Page 136 of F*ckboys

I find her note tucked into the pages, the scrawl as familiar as my own name. My breath catches at the closing.See you soon, trouble.A white flag if there ever was one. A way of saying the break is over as far as she's concerned.

As excited as I am to see her again soon, I'm conflicted. It's only been a few days. Is that enough time for her to have truly found herself and figured out what she wants? How do I know she won't just turn around and say she needs time apart again?

I pick up my phone, her name lighting the screen. My thumb hovers for a single breath before connecting the call.

"Trouble." My lips quirk at the old nickname. "You always did know the way to my heart."

A soft laugh, more sob than chuckle. "Took me long enough to remember."

The ragged note in her voice slices through my defenses, and I surrender to the lure of her words. We have a long road ahead but, for now, this is enough.

"Come over?" The question is out before I can stop it.

"Already on my way." The line goes dead.

I sit in silence, Footrot Flats open on my lap, and wait, sipping on a cold, crisp glass of sauvignon blanc.

Every minute drags until a knock rattles my door. I'm on my feet and across the room before I realize I've moved.

Fallon stands on the threshold, her eyes wary. "Hi."

"Hi." I step back. "Come in."

She brushes past me, a ghost of her usual stride. The door clicks shut behind us, sealing us in a silence thick with things unsaid.

I clear my throat. "Thank you for the comic."

A flush stains her cheeks. "You're welcome. I thought—" Her gaze drops to the floor. "I'm glad you like it."

"It's perfect." I take a step forward, my hand finding hers. "Just like old times." I lean closer, my voice a rough whisper. "Seeing this again brought back so many memories. Simpler times, before everything got so damn complicated." I run a hand through my hair.

"I miss those days," she admits quietly. "We had something special once. Something worth fighting for."

Her eyes bore into mine, and I reciprocate with raw intensity in my gaze. "Do you really believe we could find our way back?" I ask. "After everything?"

Her breath catches at the vulnerability in my words. This is a side of myself very few are allowed to see, the side I only reveal in unguarded moments with the people I trust most.

"I have to hope we can," she whispers. She reaches out almost automatically and brushes her fingers along my jaw.

I inhale sharply, leaning into her touch. The years between us seem to melt away as we share this tender moment. "We have a lot to talk about…"

Her fingers tighten around mine, a fragile lifeline in a sea of uncertainty. "Yeah." Her eyes meet mine, shadows lurking in their depths. "About that..."

I lift her hand and brush my lips across her knuckles. "We have things to work through, I know." My thumb traces circles against her wrist. "But for now can we pretend?"

The corners of her mouth quirk up. "Pretend?"

"That we're seventeen again. No broken hearts or bitter words between us." I tug her closer, her warmth seeping into my bones. "Just you and me and a stack of comics."

"I'd like that." Her other hand comes to rest against my chest. "Even if it's only for a little while."

"A little while is all we need." I wrap my arms around her, the familiar shape of her body slotting against mine.

Tonight we'll lose ourselves in nostalgia's embrace. Tomorrow we'll face the wreckage of the past, but for now this is enough.

Fallon

Aksel lifts his hand to cover mine, pressing my palm against his cheek. His eyes flutter closed for a moment as he turns hisface into my touch. When they open again, his gaze is soft, almost vulnerable.

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