Him | Brooklyn Wyatt

Friends?

Rye's pov:

How could I have been so stupid? I shouldn't have kissed her. I shouldn't have betrayed my best friend. I should have told her that I liked her from the start. The day I met her I should have walked up to her and told her how I felt. I could have stopped it. Stopped her falling for Brook. I should have known she'd get hurt.

I ran after her. It was my fault she was upset, but nobody else was there to make her feel better. Eventually, she stopped and rested a small, grassy hill. I stood there and looked at her. She wiped tears from her cheeks and rested her head in her hands. What had I done? I shouldn't have kissed her. I shouldn't have said anything about Lexi. Why hadn't I tried. Tried to get over her. Tried to accept the fact she was with Brook.

I walked up to her, and took a seat by her side. She wiped under her eyes and looked at me. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were blotchy. She let out a sniffle.

"I'm sorry." I said, looking at my feet.

Tears fell from Ashley eyes. She buried her face into my chest as I pulled her into a warm embrace. I breathed in her scent; apple and cinnamon. She let out a sniffle.

"It's ok." She said between sniffles.

I stroked her hair as she cried.

"He did it again." She weeped. "He let me go. He didn't care."

"That's not it." I tried to reassure her. "He's just confused."

"No. He's not. I should have known he didn't love me. As soon as he let me leave the day Lexi came back. I should have known." She looked up at me, tears dribbling down her cheeks. "He loves Lexi. Doesn't he?"

I couldn't lie to her.

"Ash, he loves you. He always will love you. But he loves Lexi too." Ashley just nodded her head, as I continued.

" Brook is a great person and you guys are perfect together. But, it's not easy for him. He might love you. But, deep down, he never got over Lexi. As soon as he kissed her that day, after you'd left. I should have known. I shouldn't have kept it from you."

She shook her head at me and rested her hand on mine, looking into my eyes. " Don't you dare Ryan. Don't you dare blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. Your best friend took your girlfriend, broke a promise and kept secrets from, me, his girlfriend. And you still stuck up for him when I asked if he loved me. You didn't do the wrong thing. You did everything right. After everything Brook did to you. I should be sorry..."

"For what?"

"For falling in love with the wrong guy."

"You don't know that. Brook might be the right guy, just give him time, he-"

"Stop Rye. I gave him enough time. You dont need to stick up for him anymore. Lexi can have him. I'll get over him eventually."

I held her close as we sat there, in silence.

Eventually, she stood up and turned around.

"Where are you going?"

"To the flat."

"Ash, are you sure? I mean, you're upset."

"I'm sure." She said, disappearing around the corner. I followed after her. What was she up to?

We approached the flat a couple minutes later. She walked in and ran straight upstairs. I followed after her and listened from the hallway, as she walked into Brook's room.

Ashley's pov:

I walked into Brooks room to find him sat on the edge of his bed, with his head in his hands. How long had he been sat there for? He looked up and stared at me guiltilly.

"Ashley, I'm so sorry. I didn't know w-"

"I understand." I cut in.

"I'm know I should have come after you. I'm so so sorry. I just...I thought...I-"

"Let me guess. You really really like me and the time we have spent together. It's not that you don't love me, it's just that you love Lexi more. You don't want to upset me, but the main reason you wanted it to work between us was because you didn't want anyone else to have me either. You really wish you could feel more towards me, but most of them feelings are towards Lexi. You will always feel something special between us, but you don't think we were meant to last forever. You don't want it to end, but you know it wouldn't be fair on me, as you're in love with someone else. So as much as you hate to say it, we can't be together whilst were both in love with other people. Is that about right?"

"Yeah." Brooklyn said, letting out a heavy breath. "I'm really sorry."

"So am I." I said, resting my hand on his shoulder.

I pulled his into a hug. "Thank you."
I whispered in his ear. " For the best time of my life..."

Brooklyn squeezed my arm as we pulled apart, smiling. "But you promise we'll still be friends? Right?"

"I promise..."