𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 ||The Sequel||

CHAPTER 34

Ariana

I drifted into a restless sleep on the way back to school. The music in my headphones wasn't helping me fall asleep or jog my memory about last night.

I've been through this before, where memories of a wild night out only hit me in the middle of the day or trickled in later at night. But no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't recall anything about what happened between Justin and me.

A whirlwind of emotions had taken over, settling in the pit of my stomach, making the bus ride pretty uncomfortable.

I felt a bit scared that Justin and I had taken things to the next level, not knowing if we'd been safe or not. The thought of an unplanned pregnancy terrified the shit out of me.

I also worried about how Tristan would react; I knew he might never forgive me, and this might be the end of us. But keeping it a secret felt even worse. I could only wait to remember what went down last night and confirm the truth.

Fear and anxiety kept me company throughout the bus ride, and I lost track of time. I kept replaying the moment I started making out with Justin in my mind, hoping a new memory would surface.

I'd wanted to forget everything for just one night and live in the moment, but I didn't mean to forget everything literally the next day.

Why was this happening to me?

The bus suddenly came to a halt, and people started getting off their seats. I glanced out the window and realized we were back at school.

It was a Saturday, and parents were waiting to pick up their kids in the school parking lot. I texted my parents an hour ago, but I couldn't spot them or their cars anywhere.

I turned around and took out my phone to call my Dad when I saw someone nearby.

Our eyes met instantly, and my heart skipped a beat in surprise. Tristan was standing by his car, looking at me. His arms were behind his back, holding something.

I walked towards him in confusion and surprise. His gaze softened, and a smile formed on his lips as I approached him.

"Hey," he greeted me softly, and I managed an awkward smile in return.

"Hey," I repeated, adjusting my duffel bag on my shoulder.

"Can we talk?" he asked, his eyes flickering nervously between mine.

"Um, I actually need to get home-"

"Oh, about that. I already spoke to your parents, and they're okay with me picking you up. So, I'm your ride home."

I blinked in surprise, crossing my arms instinctively.

"Okay," I said slowly.

Silence settled between us. I stared down at the ground, idly kicking small stones with my sneakers, waiting for him to break the silence.

I hadn't expected this conversation to happen so soon. I knew we needed to talk after I returned from cheer camp, but I hadn't anticipated it right after getting off the damn bus.

My thoughts were scattered, and facing Tristan and having this conversation was not what I had planned for the day.

I had thought about calling him and having this talk at school on Monday, giving myself the weekend to prepare mentally.

But since he was already here and wanted to talk, I supposed I had no choice but to go along with it.

"I got these for you," he said suddenly, revealing a small bouquet of roses hidden behind his back.

I looked up, surprised, and cracked a smile as I accepted them.

"I didn't know how else to do this or what to do to make things a little less tense. I know I said some really shitty things that day that might've hurt your feelings. So I'm really sorry."

I tore my gaze away from the bouquet and met his eyes, which were fixed on me. I could see the sincerity in his expression.

"I'm really sorry for everything. I know I messed up and I'm really trying to fix that."

He reached out and held my hand, letting out a small sigh.

"I love you, and I know I've fucked up before, causing us to drift apart. But I promise it won't happen again. You won't have to worry about anyone or anything else. You're the only one that matters to me, and I can't afford to lose you again."

My throat tightened as his words echoed in my mind. Tears welled up in my eyes, and a wave of emotions crashed over me.

I should have been the one saying sorry; I messed up. I was the one who threw away everything we had, not him.

Something happened last night that could shatter everything if I told him. I knew he wouldn't forgive me.

What do I do?

I pulled him close, holding him tightly. He hugged me back, and tears streamed down my face.

I couldn't confess, not now. He seemed so happy that we were getting back together, and I didn't want to ruin that.

Looking at it differently, maybe it didn't seem like cheating because we were on a break. But we both knew it wasn't the kind of break where we could see other people. We knew we'd be back together after I returned from cheer camp.

But I messed up.

I let myself believe we were officially over, and now that we're back together, it feels like I cheated, even though I'm not sure if I really did.

A/N

I hated this chapter. I don't know why but I just do. I'm not quite satisfied with what I wrote but we'll see how it goes.

Btw, I changed the character for Tristan and Josh. Some people were commenting on the first book how they didn't like the guy I chose to play as Tristan.

So after staring at the picture for some time, I was like....fuck it. I hate it too 😂 so I changed it and had to go on Pinterest to find some cuteeeee boys who probably don't know they're being used as fan cast on Wattpad. How sad.

You can check the fan cast chapter once again to see the new Tristan and Josh I've selected. I apologize if it annoys most of you because as a reader too, I know how frustrating and confusing it can be to picture someone else or someone new as a book character.

But hey! It's absolutely okay if you imagine someone else. No problem at all.

That's all for today's update. Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow.

Xo Lucy