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Overdue apology
Petsa ng paglalathala:
2026-08-27 16:10:17
Pinakabagong kabanata
A Love Mess: Who loves who? Awkward and Nice
Arlen woke up lighter. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, running a hand over the short, unfamiliar bristle of his own hair, and something about the morning felt lighter than mornings had felt in a long time. Not fixed. Not fine. But lighter. He got up, brushed his teeth before heading downstairs to get breakfast. He decided to rest a bit more so he wasn't going to work early today. He appeared in the dining doorway, surprised to see Cade seated, the table set for two, plates already laid out, the smell of eggs filling the room."Oh," Arlen said, pausing at the threshold. "I didn't realize you were here, I'll just—""Sit down," Cade said, gesturing to the chair across from him, keeping his tone light, easy. "I told Jacob to prepare something for both of us. Eat before you go."Arlen hesitated, caught off guard by the invitation, some old wariness still lingering in his expression from the weeks of tension between them. "You want me to sit with you?""You don't have to
A Love Mess: Who loves who? Overdue apology
Cade walked into his house, keys giggling as he dropped his briefcase on the couch before loosening his tie and going into the kitchen to get water. Once done, he went back to the living room, and made a small noise of shock when he saw Arlen. "When did you get here?" He asked, staring at him, like he was seeing someone else. A huge part of it being the change of hairstyle.Arlen stood in the middle of the room, looking like a man who'd rehearsed his speech and forgot them the moment he arrived. "Not quite long. I heard your footsteps and that's why I came downstairs."Cade slowly nodded, unsure of where this was going."I need to say some things," Arlen said finally. "And I need you to just let me get through them, because if you stop me I don't think I'll start again.""Okay." Cade set his keys down on the side table, and waited, giving Arlen all his attention.Arlen took a breath that shook a little on the way in. "I owe you an apology. A real one." He looked at the floor, then ma
A Love Mess: Who loves who? Realization
"I bet it was Nick." Arlen said, laying his head on the couch. It's been hours of crying. Max had dished out the food he brought and they had already eaten. Both of them just sat on the floor, resting their head on the couch cushion. "This has Nick written all over it," he continued, "he's been texting me nonstop. He probably called you up and told you to drag yourself over here."Max shook his head slowly. "Wasn't Nick.""It wasn't?""Nope."Arlen frowned, sitting up a little straighter, wiping at his eyes again like clearing them might help him understand. "Then who?"Max hesitated, just for a second, like he was deciding if he should say the name. "It was Cade."The name landed strangely. Arlen went still."Cade called me yesterday," Max went on, quieter now, watching Arlen's face carefully. "Brennon gave him my number. He didn't tell me anything specific, wouldn't get into details, just said you were going through something hard and that he thought you needed people around you who
A Love Mess: Who loves who? Max
The knock came just after noon, three sharp raps that didn't sound like anyone Arlen was expecting, because nobody he was expecting would knock like that—like they had every right to be there and weren't going to apologize for it. Arlen almost didn't answer. He'd gotten good at not answering things these past days. But something about the rhythm of it nagged at him, familiar in a way he couldn't place until he was already halfway to the door.He opened it and there was Max, one hand still raised like he might knock again, the other holding a paper bag that smelled like something greasy and good."You," Arlen said, and it came out in a breath, something between a laugh and a question."Me," Max agreed, and pushed past him into the apartment without waiting to be invited, the way he'd always done, since they were still in school. "Are you gonna let me in or just stand there looking shocked?""I'm letting you in. You're already in.""Observant." Max set the bag down on the counter and tu
A Love Mess: Who loves who? A call
Cade didn't look back when his P.A knocked and let herself in, which was how she always came in when it was bad. A knock and then the door."How many TV channels are carrying this?" He said, still staring out the window into the busy street."Five," came her quick reply."Are there any on that list that you compiled at the gala?""No. They're all channels that we can easily get to take it down." She said going through her tablet.This made Cade turn back with a fustrated glare, "then why the fuck haven't you made them take it down?" "I- I was waiting for your go ahead sir," she stuttered. The first time in three years that a situation was making her boss glare at her like this."So why aren't you leaving and getting on it?" Cade asked, the glare still on."R-Right," she said and quickly left. The click of the latch seemed very loud in the sudden quiet office.Cade stood there a moment longer with his jaw tight before he crossed to his desk and dropped into the chair like something ha
A Love Mess: Who loves who? Back to base
The apartment smelled faintly of dust when Arlen finally unlocked the door, the accumulated stillness of a place left empty for weeks pressing against him the moment he stepped inside. He set his bags down just past the doorway and stood there for a long moment, taking it in. The same couch, the same kitchen table, the same soft gray curtains he'd hung himself two years ago, all of it exactly as he'd left it and somehow entirely unfamiliar now. He'd told himself the drive over that this was a good idea. Necessary, even. Nick's voice still echoed faintly in his head "give yourself somewhere to actually feel all of this without an audience." And some part of him had clung to that reasoning the whole way here, instead of turning the car around and going back to the safety of Cade's steady, patient presence. But standing here now, alone in a space that had once felt like the beginning of something, all that careful reasoning started to crumble. He moved through the apartment slowly, un
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