The Internship -Justin Bieber-

Chapter 23: The Aftermath

I don't know. "Yes." 

He nods, "I'll take you." 

Marco is unsurprisingly quiet throughout the car ride, but I can tell that it's killing him that I'm not talking. I stare out the window, a blank expression set on my features as we pass the endless stream of cars and traffic lights. 

Before I know it, we've arrived to my apartment. My phone has been going off the entire car ride home from my friends, but I haven't bothered to actually go through the texts.

I settle onto my bed and curl up onto the duvet, letting the sudden exhaustion take over my body. 

So stupid, my mind chants. So stupid, I agree. 

Marco stands by the doorway of my room, leaning against the wooden frame. "It's not your fault so stop beating yourself over it." 

I keep my eyes on the cushion in front of me. "I kissed him."

I can hear Marco walk towards the bed. He crouches down so we're eye to eye. "Again, not your fault. You didn't know." 

I sniff.  "I should have known." 

He shakes his head and removes his orange cap. It falls limply to the floor. "Scoot over," He demands in a soft tone and I do. 

Marco stiffly settles onto my bed, his long, black jean cladded legs stretched out in front of him. "Do you want me to make you some food? I'm told I make a mean bowl of cereal." 

I snort at his words, but shake my head again. My phone goes off and for a moment, I freeze up. Marco reaches to grab it and sighs when he turns the screen towards me.

It's not Justin. 

It's Jonah. "You want me to answer?" I grab the phone in response and answer the call, placing it on speaker.

"Ivy, thank God," Jonah's voice crackles from the other end of the line, "Are you okay? You just ran out of there!" 

"I'm fine," I manage to reply in a collected tone. "I really don't want to talk about it, but I'm okay guys. Seriously. I'm really sorry for not replying." I pick at the duvet, ashamed that I worried my friends. I didn't mean to, I was just taken back. Its crazy how quickly my mood lifted when Ms Mallette arrived and how quickly it all crumbled afterwards.

"Don't apologize," I hear Josephine call out from the other end. "You're not at fault here." Beckett adds. 

Yes, you are. You should have known better. The voice in my head hisses at me and I try to push it aside. 

Shortly later, the call ends. Marco paces around the room after he's convinced me to change into my pyjamas and go to bed. "You going to the internship tomorrow?"

I nod weakly. "I have to."

He huffs and runs a hand through his disheveled brown hair. "Want me to stay?" 

Marco has been nothing but kind and indulgent with me tonight. He isn't normally like this and I know he's going a little ballistic. This kind of stuff never happens. 

"You don't have to," I reply. He's always welcome here, he knows that, but I don't want to force him to stay.

All Marco needs is one look at my face to make a decision. "I'll be on the couch." He murmurs before shutting out the lights. 

I curl onto the other side of the bed and shut my eyes, hoping that when I wake up in the morning I can put this all behind me. You're gonna have to, the voice in my head says.