Hey everyone. Been a minute. I love writing and am glad so many of you like this story. Honestly though, this story is so trashy I'm embarrassed of it...and tbh I'm not even in the mlb fandom anymore. But hey so many people seem to like it so I'm glad to be of service.

ALSO I'M GONNA DO SOME SHAMELESS SELF-PROMO HERE SOOOO STICK AROUND!

I've begun a new book: And Then We Cried. I'll talk more about it at the end.

When we left off last, Marinette confirmed that she and Adrien were dating with Evelyn (Adrien's good friend and mari's former bully).

On the walk back home:

"Hey, Mari?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

Marinette paused. He was sorry? I mean, there were a lot of things to be sorry for, "You're going to have to be specific."

Adrien chuckled a little, tucking his hand behind his neck. "It's just...I've been such a terrible person to you."

Mari looked up into his eyes. Yes, you were, she thought instinctively. Then she backtracked. No, Marinette. He's trying to say something here.

"I blackmailed my way into your home which you worked so hard to keep, invaded your privacy, shamelessly flirted with you, didn't respect you when you told me no, caused you to lose your job, got you entangled with my life and my horrible father, messed with your love life with that blue haired dummy, got a girl pregnant, and now I'm asking for you to not only accept and forgive all that but continue being my friend as well." Adrien refused to meet Mari's eyes in shame. 

Marinette's heart sank a little. She took Adrien's hand in hers. "Adrien..." she said, "you're missing a lot of stuff."

Adrien didn't laugh. He just stared at the ground.

Mari sighed. "Listen, dear. If I thought for a second that you weren't worth my time, I would have left you on a sidewalk to rot ages ago. Nevermind being  a hindrance to me. I keep you as my friend and trust you as my friend because I have seen how you've changed. I have seen myself change. I...I'm happy, Adrien." 

Adrien looked at Marinette, a twinkle in his eye. "You don't mean that."

Marinette shook her head. "I do, Adrien. Please believe me. I would have never admitted it at the time but I looked forward coming home to your boyish antics and silly games. It gave me a little spark, a little spice in my life. Sure, the drama and heartbreak were unnecessary but I don't blame you for having a complicated life.

"And yeah, sometimes you mess up, sometimes you make mistakes, but so do I. You're not a burden, Adrien. Understand that. When you came to me, that day, looking for a place to stay, you were lost. You were tired and you were scared and you were helpless. And in some ways, you still are. But the Adrien I knew from who was always playing defense would never do the things he did today."

By the time Marinette finished, Adrien was bawling. He was sobbing and he was holding Marinette like she was the only thing left in his world. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry, Mari."

"Shh," she said, "it's okay. It's okay. We'll get through this together."

And they stood there, on the sidewalk, hugging and holding onto each other as it began to rain. They stood their for a long time, for as long as they needed.

And then, they cried.

ABOUT MY NEW BOOK:

Actually on a good update schedule with this one. Four parts out, fifth one out today. I'm really excited for it!

It's a dystopian/suspense/escape novel, possibly a series. Mostly escape.

(And yes, there's romance. I know what y'all came for. Although its not the main focus of the story.)

Synopsis:

In the dystopian world of 2521, if a person below the age of 18 is found guilty of murder, instead of receiving a life sentence or counseling, child murderers are sent to another planet-the planet of Miracolina. Multiple rehabilitation camps have been established on Miracolina, and the goal is to reform children sent there so they can eventually return to earth to relive their lives. All memories of life on earth are erased, in order to allow the kids a change to truly start fresh.

17-year-old Annalise Blackwell has been found guilty of murder. With her memories of her crime and her past life on earth gone, she enters the rehab camps of Miracolina expecting a sense of comfort and newfound purpose. Instead, she finds a maze of distrust and silence, tyranny and schemes, and a terrible, growing feeling of torture.

After a new, strange inmate called Jack risks a desperate attempt to communicate with Annalise, she and her cellmate Kenya team up with him and an innocent ten year old boy named Miles to escape this hellhole, once and for all.

We got diversity, we got representation, we got kickass female leads, driven and emotional male leads, devious antagonists, and a captivating narrative about humanity and freedom.

Check it out, please!