#txstrayventeezpen

The necklace that perfectly complimented your outfit was draped carefully around your neck and clasped in the back, delicate fingers tracing lightly over the exposed skin of your neck as you stared at yourself in the vanity mirror. “You don’t think I’m too overdressed, do you?” You asked, meeting Sans gaze in the mirror as he rested his chin on your shoulder. 

“Of course not, babe. You look amazing.” San hummed, his hands running up and down your arms that would soon be covered by the thin knitted cardigan that hung on the back of the chair. “I’m so lucky I get to sit beside you tonight.” He murmured against the shell of your ear before pressing a kiss to your cheek. 

You couldn’t help but admire him as he stood up straight, the crisp white button up that he was wearing hadn’t even gotten wrinkled while he was leaning over. He always looked good, even when he wasn’t dressed up, but right now, he looked amazing. “The people who run the event… They know that I’ll be there with you too, right?” You asked, taking one last look at yourself in the mirror before getting up and following him out of the room. 

This was an important event for both you and San, him and the guys were being nominated for an award tonight, but this would also be the first event that you and San would be publicly seen together after getting married. There had been a lot of unofficial photographs from reporters and paparazzi that had been released over time, but none of them were truly trustable, this time though, everyone would know it’s true. 

“Of course they know you’ll be there, babe.” He walked over to you as you slipped on the heels that you knew would end up forgotten on the floor by the first half of the event, letting you use his shoulder to hold yourself steady as you stood up straight. “I made sure they remembered to put an extra two seats at the table, one seat for you that’ll be right beside me, and one seat for your purse.” He took a step back, his eyes scanning over you as a warm smile graced his features. “You look absolutely stunning, I’m so lucky.” 

You whispered a soft thank you, always feeling shy whenever he complimented you even after having been with him for so long. “Are you ready to go?” You asked, grabbing your bag off the hook and walking closer to the door, but San held his finger up, motioning for you to wait as he ran to the bedroom, quickly returning with your cardigan. “Ah… thank you, honey.” 

He held it out for you as you slipped your arms in, smoothing out the fabric once it was on your body, his smile growing wider as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “Now we’re ready to go.” He said softly, flicking off the lights as his other hand stayed on your lower back, leading you out the door. 

You wouldn’t say that San was controlling, you were allowed to do things, you were allowed to go out and hang with friends. San was just… very possessive of you. When you were out, he was constantly texting you, asking for pictures, making sure no one was getting too close to you, sometimes he’d even call you and ask you to keep the call going in the background just to hear your voice and make sure nothing was going on. It’s not that he didn’t trust you though, he just didn’t trust the world and the people that lived in it. The distrust wasn’t just targeted towards strangers or your friends though, he didn’t even trust his own groupmates, hence why there would be the “purse chair” as he called it, specifically there to keep the space between you and whatever unfortunate member would be on the opposite side of that chair, on the receiving end of Sans side eye for a majority of the night. 

The event venue was packed already, people showing up fashionably early, along with the reporters whose cameras flashed repeatedly in everyone's faces. San didn’t mind at all though, he was more than happy to be seen with you on his arm, your outfits perfectly matched to make you look like the perfect couple, and as of now, it felt like you truly were. 

Once the two of you made it through the front doors it was just a matter of finding the table that you’d sit at, and that wasn’t a problem considering most of the other guys had already shown up, jumping up from their chairs and waving you and San over. “You finally made it! It’s a mess out there, how was it getting through?” Wooyoung said when the two of you made it to the table, Sans hand was now gripping your own, holding it so tightly and so close to himself that he might as well have put your clasped hands in the pocket of his suit jacket. 

“What do you mean finally? We’re an hour and a half early?” San teased as he looked around the table, counting the chairs and then quickly claiming three for you, himself and your bag. “It’s crazy out there though, those flashes almost blinded Y/N.” He said your name with such reverence, smiling to you as he pulled out your chair and then took your purse and placed it on the chair beside you before any of the guys could take the seat. “Speaking of… This is my wife.” He took his seat, his arm immediately draping over your shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as his other hand lifted the glass of water that was on the table. 

“I’m glad we get to meet in a more formal setting this time.” Seunghwa said with a smirk, and you couldn’t help but be confused since this was the first time you had met him and the other guys in general. “It only took San three months of sneaking you in the dorms to finally marry you, that must be true love there.” Seunghwa raised his glass and the guys all followed suit, the seven of them wearing smiles as they looked at you and San. “Congratulations.” 

It was crazy how Seunghwa, who was just trying to be a little funny, had essentially ruined your marriage, ruined your relationship, and broken your heart all at once. It didn’t take deep thought or some confusing equation for you to add things up. You knew that San and yourself had been together way longer than three months. The marriage certificate had been filled out two months ago, and you had been engaged for five months before that, and even before that, the two of you had been dating steadily for a year and a half. It wasn’t even just the math though, it was the fact that you had never even stepped foot into the dorms, and surely if you had, you wouldn’t have to be snuck in. 

Sans body was tense, and you could feel him staring at you out of the corner of his eyes, awaiting your reaction. He knew he fucked up, but there were so many people around, he didn’t want to make a scene and go off on Seunghwa for dropping the bomb. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.” You said, already pushing your chair back, trying your best to hold onto the calm composure that you had been carrying before you were hit with such news. 

“Y/N…” San whispered, grabbing your hand and looking up at you with wide eyes that were screaming at you to stay. He knew you were pissed, he just didn’t exactly know what that would mean. You used your free hand to grab your purse, slinging it over your shoulder as you tried to pull away without making it too obvious. “Why are you taking your purse, I can watch it?” 

“For lady reasons…” You whispered right back, proud of how quick your mind was able to come up with an excuse while being so frazzled. “I’ll be right back.” You said to the guys at the table, but you and San knew better, you wouldn’t be back at all. His eyes watched you as you walked away, knowing that this view would be the last he’d have of you, at least for the rest of the night. 

Of course you weren’t just going to sit there beside him, pretending to be the happy wife of someone that you had just found out cheated on you. It sucked, but what made it worse was the fact that he had done it a month before you got married, and you weren’t sure how long he had been doing it before then either. San didn’t value you, he didn’t cherish you, and you were beginning to believe that he was only so possessive of you because he had a guilty conscience, and he was scared that you’d do the same thing he did. 

Both your wedding and engagement ring were promptly slid off and left on the sink counter at the venue before walking out and calling yourself a cab. You needed to go home, you needed to think, not about how to fix things, but how to end things without it turning into a big argument. You wouldn’t have been able to do that at the venue, you needed to be alone with your thoughts. 

How were you going to end things? It wouldn’t be easy, you knew that. He wouldn’t leave willingly, you knew the kind of person he was. He’d make all kinds of excuses, and then he’d try to soften you up, make you forget all about it. You couldn’t let that happen, you knew there was a chance, he was so charming, so manipulative, you wondered if he even knew. You needed time, time to prepare yourself for what was to come. 

You started with the hardest task, packing up all of his clothes into his suitcases, and when the suitcases ran out of room, you started tossing his clothes into bags that all ended up lined up at the front door. It would be the first sight to greet him when he walks in. Award shows lasted pretty long, and there were often after parties, although you weren’t sure if San would go to this one. Maybe he would, just to grab a couple drinks before walking into the storm that was awaiting him at home. 

Next to go were the pictures, pictures of you and him when you were so happy, so naive, so clueless as to what he was truly doing. He was happy too, and why would he not be? He hadn’t been caught yet, and he was probably under the assumption that he never would be. That’s the thing about cheaters, about cheating in general… It’ll only be so long before things come out, whether it’s from their own slip up, or from an unaware friend who has no idea. 

The pictures in the frames were promptly trashed, replaced with the original pictures that had once been in there. Pictures of you with friends and family, surrounded by people who loved you, people who would never hurt you. The pictures would serve as a constant reminder to you that even without San there, you still had people there for you. 

It didn’t change the fact that you were devastated though. You could remove his clothes from the bedroom, you could remove the pictures from the frames, but you couldn’t get rid of the memories, not this quickly. Anger had fueled you in your quest to pack up and get rid of everything that was his, but once you were done, the only thing you could do was cry. Cry over the years that you wasted, years that had you falling deeper and deeper in love with him until he slipped those two rings on your finger. You had been so excited, planning the wedding venue and looking at wedding dresses, making a list of all the people that you were going to invite. It was all for nothing though, everything that had to do with him was just a waste of time. 

That’s when he came in, of course it would be. He couldn’t walk through the front door when you were emotionally stronger, no… He came back when you were weak, sobbing on the couch as you gripped onto the throw pillow. “So that’s it…? You don’t want to talk about it?” He asked, looking around at the bags on the floor, knowing damn well that his stuff was inside of them. 

“What’s there to talk about?” You mumbled, turning your head to glance at him over the back of the couch. Your vision was blurry from the tears that filled your eyes, but you saw him, standing in the doorway, shoulders slumped as he watched you. “You cheated… I have nothing to say to you.” 

He watched as you got up off the couch, letting you take a few steps before practically running to you, grabbing your arm and turning you around to face him. “You really want to end it like this? How do you know Seunghwa was telling the truth, huh? You really think I’d cheat on you after proposing to you? You’re too trusting… You believe anything…” 

“Is that why you panicked?” You retorted, trying your best to hold your head high although you were beyond embarrassed, you were humiliated. “You knew that he was telling the truth, that’s why you got so tense. That’s how I knew it was the truth.” You weakly pushed against his chest, sobbing softly as your head shook. “As if it wasn’t bad enough to be cheated on, it had to be by you. The whole world is going to find out soon enough and…” You sniffled loudly, wiping your tears on your sleeve. “And I’m going to be the fool! Not you! So just… take your stuff and go… please.” 

His arms dropped to the side, completely defeated. “I’ll go…” He muttered, backing up slowly as his own tears began to fall. There was no point in arguing with you, not right now, not when the wounds were so fresh. You were right, and you had every right to be angry with him. “I’ll take as much as I can… I’m sorry…” 

Anger took hold of him as he sped through crowded streets, making his way to the dorms where the guys were most likely just now getting in. One mistake, it was in the past and that’s where he wanted to keep it, but Seunghwa just had to bring it up. What was the point of bringing it up? It was a mistake that he wanted to forget about making. He wasn’t proud of it, he hated himself for doing it, that’s why he clung to you, doted upon you, practically worshiped you. You were Sans everything, and now what? Were you truly done with him? Did you really not want anything to do with him? It was all Seunghwas fault… him and his mouth… 

San stormed into the dorms, the doorknob slamming against the wall and then bouncing back, slamming shut and just further holding the attention of the other guys who sat around in the living room, still slightly drunk from the afterparty. “Yah! San, what are you doing?!” Hongjoong called out, the only one who looked even slightly sober in the group right now. 

The few bags that he had been able to take with him from the apartment were dropped onto the floor as he stormed over to Seunghwa, his finger in the older man’s face, his hand shaking with his anger. “You… You did this! Why do you talk?!” San shouted, the other guys finally catching on enough to try to pull him back. “You ruined everything! I love her! I do! Why…?!” He was breathing heavily as tears streamed down his face, the guys finally able to get him as far away from Seunghwa as possible in the short moment of weakness. 

“What are you talking about?” Seunghwa was genuinely, and rightfully, confused by the sudden outburst, but it was soon replaced by panic as he jumped up, his eyes going wide. “Did I embarrass her? What happened, is she okay?” His head shook as he ran his hands over his alcohol induced reddened face. “I really didn’t mean to upset her… Did something bad happen?” 

Everyone in the room was now looking to San for answers, but he could only chuckle humorlessly as he pushed the guys back. “Did something… did…” He could barely get the words out as his breaths quickened once more, his nostrils flaring as anger evolved into pure rage. “I’m losing my fucking wife! She… She kicked me out because…” And as quickly as that rage had lit up inside of him, it was burnt out, guilt and regret crashing over him like waves during a storm. “It wasn’t her… I fucked up… And I wanted to… to forget… I didn’t want her to know…” His voice became a whisper as he slid down the wall, falling to the floor and curling up into himself. “I was drunk… and she was out of town… and I felt awful about it immediately… that’s… that’s why I made her leave so early. I didn’t think anyone would be awake… I don’t… I don’t even drink anymore because I’m so… I’m so scared of something like that happening again and… I love Y/N… I don’t want to lose her…” 

Seunghwa fell back onto the couch, his face in his hands as heavy sighs escaped him. “It’s not my fault… How was I supposed to know?” He muttered, taking a deep breath as he lifted his head to look at San. “You didn’t tell us anything… You didn’t even tell us that you were getting married. We didn’t find out until that meeting with the manager before the show. Then… Then you have the nerve to come in here getting mad at me because… because I assumed that she was that girl… It’s not my fault that you hid your wife.” He stood up, eyes like daggers glaring at San. “And it’s not my fault that you cheated on her either.” 

“I…” San started, his breath shaky as he pushed himself up off the floor. “I hid her because she was mine! I love her… I… I didn’t mean to cheat on her, it just… It happened and I know that it doesn’t make it any better but…” He sniffled softly as he leaned against the wall, his head falling back as tears streaming down his face. “But I don’t want to be without her… I…” A sharp gasp shot through his lips as he turned to go into his own room, a room that he hadn’t been in in three months, a room that he’d much rather forget even existed along with the memories that lingered beneath the sheets of his bed. 

You knocked quickly on the door, a few of the bags that you were able to lug into the building by yourself on the floor beside your feet as you waited for someone to answer. It’s not like no one was home, you could hear the tv from the other side of the door… Maybe they just couldn’t hear you? So you knocked louder, your fist hurting from the force behind it. “Yah! Open the damn-” Before you could get the last word out, the door swung open, and there he was. 

“Y/N…” San whispered your name, his eyes wide and already welling with tears the moment he looked at you. “You’re here…” A shaky hand ran through his hair as he took a step back, motioning for you to come inside. “I’m making ramen… If you want some. I have other food too, I always keep all your favorites… I’ve been waiting for… I… I miss you.” 

God, why were you crying? He hurt you? And why should he be crying when you were the one who’s gone through three months of pain because of him? “I just came to drop off the rest of your things.” You said, avoiding eye contact, knowing that the more you looked at him, the more you’d be hurt. “I was only able to carry up a little… The rest is in my car. You can come down and get it… Or not. I don’t care. I’ve waited for you to come pick it up long enough though.” 

“I didn’t want to pick it up… I thought that you’d ask me to come back at some point.” Of course he’d think that. You didn’t have time to play this game with him, and going back and forth would only cause you both more heartache. You quickly turned on your heel, if he wasn’t going to get his stuff, you’d just give it to people who need it. “W-Wait… Don’t leave… Don’t leave me…” He grabbed your elbow, yanking you back to him until you crashed against his chest. “You don’t know how hard it’s been… Without you… I feel like I could die… I hate it… I hate not being with you.” 

“I… don’t know how hard it’s been?” You repeated breathlessly, scoffing as you pushed him back. “You don’t know! First I get cheated on by you and I find out about it three months later and then… I can’t even leave my own house with reporters and paparazzi shoving their stupid cameras in my face and asking why they haven’t seen us together and why I wasn’t still at the award show when you made your speech. And for some reason I care about you too much to tell them the truth… So I’m the bad one…” You watched as his face fell, his arms still outstretched as if to wrap around you. “You feel like you could die… But I wish I would. You don’t know what it’s like to constantly be attacked and not be able to say anything… I don’t know why I still protect you… Just… Get your things so I can go.” 

“I’ll tell them… I’ll publically announce what I did just so they’ll leave you alone.” He grabbed your hand again, this time just holding it tightly, terrified that if he let you go once more that you’d finally leave. “Just stay with me… I want to work this out… I don’t want to lose you. I don’t care what happens with the group or anything, I don’t care what the fans think of me, or what the agency says… I made a mistake and I’ll pay for it, but I swear on everything, I’ve never made that mistake again. I don’t even drink, I don’t go out unless it’s with you.” 

He kept pulling you closer, and you were tired of trying to pull away, it’s not like it would do any good, he’d just keep pulling you back, and as much as you tried to ignore the feelings, you missed him, you missed his touch, his hugs, his kisses. You missed everything about him. “Why do they hate me so much… They don’t know me… They don’t know what I’m going through. They don’t know what you did to me…” You allowed yourself to fall once again against his chest, and this time he pulled you further into the dorms, shutting the door behind you and moved you to the couch. 

“They hate you because they’re not you.” He responded matter of factly, brushing his hand over your hair as he pulled you down onto the couch beside him. “They’ll know what I’ve done, and they’ll know how lucky I am to have a wonderful woman that sticks beside me, even though I’m an idiot… I know I don’t deserve you… But I don’t want to live without you either.”

“Yah…” You muttered, sniffling softly and pulling back to look at him. “Wh-Who said I was still your wife? You’re an idiot… Choi San… And I don’t marry idiots…” You mumbled, turning your back to him to stare out the window. 

You felt the couch vibrate with his silent laughter, his arms snaking around your waist as his chin rested on your shoulder. “Well… Maybe you can give this idiot a chance… Just one? Just one chance to prove that he’s madly in love with you, and would do anything to keep you… Please.” His lips pressed against your neck, and you swore it felt like electricity coursing through your veins. 

“Such an idiot…” You grumbled, although you felt yourself instinctively leaning back against him until you were leaning once more against his chest, his arms still tightly surrounding you, and truthfully, in his arms was the only place you ever wanted to be. 

“Ah… but you’re also madly in love with this idiot… so let me help you out here.” His tone was lighter now, and you could still feel his body shaking with his laughter as he fumbled in his pockets. “My beautiful wife, your hand looked so empty without your rings… How could you possibly forget them in the restroom?” He teased, grabbing your hand and quickly slipping the band back onto your ring finger. “Much better… Right?” 

The sun had just barely risen, the top not yet even fully peaking over the top of the buildings that you could see from your bedroom window. It was rare for you to be awake at this time, and you had wanted nothing more than to sleep for a few more hours, to bask in the warmth and softness of your bed. 

Nothing ever quite went as planned though, and the shifting of your bed and the soft grunt coming from beside you had stirred you out of your very peaceful and much needed slumber. “You’re leaving already?” You murmured tiredly, rolling over to watch him as he pulled his shirt on, his hair unruly and sticking up in all places as he stood up. “It’s Saturday, you don’t have to leave early…” 

He always left, and you tried to tell yourself that you were okay with it, but you found it harder and harder to keep going along with how things were. “I don’t want anyone to see me leaving.” He whispered, seemingly not even wanting to risk your neighbors simply hearing that he was there. “I’ll text you later.” Is what he said, what he always said on his way out, although later usually meant when he just wanted to hook up again. 

“Yeah… Alright…” You breathed out the words, not wanting him to hear that you were upset, but you knew that even if he did hear it in your voice, he wouldn’t care. You were simply there for his amusement, a toy to be played with and shoved aside when he got bored, and you had allowed yourself to be that for him. “Can you at least lock the door when you leave, I’m going back to bed…” 

He nodded quickly, and you stayed awake long enough to watch him leave, listening for the latch of the lock that never came, forcing you to roll out of bed yourself and hurry to the front door. He didn’t lock it, because just as you already knew, he didn’t care enough to lock it. He didn’t care about you. 

It was pretty pathetic, even you could admit it to yourself at this point, how much you waited around for him. You didn’t go out with friends, you didn’t really do much of anything other than working, always waiting and hoping that a call or a text would come in from him saying that he wanted to meet up. What was even more pathetic was how infatuated you were with him, knowing that it was a one way road and you were the only one going down it. 

You were well aware that he didn’t want a relationship, but the foolish part of you held out hope that one day he’d realize that he loved you as much as you loved him. It wouldn’t be entirely unlikely, you had known a lot of people that were in relationships that started out the same way you and Jay were right now. Maybe he was just taking a little longer…

So you waited, and you waited… And that text that he said he’d send you later never came. He never called and he never showed up, and while you wanted to text him to make sure he was okay, you were well aware that he was just fine, he had posted pictures on Instagram and uploaded stories, he just didn’t want to talk to you. It hurt, but it wasn’t unexpected, it wasn’t the first time he had done this to you, it was just the last time you’d sit around and wait for him. 

It was the weekend, and most of the time you’d spend your Saturdays and Sundays waiting for him, all done up and pretty sitting on your couch only for an outfit and more makeup to go to waste as you stripped it all off at the end of the night. Not tonight though, you were getting done up, you looked amazing, but it wasn’t for him, it wasn’t going to waste, you were going out. You always saw posts about the club that your friends frequented on the weekends, and they used to invite you out to go with them, but after a while of you blowing them off, they had stopped asking. Maybe they’d be surprised to see you there, maybe you’d find someone to help take your mind off of Jay… Maybe you’d actually enjoy the weekend without him. 

And you did, you had met up with your friends, you had taken in one too many shots, and you had drunkenly found someone on the dance floor who seemed genuinely interested in you, at least for the night. You didn’t even know the guy's name, but in a drunken, lust filled frenzy, he had somehow ended up in your bed that night as well. It was the perfect way to forget about Jay for the moment. 

You woke up the next morning, your mind still hazy from the drinks you had the night before. There was a warmth beside you that you were unfamiliar with, not used to feeling when the sun's rays were beating clearly in through the window. It was too late in the morning for it to be Jay, so you reluctantly rolled over, your eyes met with an unfamiliar wavy black mop of hair on the pillow beside you. 

For a moment you panicked, and by a moment, it was about a good five minutes, your heart racing as you continued to stare at the back of the guy's head. “Oh shit…” You muttered, but when you shifted to get out of bed, you felt something even more unfamiliar… Your pants were still on… Something that usually never occurred the morning after a night with Jay. 

“Huh?” The man grumbled, shifting slightly before rolling over to face you, his eyes shooting open before he sat up in your bed. “So sorry! Hi! I’m-” 

“Who are you?!” You shouted, scooting as far away from him as you could without falling off the edge of the bed. His hands were held up in front of him defensively, but his eyes, his face, everything about him seemed so sincere. He was still fully dressed as well, as you could see the top of his own jeans underneath the blankets that he had abruptly attempted to kick off of himself in the process. 

“I was getting to that…” He chuckled nervously, clearly still disoriented from being startled from his slumber. “I’m Jake… We uh… We met at the club kind of.” Your eyes narrowed at the vagueness of the statement, and he quickly continued. “I’m best friends with one of your friends boyfriends… They wanted me to make sure you got home safely and… Once I got you home you went right to your room and started crying about some dude… He sounds like a real asshole by the way. But I didn’t really know if I should leave… I couldn’t lock your door from the outside and I just didn’t think it would be safe to leave the door unlocked when you were so drunk… I’m really sorry… I should have slept on the couch… But you were talking about the guy and we both ended up passing out.” 

“So… we didn’t…” You questioned, and as if he already knew how the question would be finished, his head quickly shook, his hands shaking as well. “Thank god…” And now he looked slightly offended, taken aback by your words of relief, and it was your turn to defend yourself. “Not because like… I just didn’t want to be like… I didn’t want people to think that… You know…” 

“I get it…” He smiled kindly, his hand ruffling through his hair before stretching, a loud yawn leaving his mouth. “So, are you hungry? I mean, the least I can do is get you breakfast since I scared the hell out of you this morning. I’m really sorry about that by the way… I probably should have slept on the couch or something.” 

It was crazy how this guy who knew nothing about you, had gotten nothing from you, wanted to get you breakfast just because he had startled you this morning. You were so used to being left before the sun was even in the sky, you weren’t accustomed to sharing breakfast with anyone, let alone having it offered to you, and even more, you surely weren’t used to it being offered by a man that you had shared your bed with. Is this how things were supposed to be? “N-No… It’s fine… I uhm… You don’t have to keep apologizing. Not a lot of people would be so kind… especially to a stranger.” You sighed softly, your previous statement an insult in a way to the man that had lacked in the kindness department, the man that held a firm grasp onto your heart for some reason. 

“So I can get you breakfast?” He posed, leaning forward slightly on the bed, his smile precious paired with his still sleep filled eyes. You tiredly nodded your head, letting out a yawn of your own before getting up. “I’m not really great at cooking so… I was thinking Macas drive thru? I can try making pancakes but I feel like your apartment will burn down and… I just don’t think your neighbors would appreciate that.” 

A stranger, you didn’t know him at all, all you really did know was that he was your friend's boyfriend's friend, and while you had seen him occasionally show up in pictures that your friends would upload, you have never met him yourself. That was the craziest part, the fact that even with all of the unknown, you felt so comfortable around him, and he seemed to feel comfortable around you. His jokes had you giggling to yourself, sometimes even going into full fits of laughter that would have his eyes lighting up as the biggest, most beautiful smile you had ever seen graced his features. He was perfect, which in itself seemed like a strange fate type thing, you had gone to the club to forget about Jay for the evening, and now here you were, your mind completely cleared of the first man only to have it taken over completely by Jake. 

Jake, who had become such a key part of your life, proving to you that you didn’t have to give up any part of yourself for him to stick around, he simply wanted a bit of your time because he enjoyed spending his with you. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months and he continued to be there, and at some point, he had asked you if you wanted to be his girlfriend. There wasn’t even a single second of hesitation before you had joyously agreed, and that was the first time you had even kissed him. Being with Jake was simple, it was like spending time with your best friend, he was your best friend, but he was also your boyfriend and you got to love him and kiss him, and he shared the same thoughts. 

All thoughts of Jay were gone, it was like he never even existed in your life once Jake had come into it. His number had been muted and you couldn’t be bothered to check his messages even when you saw that new ones had come in. Jay was a piece of your past that you were more than happy to leave behind, wanting nothing more than to move forward in the happiness and love filled future that you had with Jake. 

“Oh! I think that’s the popcorn machine!” You cheered when you heard the heavy rapping of a knock at your door, and Jakes eyes sparkled as he looked at you. “Did I forget to tell you that I got it? Well… I did! Movie nights are going to be so much fun!” You clapped your hands together before running over to the door, Jake tagging along behind you, his arms wrapping around you from behind as he waited for you to open the door. 

All excitement vanished, completely faded when you looked at the man that was standing in your doorway, his eyes narrowed as he clearly looked at Jake behind you, who’s arms seemed to tighten around your waist. “So this is what you’ve been doing…” Jay muttered, his hand running through his hair as he shook his head. “Didn’t even think to shoot me a text to let me know that you found another one, huh?” 

“I’m gonna guess that this is the guy you were telling me about before?” Jake murmured, although it seemed like he wasn’t really trying to be quiet, almost like he wanted Jay to hear him. And he did, he heard him clearly, Jays eyes narrowed at the man behind you, the irritation palpable as it radiated off of him. “Do you want me to leave you alone to talk to him or-“ 

You quickly shook your head, your hands moving up to hold Jake close to you, your actions only irritating Jay more. “Oh that’s really nice, Y/N. You can talk about me but you can’t talk to me. I’d love to know just what you said though, please tell me.” His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe, making sure you couldn’t close the door on him. “Oh come on, you clearly had so much to say about me. What’s wrong? Can’t say it to my face?” 

Jake was shaking, you could feel his entire body trembling behind you as he tried to retain his own anger. “She told me you’re an asshole, and she clearly wasn’t wrong.” He retorted, venom lacing his words as he spat them in Jays direction. “It takes a real piece of shit to ghost someone for three months after getting what you want from them and then try to show up on their doorstep after they finally ghosted your ass trying to make them seem like the bad person.” 

Jays jaw was set, clenched tightly as his cheeks slightly hollowed, a true expression of anger that you were familiar with seeing on his face. “No need to act like a boyfriend, buddy. It’s just sex, she’s fine with you leaving. You’re being extra for what?” Even with being as pissed off as he was, he found a way to be the typical cocky, snarky asshole that he always was. 

“I am her boyfriend.” Jake quickly corrected him, nuzzling his face into your neck just for added measure, the public display of affection in front of the man that you used to sleep with had your body burning up, but it also had butterflies swarming in your stomach, knowing that Jake loved you enough to be so open, to proudly show Jay that you were way more to him than just a booty call. “And unlike you, I’ll never hurt her. You don’t deserve someone as amazing as Y/N anyway.” 

His eyes darted between you and Jake before his eyes shut, his head hanging low. “I never wanted to hurt her…” His voice was solemn and kind of sad, something that you had never heard when it came to him. “I just wasn’t ready for a relationship… But I wanted to have her… I wanted her to be mine.” His bottom lip was tucked between his teeth as he looked up at you through his lashes. “How could you leave me like this… and not even tell me?” 

For a moment your heart panged with your own sadness, maybe even a little bit of guilt for not informing him… “We weren’t together.” You whispered, licking your lips that had gone dry in the time that Jake and Jay had been bickering back and forth. “I didn’t leave you… I… I just stopped being your convenient hookup for when you got bored.” Your voice was becoming shaky, hating the fact that this conversation was happening in front of Jake, the man that you loved so much, you didn’t want him to have to deal with this. “I don’t want to talk about this… It’s done… I’m done with that…” 

“Why?” The question was unexpected, you didn’t think he’d actually question the reason for the ending of the beneficial agreement, you thought he’d just… naturally understand considering Jake was literally right there. It was clear that he wasn’t going to let this go, not unless he was winning. “For him? How could you just move on like that? I mean… You’d say every single time we got together that you loved me… You can’t just… Stop that feeling.” 

It seemed like he was trying to piss you off, or piss Jake off… Or maybe the both of you. Whatever or whoever his target was, it was working. “I can stop that feeling, and I did. It was actually easy when it came to you because being with Jake made it really clear for me that the only thing you ever wanted from me was sex. I didn’t want to be that forever, and you made it pretty damn obvious that you never wanted anything but that with me. You never loved me, you only loved what I could give you. The only reason you’re even here right now is because you were scared that you lost it, and you know what, you were right.” 

His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth as his head slowly nodded, and the look of sadness was replaced with that cocky look once again. “Jake could never give you what I gave you. Don’t come crawling back to me when you realize that loser can’t please you the way I can. You’re replaceable… I’m not. I’ll already have someone else.” 

The words that were meant to hurt you or upset you only made you feel disgusted, not just with him, but with yourself for feeling anything but disgust at him. Love is so blinding that it made you look past all of the features of him that made you so sick to your stomach now. All you wanted to do was slam the door in his face, but he wasn’t going to let that happen, he still stood against the frame, trying to be intimidating but all he was was annoying. 

“Look bud…” Jake said, and you could tell that he was trying his best to be calm, his fingers gripping into your shirt as a means to keep his composure. “You said what you felt you had to say, it’s over now. And in regards to her pleasure… I’m pleasing her just fine. It’s not all about sex, it’s about how happy she is, and I make sure she’s happy every single day. This is the only time since I’ve been with her that she hasn’t been happy, and that’s because of you… So could you just do everyone a favor and leave?” 

Jay scoffed as he threw his arms up in the air, slowly backing away from the door. “He can have you! You weren’t that good anyway! You were just easy!” He called out, making a scene, his voice growing louder as if he wanted the neighbors to hear, he wanted you to be humiliated, but Jake was quick to shut the door, locking it before turning to face you with a smile.