.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
—𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍, 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀

—𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲

Arabella pounded on the door with a force that sent vibrations through the hallway. Her knuckles stung, but her frustration was too intense to notice the pain.

Arabella stood outside the door, her frustration growing with each passing second. She could hear shuffling inside the apartment, indicating someone was inside. Her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of why she was so upset.

Arabella huffed when the door didn't open, her arm raised for another set of knocks, but it was cut off. The door flung open and before she could utter a word, she was yanked into the apartment by her arm.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to wake up everyone who lives in this damn complex?" Drew hissed at Arabella, earning nothing more than a measly eye roll from her.

Yes, Henry had smoked weed before, but this time felt different. Drew, her ex, had given it to him and his friends, who were all underage. Not only could Henry get into serious trouble, but so could Drew.

But she wasn't doing this for Drew, she was doing this for Henry.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Arabella retorted, looking around the apartment to see if anyone else was present. Finding no one, she turned her attention back to Drew.

Confusion clouded Drew's expression, his eyebrows knitting together. "What?"

Arabella couldn't help but let out a laugh, though it was more of a scoff, as she looked up at Drew. His face, twisted in of confusion and frustration. "Don't act like you don't know,"

"No, I don't, Arabella," Drew replied, his tone filled with exasperation. He let out a sigh, his frustration evident. "So if you could tell me what you're doing here, that would help,"

"You gave my 19 year old brother and his friends drugs, Drew."

Drew's mouth opened as if he were about to argue, but he quickly closed it, opting for silence instead. A hint of red crept onto his cheeks as he realized he didn't have much of an excuse for this situation.

He glanced around the room, finding only Arabella's intense gaze fixed on him. "First of all, it was weed—"

Arabella's voice boomed, cutting off Drew. "So?" she exclaimed, her tone sharp. "They're 19,"

"Why do you care so much?" he retorted, his words were defensive. "They're teenagers; that's what they do. Henry does weed all the time, so why does it matter now?"

Arabella's face hardened, her eyes narrowing. "Because he's not just some random teenager, Drew. He's my brother, and you gave it to him. You could get him and yourself into serious trouble,"

"You're such a baby," Drew groaned, rolling his eyes dismissively. "He asked me for some, so I gave him some. It's not a big deal. You act like I gave the kid lines of cocaine or something. Which his friend asked for but I didn't give him any since I don't carry that shit."

"But if you did have any on you, you would."

Drew sucked in a breath of anger, "No—what? Are you dumb?"

Arabella's eyes narrowed, disbelief taking over her expression as she crossed her arms.

"Drew, it's not just about Henry. It's about you," Arabella groaned, her frustration evident in her voice. She couldn't believe Drew's stupidity. "If anyone caught you giving weed to a bunch of 19-year-olds, it would get bad for you."

"When did you start to care so much about me?" Drew sneered. "They asked me for some. I gave them some. What else was I supposed to do? He's your brother."

"Exactly," Arabella said. "He's my brother. You should have known that I wouldn't like this." She folded her arms, her gaze fixed on Drew, waiting for a response.

"Well, guess what? I didn't know. I don't know even know you anymore. We haven't talked in seven fucking years," Drew snapped, causing Arabella to freeze in place. "I don't know if your favorite color is still blue, I don't know if you still furrow your eyebrows whenever you're excited, I don't know if you still wrap your gum wrapper into a stupid heart—I don't know you at all anymore. So don't play this game with me saying that I should know."

Arabella's breath hitched in her throat as silence surrounded them.

Drew addressed it. He finally acknowledged the elephant that had been sitting in the room. 

The two continued to stare at each other in silence as each of them processed what was just said.

Arabella took a shaky breath, regaining her composure. Realizing she was here for one thing and one thing only, "You shouldn't have gave him anything."

Drew bit the inside of his cheek, a flicker of irritation crossing his face before he let out a short, low laugh. "Get off your fucking high horse, Arabella. Acting as if you're better than everyone, thinking you can save everyone," he scoffed.

Arabella felt her face twitch in anger. Of course, he had to mess it up again. He had to say something that cut right where it hurts.

"Just because you thought you were too good for all of us doesn't mean that everyone can live up to your standards," Drew spoke again, his voice slowly rising.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Arabella scoffed, her voice was low and controlled, in contrast to Drew's.

"Don't act like you don't know."

The conversation had took a complete 180. Something Arabella didn't want.

She came here for her brother, no one else. She came here to confront Drew, nothing else.

"Don't try to flip the topic." Arabella warned, looking up to make direct eye contact with Drew.

Instead of the familiar loving gaze she was so used to, Arabella saw the opposite. There was not one speck of love coating his gaze which reminded her of how much had changed.

"I'm not—fuck! I'm not flipping the fucking topic," Drew groaned. He ran a hand through his face. "Goddamn, you are annoying. If it were anyone else giving Henry weed, you wouldn't have cared."

"That's the thing!" Arabella complained.

"What's the thing! Tell me, Arabella, what's the damn thing?"

Arabella stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"I don't trust you."

Drew eyebrows twitched into a slight frown. He pursed his lips together and for a second she could see his hardened gaze turning into something solemn.

"I don't trust you either." He spoke, lowly.

So low that if Arabella wasn't as close to him as she was, she wouldn't have heard it.

Arabella hadn't realized how close she was to Drew until now. She was so close that she could see every detail of his face. The scar on his forehead, that Lance gave him by chucking a football at his head during sophomore year. His blue eyes, the reason she changed her favorite color from pink to blue. His plump, pink lips that she knew too much about.

Her eyes traveled down to one last thing. The chain around his neck. The one with a key hanging from it that she had given him a week before they were supposed to leave for college. A week before everything fell apart.

"Why a key?" Drew asked.

"Just so you know that even when we're hundreds of miles apart. It's only going to be you, you're the only one."

Drew noticed the space between them as well. His eyes followed Arabella's eyes to see what she was looking at. He noticed, but he didn't make any effort to put it away this time.

"What are you really doing here, Arabella?" Drew's voice was barely above a whisper, His eyes searched hers, his expression unreadable.

Arabella sucked in a breath, Drew's presence was so close that she could feel his breath on her shoulder, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Henry," Was all Arabella whispered, her voice barely audible, not trusting herself to speak any louder., afraid that her voice would hint her nervousness.

"Well, I'm sorry," Drew muttered, his breath warm against Arabella's skin, causing her to shudder. "I'm sorry that I gave your brother and his friends weed, okay?"

Arabella's response was a silent nod. She felt frozen in the moment, unsure of how to react or what to do next.

"You can go now," Drew spoke, his gaze locked onto Arabella's. His eyes, which had been filled with hate before, now held a different emotion—something she couldn't quite place.

Arabella heard Drews words but she didn't act upon them. She stood completely still, staring into Drew's eyes—him doing the same.

Despite his words, Arabella sensed that Drew didn't actually want her to leave.

Arabella sucked in a breath, she couldn't be doing this. She couldn't fall into the deep hole of Drew Starkey. She promised herself that she wouldn't.

After releasing a shaky breath, Arabella tore her gaze away from Drew's, her heart pounding in her chest. With a swallow, she turned around to walk away.

Until a rough hand gripped onto her hand, spinning her around.

Before she knew it, Drew's lips crashed against Arabella's.

Arabella's mind went fuzzy, her breath catching in her throat at the familiar feeling. Deja vu washed over her, the sensation so strong it made her head spin. She gasped, trying to make sense of the repetition.

This was the last thing Arabella had expected when she came to Drew's apartment.

Arabella felt guilt consume her, she can not be doing this. She shouldn't be. Not after what he did.

But in that moment, despite the guilt that consumed her and the voice inside screaming at her to stop, she found herself not being able to resist.

She leaned into Drew's kiss, her heart pounding in her chest. Her body responded before her mind could catch up and she reciprocated the kiss.

Drew's hands slid to Arabella's waist, switching their positions. With a swift motion, he lifted her onto the kitchen counter. Arabella's legs spread apart as he moved in between them, and she wrapped her legs around his torso while her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.

"Ara, we shouldn't—" Drew mumbled against her lips.

"Then stop," Arabella mumbled back as she continued the kiss nonetheless. They both knew they shouldn't, but neither of them made any move to pull away.

They both knew they weren't going to stop, not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want to. Much to Arabella's embarrassment, she had been waiting for the feeling of Drew's lips against hers. The way they perfectly molded together, as if they were meant to be.

"Fuck it."

©𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞