(𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄)

"How was your therapy session?" Tristan questions as I prop my phone up onto my desk allowing him to see most of my room.

"It was fine, they just asked about my eating habits," I mutter as I slip my shoes off.

"You okay, you seem out of it," he says with a worried expression.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired. I haven't really gotten any sleep," I state and he nods.

"Tristan hurry up we have to rehearse," I hear Joshua's voice in Tristan's background, He sounded normal to me. 

Maybe I did do something wrong.

"Business calls, are you coming to watch us?" he questions, referring to the gig they got at a restaurant, it was in one week.

 I would go there for Joshua and Tristan but now it only seems to be Tristan. I'm not sure if I should.

"I'll think about it," I mutter as I pick up my phone from the desk.

"I'll talk to you later tonight," he says and I nod before hearing the beeps confirming the call had ended.

I place my phone back onto the desk as I take a seat in the rolling chair.

I went from talking to Joshua and Chase to talking to the boy who despised me the most. I'm still shocked by Joshua's actions towards me but Chase's not so much. I knew that he'd come back and this time I'm strong enough to say no.

He'll probably stop trying when he realises Kate is back in town. He's never gotten over her and I was just too blind by my own actions to realise the harder I tried, the further he got.

I'm not sure how my parents managed to find each other or even if their relationship is as perfect as they make it out to be.

They're high school sweethearts, who met in high school, dated in high school straight through college then built their business from the ground up. 

I don't understand how they did it, but I guess the longer you know someone the more you know about them which allows you to find ways to tolerate them.

I finally snap out of my thoughts before grabbing my phone where I text Tabitha to come over as we had planned.

── ·✩· ──

I had finally finished everything I was supposed to do, I studied with Tabitha and also helped Grace with the rest of her homework. The only thing I had left to do was sleep, which I wasn't really looking forward to since I can never fall asleep.

I pull open the door before walking into my darkroom, I flip on the lights and my heart skips a beat. I grab a cushion and throw it at the dark-haired boy who's sitting on my bed.

"Tristan what the hell," I mutter causing him to chuckle as I regulate my breathing.

"Did I scare you that bad?" he smiles before standing on his feet.

"What are you doing here, I thought Chase was going to make you guys rehearse all night," I joke. 

"He was but I'm not up for all of that," he mutters and I chuckle.

He fidgets with one of his rings for a moment before gazing up at me. "I want to take you to this place on Saturday, my grandfather and I usually go but he won't be able to" 

"Yeah sure, I'll put it on my calendar," I say and he nods before clenching and unclenching his jaw as he takes a look around my room.

"You have a guitar?" he inquires, his head spinning back towards me after seeing the brown instrument covered in multiple graphic stickers. Without waiting for an answer he walks over to it and takes a seat at the end of my bed.

He dusts it off a little before playing a few strings. "I was ten when I said I wanted to learn the guitar," I pause allowing him to look at me as I take a seat next to him.

"My dad was against it, but my mom told me to dream high, she paid for the lessons but then I quit after two years," I explain and he raises a perfectly arched brow on his chiselled face.

"Why'd you stop playing?" he questions as he takes the guitar off his lap and places it on my bed.

"Schoolwork was piling up and my dad wasn't very happy," I mutter.

"Let me hear what you can play on it," he says with a bright smile as he hands me the instrument.

"I don't know Tristan," I mumble but he shushes me.

"Just play as though I'm not here," he says.

I bring my left hand to the top of the instrument as I place my right hand just below the open hole, I begin playing the notes to 'Wish you were here by Pink Floyd.

One of the first songs I learned from my teacher. He was very old-fashioned but I grew to like the song, after figuring out what it truly meant.

I hear Tristan chuckle a bit causing me to stop and look at him. 

"Was it that bad?" I bleated. He shakes his head with elevated brows before smiling brightly allowing his deep dimples to show.

"No no, I'm just surprised you know that song, I guess there's more to you than a spoilt rich girl," he says causing me to roll my brown eyes.

"There's quite a lot you don't know about me," I mutter before pushing the guitar onto his lap.

"Ah look, you liked the beatles," he says, looking down at one of the many stickers placed on my guitar of nine years.

I grab it from off his lap causing him to laugh as I place it next to the closet where he had first found it.

"I heard what you did to Chase," he mentions and I shake my head as I arch a brow.

"What'd I do?" I pause before turning to him.

"You asked him if he'd leave if you threw a stick," he states slightly chuckling as I walk back towards him.

"I actually like that one, I'm just sorry I wasn't there to see it," he mutters as he leans back onto his elbows, his hoodie slides up a slight bit exposing the bottom of his well-defined abs which causes me to realise something.

"Did you get the stitches removed?" I question and he nods.

"A guy I know from fighting helped me out," he says. I take a seat on my bed before crossing my legs.

"Why did you even start to fight?" I question looking up at him, his hair hangs low on his forehead and I contain myself from running my fingers through the wavey curls.

"How do I say this," he pauses,"I like beating people up, plus I get paid for it," 

"Yeah sure but you're forgetting the risks it has, like your goddamn stabbed wound for example," I complain.

"We have rules and regulations, what that person did was against the rules it wasn't legal," he says.

"And no one will care because underground fighting isn't legal,"

"I'm fine you don't have to worry about me," he informs and I roll my eyes.

"I'm not worried," I mumble causing him to lean forward slightly.

"You aren't?" he inquires and I shove him back playfully. He laughs before returning to the position he was in before.

"Just try boxing or something for a change, it's legal and you can punch as many people and or as many punching bags as you want," I suggest.

"Yeah, but will I get paid?" he questions before pausing.

"But it's better than dying," I mutter causing us both to go silent.

For some reason, my heart decides to play the same rhythm as the chorus from 'Locked out of Heaven by Bruno Mars' 

"I'll try boxing," he says breaking the silence between us. I nod and I can feel his gaze boring into the side of my face.

Soon I feel his finger move a few strands of hair and he gently tucks them behind my ear.

A few weeks ago I wouldn't even want his hand an inch close to mine but now it feels slightly comforting considering that everyone I know hates me right now.

He sits up slowly and his eyes meet mine; we both remain mute as his gaze switch between lips and eyes, and I can't deny that I did the same to him. By the second, we're both pressing in closer and closer, and I can feel his warm breath on my lips.

As we get closer, my heart skips a beat every few seconds, and just as I shut my eyes, I feel his warm, soft lips on mine. He softly rests his hand on the side of my neck, and my fingers tangle themselves in his hair.

The room is silent around us as he pulls me closer to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. My fingers begin to shake slightly as we get closer to tearing apart from one another. Our bodies drew closer together, and I felt his hand go across me onto the bed, allowing us to be even closer.

Our lips slowly part away and he teasingly brushes his lips against mine, I slowly open my eyes to meet his closed ones, his thick and long lashes are curled to perfection. He finally opens his eyes and we both let each other go. 

"I should probably be heading home," he whispers.

"Do you have to?" I question quietly and he shakes his head in response.

"I can't sleep lately," I explain.

"You want me to stay until you fall asleep?" He inquires and I nod.

He climbs further up my bed before laying his head on one of my pillows, I do the same and we both turn onto our side to face each other. I move closer to him and he lays on his back allowing me to rest my head on his chest before closing my eyes.

I smell the lavender from his hoodie and it gives me a sense of comfort. I wrap my arms around his torso before feelings his hand gently rub my back.

And soon I fall asleep.

── ·✩· ──

𝗼𝗼. ⁞ 𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒!

Hey guys. This concludes chapter seventeen, I greatly do hope that you liked this chapter. This wasn't supposed to be their first kiss but it fits in nicely, the one that was meant to be their first one will be magical; I think, anyway, let me know what you think in the comments. Chapter eighteen coming soon.

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