"Just 10 minutes of your time, that's it," Sal requested.
You and Q both nodded and sat across from Sal.
"What's going on?" Q asked him.
"I just really want to apologize for all the shit that we've gone through. Like, actually apologize. The last few times I tried to apologize, I let my emotions get in the way of what I wanted to say."
"Alright," you responded to him.
"With graduation being right around the corner, I don't want the friendship I've had with both of you to just go away because now we won't be seeing each other all that often. I know I did some really shitty things and said some nasty words to both of you, but I want to put that aside and tell you that I care about both of you deeply. I just want the best for you. I hope we can be civil and try to mend what I've broken. I'm extremely sorry for everything that has happened between us and anything that may have happened to your relationship."
"I appreciate that you want to apologize. I want to accept your apology, but there's no way of knowing if you're actually sincere. You could be saying this now and tomorrow you could lose your shit yet again. Sometimes it's small things that we do that make you tick and sometimes you can be unpredictable," Q expressed.
"I have to agree with Q here. For the longest time, the three of us were able to be in a room together and we could talk without raising voices and getting angry," you say.
"Yeah and then you kissed me backstage and completely led me on. It's all your fault," Sal stated.
"I've apologized countless times for that. You knew I was with Q and it was exceptionally poor judgment on my part. I'm still sorry for that because I know it's my fault that shit's been going down."
"Babe, don't beat yourself up like this. This situation resulted from multiple different things all happening at the same time. Sal's jealousy got the best of him when you two kissed and it's caused us all to say terrible things to each other. It's not just one person's fault."
"If she didn't kiss me, we wouldn't be having this discussion," Sal muttered.
"See, this is why I'm so hesitant about accepting your apology! You say you're sorry but you get snippy with us and say things under your breath," Q commented.
"I know everyone is getting frustrated because it's late, we're all tired, and now we're having this discussion for the millionth time, but can we please just calm it down? Sal, I'm glad you want to apologize, but I can't just accept it and forget anything happened. I wish I could take back everything that I did because I regret it more than I can explain and I feel awful."
"Good. You should feel bad," Sal said to you.
"What the hell is your problem? You switch up your moods so quickly and expect us to just be okay with it!" Q raised his voice.
"We're both willing to accept your apology, but you're ruining it by not knowing when to stay quiet. If I could take back everything I did to betray Q's trust, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know what I did was wrong and I don't need you adding remarks just so you can hear your own voice!"
"I came here to apologize and now I'm getting attacked for stating my opinion?! What the f**k is this? I've had it! I'm going to bed," Sal exclaimed.
"I would like to have a serious and calm conversation with you and I'm sure y/n would agree with me here. If you would like to talk, then please stay. If you don't care anymore, then I hope you sleep well," Q told him.
"F**k you," Sal said, looking at both of you. He left the room and you heard a door slam.
Q gave you a hug and you instantly started to cry.
"I'm so sorry," you told him. He held you closer when he heard you talk through tears.
"Him acting like an ass isn't your fault, y/n," Q comforted you. You stopped hugging so you could look him in the eyes. He held your hands.
"The way he was yelling made me feel like such a shitty person. I put you through so much and you forgave me even though was I did was so wrong. He made it seem like you made the wrong decision by taking me back. I'm changing for the better and I'm never going to betray you again."
"I made the perfect decision by accepting your apology. I love you too much to give up on you. He's out of his mind and upset that he isn't getting what he wants and he doesn't know how to deal with his emotions."
"He's right that if I didn't act out, that none of this would be happening. Every day, I feel like you deserve someone better than me. Every insult he throws at me hurts and I hang onto each word he says."
"I love you and I want to be with you. You took the mature way of dealing with a situation that was hard and I'm grateful for that. I want someone who can do that in my life. Sal can't listen to someone telling him that he upset them without storming off. I don't want that in my life. If being with you means that I can't have a civil conversation with Sal anymore, then I'm willing to accept that. He's been treating you like shit since all of this started and I f**king hate him for that. He should never talk to anyone like that, let alone the girl he claims to love. It's pathetic of him."
"I love you too. I just don't even know what to say, he's really made me feel awful about everything."
"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you feel better, I promise. It's not okay for him to belittle you like this."
You kissed Q and embraced him again. You heard someone walk out of a room.
"Is everything okay?" A gentle voice asked. Lucy walked into the living room. "I heard a door slam and I didn't know who it was."
"Sal," you told her. Q gestured for her to come closer in case Sal was able to hear from his room.
"He wanted to have a calm conversation with us, but when I told him how he had upset us, he got too defensive and left the room."
Lucy rolled her eyes when she heard the brief summary of what had happened.
"Where are Joe and Murr?" Q asked.
"In the backyard, I think," Lucy answered.
"I'm going to get Joe. I'm sorry." Q got up to go find Joe.
"It's really getting to me, Lucy. Sal talks down to me all of the time and he's going to hurt my relationship with Q if he keeps this up. Sal tells me that it's all my fault and it's just a gut punch because I know it's true."
"It's not all your fault, he just has no idea how to express how he feels."
"Y/n, are you okay?" Joe came in and interrupted. Murr was right behind him, completely unaware of the situation at all.
"Yeah, I'm fine now. He locked himself in his room," you replied.
"Good, I'm going to check on him."
"Thank you for being a good mediator, Joe. I'm sorry to put you in this situation."
"It really isn't a problem, y/n. I'm here for you guys." Joe went into his room to go talk to Sal.
"I'm kinda feeling like shit, I'm going to go sit in our room," you told Q.
"Do you want me to sit with you?" He replied.
"No, I just want to be alone," you said. He nodded.
You sat in your room with the door left open. You took out a notebook and a pen from your bag. Your way to relieve stress was to write everything that came to mind. This time, you were writing about how bad Sal made you feel and how you felt that Q didn't deserve to be dating someone who broke his trust out of nowhere.
There was a gentle knock at the door. You looked up to see Murr standing there.
"I just wanted to ask you how you were doing?" He asked.
"I'm doing okay, thank you."
"I'm here for you, y/n. I'm really sorry that Sal has been treating you so badly. I have no idea what happened the first night we got here, but I'm here to support you and Q."
"Want to come sit down?" You asked, clearing your bag off of the bed to give Murr a spot to sit.
Murr took a seat across from you on the bed.
"Is everything okay with you and Q?" Murr asked.
"We're okay, it's just Sal. Do you know much of what's going on?"
"A little bit, but Sal also doesn't like to talk to me about anything, and Q is so reserved with his emotions."
"I just feel like if you're going to say you support us, you need to know what really happened because it's really bad," you confessed.
"I'm all ears," Murr replied.
You began to tell him the story from the time you kissed him backstage and continued on until Q came in the room to sit with you and Murr.