Chapter 3: "Hugs and Heartaches"
1507 Words
As Alex walked away, the weight in Erika’s chest grew heavier. She wanted to turn around and punch him—or at least kick him, hard. Or scream until his ears rang. The pain from his words was unbearable, and the worst part was, she couldn’t even fight back.
She froze as she neared the gate to her house. Her fingers trembled as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her tear-streaked face. She stopped when she saw whose it was. Lance’s.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips as fresh tears spilled over. It had been a long time since she cried like this. Her heart shouldn’t feel this broken—tonight was supposed to be the happiest moment of her life.
"I hate you, Alex..." she whispered. "I hate you!" she sobbed.
"Are you okay?"
The voice caught her off guard. She turned around, too late to hide the tears. Her mouth opened, but no words came. She felt like a complete fool—crying in front of Lance.
To her surprise, he stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms.
"Did you know a hug can release happy hormones?" he whispered, trying to lighten the moment.
She fought the tears, but it was no use. Why did he have to see her like this? Why did this perfect night have to spiral into chaos? Still, Lance’s arms around her felt safe, warm, comforting. His hand lightly patted her back. Slowly, her breathing steadied. For a moment, the world paused. And she let herself feel it—safe in his arms.
"Thank you, Lance," she murmured.
His hand brushed her cheek, and her heart skipped. She looked down quickly, cheeks flushed, trying to hide the redness creeping up her face.
"Feeling better now?" he asked softly, gently lifting her chin so she’d meet his gaze.
Despite the lingering sadness, she smiled. "Your hug worked."
"That’s better." He grinned. "You’re even more beautiful when you smile."
Her face grew even warmer. Why did he have to say things like that?
"Come on. Let’s go inside. Everyone’s waiting."
She nodded. "I’m sorry."
"For what?" he said. "You don’t need to apologize."
She smiled faintly, letting him guide her gently toward the house. His hand on her elbow was so gentle it made her heart flutter.
"Tonight was supposed to be perfect," she muttered, frustration slipping through. "And then... Alex."
Lance chuckled softly. "I’m happy. Especially because you’re here with me."
She couldn’t help but smile back at him, even though her heart still beat like crazy. Why did he have to be so good-looking? Puberty had transformed him into something entirely distracting. Tall. Lean. Handsome in a way that made her forget how to breathe.
"About our date," he said. Her chest tightened. "I have already talked to your parents."
She froze. "You-- what?"
He grinned. "Relax. They’re okay with it. I just have to bring you home before ten."
She let out a breath. "I hope my mom didn’t go full drama queen."
He laughed. "Almost. But your dad was cool, so that helped."
She giggled with him, even if part of her was still nervously wondering what her parents might say later. She was sixteen. Lance was twenty.
"Oh, and your Uncle Jordan invited us to the party," he added. "Which kind of explained the fight with Alex."
Her stomach dropped. She remembered Alex’s words. "He said it was okay," she whispered, her chest tightening again.
"Will you be my date to the party?" Lance asked. "That way you’ll still be there for him. We both can."
She stared at him. "You’d really do that?"
He nodded, smiling.
Without thinking, she threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Lance! You have no idea what that means to me."
They both jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Startled, she pulled away quickly. Her dad, Gino, was standing on the porch with arms crossed. Behind him, her mom and Lance’s mom—Aunt Betchy—sat chatting over coffee.
"Oh, aren’t they adorable?" Aunt Betchy said with a grin.
Erika walked over and kissed her hand. "Hi, Aunt Betchy."
Aunt Betchy kissed her cheek. "You’re so beautiful, sweetheart. Just like your mom."
Her dad coughed loudly in protest.
"...And you definitely got your irresistible charm from your dad," Aunt Betchy added with a laugh. "That’s why Lance begged me to visit every summer after seeing you when you were ten—"
"Mom!" Lance cut in, clearly mortified at his storytelling. His mom just raised an amused eyebrow.
"He had the biggest crush on you," she teased. "And until now, he is still so shy to tell it to you."
"Mom, seriously," Lance muttered with face flushed, not meeting Erika’s eyes. Her heart soared. She was trying hard not to squeal. She should maintain her composure.
"Come and have dinner," her mom called out. "Lance hasn’t had dinner. He’s been waiting for you."
She tried hard to suppress a smile. So this is what it must feel like... Like the most beautiful girl in the world. Her heart was beating so hard she was afraid they might hear it. She needs to calm down her nerves.
"Come on," she whispered to Lance and guided him to the dining room.
They ate happily, the tension slowly fading. For a little while, thoughts of Alex melted away as she imagined going to the party with Lance. She was still smiling when they said goodbye. Even as she lay in bed, her heart was light.
But then… Alex’s words echoed again.
"I don't need you anymore."
How could he say that? How could he not need her? She was his right hand. His other half. His mirror. His everything. How could he throw her away like that?
She grabbed her phone. No message. No apology. Just silence. Very Alex. She tossed it onto the bed and lay back down, exhausted. She'll deal with him tomorrow.
"Happy thoughts," she told herself. She smiled again, remembering Lance’s hug. Like a favorite movie scene, she wanted to rewind forever.
But Alex’s words crept back in, stubborn and sharp. Groaning, she got up to get a glass of milk.
Then—tap.
She blinked. Something hit the window. Tap.
Only one person she knew would do something like that.
She peeked through the curtain and saw him.
Alex.
Opening the window, she stared at him, unimpressed. He climbed in easily.
"Lost your way?" she asked coldly.
"I’m sleeping here tonight," he said casually.
"What if I say no?"
He just looked at her. No answer.
"Fine. Whatever." She lay back down, facing away. No apology. No nothing.
Then the mattress dipped behind her. And suddenly, his arms wrapped around her.
"I’m sorry, Pepper."
She couldn’t speak. She knew her voice would break. So she stayed silent as he held her tighter.
And then, without warning—she cried.
“Sh*t,” Alex muttered, panic creeping in. He buried his face in her neck, hugging her tight, afraid that she might disappear.
"I’m sorry," he repeated.
He hated the way the words tasted. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. They weren’t enough. Nothing was enough. He saw how much he hurt her—and it crushed him. But his pride... his pride kept him from saying more. Still, he knew one thing for sure:
He needed her. He would always need her.
She was the most beautiful part of his life. The only one that made sense.
He saw Lance hug Pepper earlier. He wanted to rip off that damn smile on his face. He wanted to punch him. Jealousy burned through him. So he said something cruel to push her away.
But seeing her cry? That nearly killed him.
"I h-hate you," she sobbed.
His heart broke. He felt that searing pain, cutting in, making him bleed.
"Please don’t say that," he whispered, turning her to face him.
"I love you, Pepper."
Her tears came harder. He’d never seen her like this.
"I didn’t mean to hurt you," he said softly. "Please don’t be like this."
"I hate you, Alex," she cried, but she clung to him.
"I love you, Pepper."
"I hate you."
"I love you," he whispered again, kissing her forehead.
"I hate you still."
He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I didn’t mean what I said. I take it back."
She didn’t respond, just buried her face in his chest.
"Your dad’s gonna kill me if he sees you like this," he muttered. "Do you want me to die?"
She looked up, alarmed, then flicked him on the lips.
"Ow," he pouted. That hurt but it made him want to smile.
"That’s a dumb thing to say."
"So... you don’t want me to die?"
"Shut up, Alex."
"I love you, Pepper."
She looked at him, smiling through her tears and hugged him tight. "I hate that I love you this much, Alex."
And for whatever reason, he wanted to cry.
- Writer
