Being The Player's Neighbour

Chapter 23 - That's Some Serious Poetic Shit

""Still the same lovely gentleman, I see."

"Still haven't lost the sarcasm, I see."

"Still haven't lost the inflated ego, I see."

"I love you."

"I love you too-
Oh my God, that was so unfair!"

"Hah. Gotchya!"

I sighed and hid my face in my hands.
How could I have let him trick me into admitting the truth that easily?
The guy had married me, then left me hanging for three whole years, broken my heart and given me more grief than anyone else on the planet and despite all that, I still loved him.
Pathetic, much?

"I've missed you." Aaron said softly, as he pried my hands away and entwined his fingers with mine.

I snorted and looked away before his chocolaty eyes could lure me in again.
"Almost every song on my first album is about you. Guess that's a good enough estimation of how much I missed you."

"I know. And...I'm sorry." He lifted my chin up, forcing me to meet his sincere gaze. "I don't regret my decision to leave, but I do regret the way I acted. I should have been more mature about it and tried to make it easier for you. I'm so sorry."

"We shouldn't be doing this, Aaron. You'll walk out that door and leave me- alone and heartbroken- in your wake...again." I whispered as tears slid down my cheeks.

My heart sank faster than a ship's anchor as I saw the sadness in his eyes.
I knew he was heartbroken too and seeing me in so much pain was killing him, but I also knew that things were most probably not going to change.

We both sat, leaning against the walls of that small room, in absolute silence for what felt like an eternity.
There was so much I wanted to tell him, but all the words sounded awkward and wrong in my head. There had never been such an uncomfortable silence between us before and the alien feeling was driving me insane.

It would be so much easier to slip off into la-la land, where none of this would be happening. In that parallel reality we'd be laughing and teasing each other, and goofing around like a couple reunited after three long years spent apart, instead of sitting stoically like a pair of idiots who kept glancing at each other every five seconds because they didn't know what to do next.

I was pulled out of my reverie by Aaron clearing his throat and as his eyes snapped up to meet mine, I saw a renewed determination in them.
"Move in with me."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Since we're already married, we've passed the 'marry me' stage. So I'm asking you to move in with me."

I shook my head uncertainly.
"I know how difficult I can be. I might end up making your life a living hell."

"I've put with you before and I can do it again." He rolled his eyes and gave me a flat look. "I'm serious, Avery. I really don't want to live another day without you. And now, seeing you after so long, I honestly don't think I can. I need you."

I really couldn't stop myself from smirking at his words.
"You just said you need me. The great Aaron Miller needs me."

"Shut up. This is the closest I get to expressing my heart's "deepest emotions and desires". So don't you dare let my 'make-an-ass-out-of-myself-so-the-love-of-my-life-can-know-how-sorry-I-am' experiment go to waste." He said, making air quotes and giving me a pleading look.

"Love of your life, huh?" I teased, even though on the inside, I felt over the moon.
My heart had just melted and become the consistency of hot chocolate sauce and the butterflies in my stomach were doing gymnastics on their personal trampolines.

"Don't push it. I might just take back everything I said." He grumbled.

I smiled and finally nodded.
"I'd love to move in with you, but I'd still have to go on tour and everything. My music's too important for me to give up."

"Going out on a limb here; I don't care even if you start living a double life as a serial killer and pop star. I just want to be with you."

I was stunned speechless. This was possibly the most vulnerable I'd ever seen Aaron be and my heart just wouldn't let me move past the idea of having a life with him.
All the anger and hurt faded away and I found myself agreeing to his proposal without any more qualms.

I swear I was so damn fickle minded when it came to the people that I loved; no matter what they did, I always ended up forgiving them.
Once again, everything seemed to return to normal. And the missing part of me had just been restored.

"Hey, why are you here in the first place?" I asked Aaron. It was something that I had been wondering since I saw him.

"Oh. I own this place and since it was Sara Santiago's book signing, I was desperately hoping that a certain friend of hers would show up. That's why I came." He replied with a shrug.

I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Wait...you own this library?"

He nodded and chuckled at my surprised expression.
"And fifty other stores across town too. I got a major in business management, remember? Why work when you can simply have others working for you?"

I shook my head and marvelled at his philosophy. Only someone like him could manage to pull it off without going bankrupt.

"So what about you, Ms. Teen-Idol?" He asked with a grin. "How'd you get from singing to yourself at night on the balcony -when you thought no one was listening- to singing in front of a million screaming fans?"

"I gave words to all my jumbled thoughts and emotions and those got transformed into music." I explained as I thought back to the endless nights that I'd stayed up and tried to heal my heart with the help of a pen and paper. "I guess writing so many songs was the only upside to your absence." I mumbled.

"You were born to sing and despite the slight turbulence, we're both here now. I think we were meant to be and it's destiny." He quickly grimaced and added, "Tell anyone about the poetic shit I just said and I might kill you in your sleep."

"Just shut up and kiss me, you dork." I laughed.

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Author's Note: It's a love story, baby just say yeah (8) :') -Sigh- Finally...

Song: Halo by Bethany Joy Lenz.

P.S.: The video's about Nathan and Hayley from One Tree Hill (just in case anyone wants to know) and they're THE cutest couple EVER ^^
I love both, the song and the show xD

Xoxo
~Av~

[Instagram: @be_maverick]