98 | fight for us

It's Saturday morning, and I'm standing in front of an apartment door that will lead me to Nevaeh. The address Maya gave me yesterday has led me here. Maya didn't tell me any more details, so I can't help but wonder. Did Nevaeh decide to find a new place and live here alone? Does she have a roommate? Has Maya been living here and asked Nevaeh to stay with her? Nevaeh once told me that Maya stayed with Ash in the same apartment. Do they live here? After Maya gave me the address, I wanted to see Nevaeh as soon as possible. But then, I realized that I needed to be prepared. I didn't want to blow my chance, so I had to think thoroughly. The worst scenario came up in my mind, but I tried my best to shake it off. I prepared something special for her, hoping that it would be enough to make her see my true feelings. So, here I am, standing in front of her new apartment door while trying to calm my nerves. I'd never been this anxious. I've been telling myself that I'm ready to confess my feelings, but the truth is that I'm fucking nervous. It has only been more than a week since I last saw Nevaeh, but it sure feels like an eternity. What if my mind goes blank the moment I see her again? What if I fucking stutter? The more I think about it, the more my mind goes crazy. I need to see Nevaeh, right fucking now. I miss her. After taking a deep breath, I knock on the door. Footsteps echo from the other side of the door, and once it is opened, I freeze on the spot. There standing in front of me is a man, dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt. I know him. This isn't the first time I see him. He was also there at the college party where I met Maya and Ash. His name is Flynn, the guy who's one year older than me. What the fuck is he doing here? Did Maya give me the wrong address on purpose? Flynn looks surprised, like he doesn't expect me to be here. But then, his eyes narrow at me. "Are you looking for Nevaeh?" His tone is far from friendly, and that's when it hits me. Maya didn't lie to me. This isn't some ploy to trap me, because Flynn clearly wasn't expecting my visit. Nevaeh is indeed staying here, with him. My body is shaking with rage. "What the fuck are you doing here?" The question leaves my mouth harshly, my last attempt to control myself from doing something brutal. Flynn scoffs. "What?" He shrugs. "Can't I spend time with my girlfriend?" Girlfriend? The next thing I know is that I'm seeing red. I storm at him, gripping his collar as I knock him against the door. A loud bang echoes as it collides with the wall. "You bastard," I hiss venomously. My heart feels like it's about to explode. "How could you take advantage of her like that?" I never thought that he would make a move on Nevaeh when she was at her weakest point, when she was drowning in her sorrow. I feel sick, imagining how he would help her cope with her sadness. If he ever touched her -- "What the hell is your problem?" Flynn shoves me back just as hard. I'm more than ready to throw him a punch when a girl's shout makes me halt. "Stop." The girl rushes toward us with panic skating all over her face. It's Ash. Her eyes widen at the sight of my fist flying in mid-air. Anger crosses her expression. "What do you think you're doing, Aiden?" Before I can respond, she continues, "you better explain because I'm not going to stand still here watching you storm into my apartment and attack my boyfriend. What the hell is wrong with you?" What she said causes me to drop what I'm doing. "Your boyfriend?" I echo. "Yeah." Ash tilts her chin up, unaware that Flynn is watching her with awe. "You got any problem with him?" I put my hands up. "I'm sorry. It was a misunderstanding." I lean back against the wall and sigh. When I rake my fingers through my hair, I can't help but chuckle in disbelief. Fuck. One second here, and I've already ruined my visit. How am I supposed to win Nevaeh's heart? I'm always a mess when it comes to her. Flynn closes the door behind him while Ash crosses her arms over her chest, watching me with a serious expression. "Shit. That was hot," Flynn whispers in her ear and kisses her cheek. Ash's face blushes crimson. Flynn wraps his arms around her from behind, causing her to lean back against him. His action causes Ash to relax. Flynn's gaze flicks to me. "You haven't explained why you're here." Judging from his sharp tone, I bet that he knows that I hurt Nevaeh. I feel like a criminal trying to explain what I did. "Where's Nevaeh?" I ask. Before any of them can answer me, someone else emerges into the room. Maya pants, looking horrified. "What is going on? I was in the bathroom and heard some shouting--" Her sentence stops when she sees me. "Well, hello, Aiden." She swallows. Ash seems to notice the lack of surprise on Maya's face. "Wait." She closes her eyes before looking at Maya in disbelief. "Don't tell me that it was you who brought him here." "I'm sorry," Maya says softly. Guilt is evident in her voice. "He saw me while I was getting Nevaeh's car out of his property. At first, I didn't want to talk to him, but then he was planning to follow me. In the end, I gave him our address." Flynn curses and glares at me. "You're lucky that Nevaeh begged me to not tell anything about you to her father, because if I had, you would have been six feet under." Okay. The topic of her father is definitely something I should revisit in the future. I've heard too much about that man's wrath when it comes to his daughter. "Unfortunate for you, Nevaeh isn't here now. She took off with her car about an hour ago," Ash says to me. "You can go back home or pass us your message, although I'm not so sure that hearing about you would be good for her." I wince at her statement. My heart sinks. I thought that I could finally see Nevaeh today. I don't know if I could survive another day without telling her what I feel. I haven't even got the chance to apologize to her. "You have to help me," I say firmly. "I'm not leaving until I know where she is. I can't reach her. All my calls are diverted. My texts weren't even delivered. She definitely blocked my number." The corner of Ash's lips curls up. "Good. It means that she listened to my advice." "Why would you do that?" I snap. "Because she wants to forget you," Ash says, raising her tone to match mine. "And the best way to forget someone is to cut all kinds of ties and communication." Pain slices through me. Hearing that Nevaeh wants to forget me shatters my heart, but it's nothing compared to what I said to her. "I love her," I say out loud, noticing that they're all taken aback by that sudden outburst. "I love Nevaeh, and there's nothing more painful to me than knowing how much I've fucking hurt her. What I did to her was solely based on how much I cared about her, but I was so blind at that time I couldn't see past my fear. I couldn't understand what she felt for me." The room turns silent, as though everyone is holding their breath and wondering what I'm going to say next. "But I never, ever hurt her just because she wasn't enough. She's everything to me, and she's never a second choice. She doesn't come after because she always comes first. Nevaeh has always been, and will always be my priority." My statement is final. It's about time that they know how much I love Nevaeh. I don't want them to think that I'm a man who played with Nevaeh's feelings. And I hope that they will support my plan today because I do have something else to show her