Chapter 88 Chapter Eighty-Four
Omniscient Narrative
The morning passed in a blur.
Alex kept catching glimpses of Demi from across the hall, leaning against lockers or chatting quietly with Chris or any member of the team.
Each time, his chest tightened, a cold, hollow ache settling deeper with every laugh Demi shared, those laughs that weren't meant for him.
He wanted to walk over, grab him and demand his best friend’s-if Demi still considered them that- attention, but every time he opened his mouth, the words stuck.
Demi had made it clear, no chances, no explanations, no ‘let's fix this Alex, we’re taking this too far’. Nothing like that, it was like Demi was slowly starting to forget the curly headed boy.
Alex felt invisible, and it hurt in a way that made his stomach churn.
By lunch,
The whispers had started. Not malicious ones, at least, not all of them, but curious ones from the students.
Students on the basketball team nudged each other, eyes flicking toward Demi and Chris when they saw them glued together like how he was with Alex, but this time, it was different.
Some teammates raised eyebrows, while others simply smirked, their whispers slicing through the cafeteria air
“They're together?”
It was no secret that Chris was open about his sexuality, he has slept with boys and girls, he has also been in relationships with boys and girls.
Alex tried to ignore the whispers, the side talks. He focused on his tray, on the dull scrape of utensils against plastic.
But every time Demi's laugh reached him, light, casual, shared only with Chris, he felt his chest tighten further.
‘That should be me’ his brain couldn’t help but taunt him.
“You okay man?” He heard someone say making him avert his gaze from the two boys talking and laughing.
“Yeah” he gave a short answer.
“You’re cool with Demi and Chris right?” The person asked, Alex looked at him with a raised brow.
“Where is this leading to?” He asked instead of replying
“You think they’re together?” The boy asked in a hushed tone.
Alex looked back and Demi and Chris and saw how close they were and how happy they looked to be in the company of each other.
He didn’t answer, instead he took his tray, stood up and walked away, he dumbed his lunch in the bin and walked out of the cafeteria.
He didn’t want to get even more pissed off.
Why would he assume they were dating?.
Chris and Demi didn’t have chemistry together-he thought-.
Finally, the moment came.
Demi and Chris had positioned themselves near the lockers after lunch.
Alex hadn't been paying attention, but suddenly he heard it, the quiet murmur of voices, then a sound that made his heart stop.
A kiss.
Not a subtle one.
Not a brief one
It was a public one,
A real one!!.
Alex froze, spoon hovering in midair.
The students noise continued around him, but suddenly it all felt muted, everything reduced to the image of Demi and Chris, lips pressed together, hands brushing naturally, as if the world hadn't just exploded around him.
Some students cheered.
Others whispered.
A few frowned.
A few of them booed.
He even heard at least two or three slurs but he ignored them.
Demi and Chris didn't seem to notice.
They were their own world now, coming out to his parents and siblings really gave him the confident booster that he needed.
He never would have imagined kissing Alex in public a few weeks back and now he was doing it with Chris.
And all this because he accidentally fell in love with his best friend.
Alex swallowed hard as he watched the scene.
He had to stop this, Demi shouldn’t be kissing Chris, no, he should be kissing- he shouldn’t be kissing Chris and that’s final.
"Demi” he called out, voice cracking slightly, barely cutting through the murmurs around him.
Demi's head snapped up. His eyes met Alex's for a fraction of a second before pulling away from Chris's, irritation and exhaustion written on his face.
Alex hasn’t still apologized to him for what had happened.
Alex's stomach lurched. Without thinking, he shoved past the crowd, weaving toward Demi, ignoring the stares.
“What is going on?" he demanded, voice low but urgent.
Demi's expression was calm, stone-cold calm.
“We're together” he said simply.
Alex blinked, feeling like he'd been punched. "What?"
"We. Are. Together” Demi repeated, voice firmer now. "Chris and I”
Alex's chest tightened painfully. "When did this-Demi, when did this happen?" he whispered, almost hoarse.
Demi's jaw tightened. "Shortly after I came out to my parents”
“You ca-you came out to your parents?” Alex was lost for words.
“Yes, the night of our fight, I couldn’t bare the secret anymore, so I came out to my siblings and my parents, Chris had came over to comfort me and he asked me out, and I said yes” Demi shrugged, Alex stared at him trying to see if this the same Demi he knew, this Demi not only looked tired but also hurt and petty.
“What about us” Alex knew it was stupid to ask that but he did anyways, it was like he wanted clarification from Demi.
“There is no ‘us’, You made that clear the night of the fight. We’re nothing...not anymore, not after everything."
Alex shook his head, voice rising with desperation.
“I didn't mean what I said Demi, I promise”
"You did” Demi said, calmly, firmly. "I can't undo what was done. And I'm not going to wait for someone who hurts me and doesn't understand what that does to me, you didn’t just do it physically but you emotionally hurt me too Alex”
Alex's throat burned. He opened his mouth again, but Demi didn't wait.
As Chris walked over to them, the brown skin male pulled Chris's hand, glanced back once at Alex, and turned away.
Alex stood frozen, chest aching, heart breaking in a way he didn't understand.
The hallway felt like it had shrunk, the laughter, the whispering, the teasing, all of it, were piercing him, as if the world was mocking the hole in his chest where Demi used to be.
He wanted to follow him, wanted to grab him, to plead, to explain. But something inside him froze.
Demi didn't glance back at him,
Not once.
Alex exhaled shakily, feeling tears threaten behind his eyes.
He didn't understand why this hurt so much.
He didn't understand why seeing Demi with someone else made his chest feel like it was being crushed.
He only knew one thing for certain,
He had lost him.
He had lost Demi and it was all his fault.
Author's Note:
I’m sorry the update took so long, I have other books I’m working on and I have personal stuffs too. Please forgive me, and thank you for reading my book, we still have a lot to read.