she would often try new dishes and hope loved helping her more than anything. hope's style was more baking but any opportunity she got to spend with her mum, she would take within seconds.