My Bubblegum King - Chapter 35: Chapter 35

"Fuck fuck fuck!" I punched my hand repeatedly at the door, feeling the pain resonate through my knuckles down my entire arm. But it wasn't enough, the pain that is. I needed more.
Flynn left.
My eyes caught the flower vase he gifted the house when we were still putting it together.
"Take care of it, it can't die or wither," he warned, squatting down near the small green plant and looking at it lovingly.
I chuckled, squatting down beside him. "I'm not done taking care of myself and you want me to take care of a plant?"
He turned to me with a little cute pout. "It's not just a plant, it has a name now, um, Cindy? Yeah, Cindy is nice. This is Cindy now, Seb."
"Cindy," I laughed. "That's a lot of responsibility babe."
"She's ours now, love her and water her."
I put my hand around him and kissed his forehead, "no promises."
"There are promises. There better be."
I lunged towards the plant, lifting the vase up and about to smash it down but I just couldn't bring myself to do so.
"You can't," I choked out, I rarely cried, only Flynn could make me cry and he was doing a good job at that now.
I dropped the vase and myself to the ground, my hands finding my hair and pulling at it. This cannot be happening, Flynn can't leave me right now or ever. I fucked up and I'm sorry.
I knew buying the bar was going to come back and bite me in the ass but not like this. I was supposed to gently bring up the topic and tell him about it myself. He wasn't supposed to find out like that.
It now looks like I was deceiving him and all and I broke a promise. It's because of me Flynn didn't travel to a more farther place for college. He was supposed to go to MIT or some other fancy college but because I was staying back and there was no chance in hell I'd ever get into MIT or any fancy college, he decided to go to somewhere closer and smaller. I told him not to but apparently his mind was made up.
"It isn't my future anymore," he had said with a smile, wrapping his legs around me. "It's our future. Me and you forever Seb."
I hit my head on the wall, again and again and again as hot tears fell. "Fuck Sebastian you foolish person."
I couldn't lose him he was the one good thing in my life. I lived for him. Another reason I bought the bar was so I could be able to give him the very best in life from my pocket and not my father's money or inheritance. I loved working at the bar but I want to come home to Paxton everyday.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I mumbled trying to get up to my feet. I was going to call him but then I couldn't find my phone, after searching, I finally saw where it was shattered on the ground. Then I remembered that in my rage, I threw it at the wall.
Fuck.
Dressing up and leaving the house all happened so fast, if I was asked to recollect it all, I wouldn't be able to. It was as if I was drunk but not the good kind of drunk, the very very bad kind. Driving was a bad idea but I did it anyway.
If he took the plane, he'd probably be in school already there was no way he was staying back at home, I knew him that well. I didn't have time to waste. The more time I was away from him, the more of myself I lost.
Getting into the store where I planned to buy the phone, I could feel people's gaze on me but I didn't care, I needed just one thing.
"I want a phone."
The guy looked away from what he was doing, glancing at me for a minute and returning back. "There's a queue man, wait your turn."
My teeth grind against each other and my head pounded. I leaned into the counter, "I said I want a phone. Now, like now!"
"I'm currently occupied, I can't just—"
I didn't wait for him to finish his sentence before my hand reached out, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him closer to me. His eyes went wide with fear as I gritted out, "You seem to be deaf—"
"Hey young man," someone cut me off with a shove on my shoulder. "You can't just grab him like that."
My glare transferred to the guy who shoved me and I let go of the sales guy. I wasn't actually seeing his face, my vision was blurry and my eyes hurt like someone had a lighter pressed on it from the inside. Deep down I knew I was wrong but that didn't matter. I nodded, closing the distance between us. "Uh huh," and before he could say gavinci I clocked him right on the nose, causing him to scream out in pain and fall to the ground.
"We're done."
"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I yelled at no one in particular.
The next minute were a total haze. People were coming at me, my fists were swinging left, right, center. My legs were kicking. I was beating the hell out of someone and someone was trying to beat the hell out of me.
Last thing I remember were the loud sounds of sirens, some more yelling, my hands being cuffed and a black out.
***
Paxton Flynn
I woke up to a somewhat familiar setting. My eyes popped open so fast like I was waking up from a nightmare, couldn't really place what exactly the dream was about but whatever it was, it hurt so much I could feel the pain right here in reality, in my chest and behind my eyes.
I shot up the bed and a very unfamiliar headache hit me like a baseball bat to the back of the head. Not that I've ever been hit before but I'm imagining this is what it must feel like. "Moses beard," I groaned out, holding my head that was feeling too heavy for my body. Great, my chest, eyes and head hurt. I didn't need a mirror to tell me how I looked. And I could feel wetness on my cheeks.
Super great Pax.
I opened my eyes to look around but it was too bright and I couldn't still place exactly where I was. I made to get up but my legs weren't cooperating, they must have signed a deal with my head because together they sent me back down with a louder groan.
"Easy there freshman," a voice said, a voice I knew very well, sending my heart picking up just as the tall frame of the person walks into view. "You have had a long night."
I could say his glinting cross earring caught my eyes first but then I'd be lying. I must have had eight eyes at the moment because I caught all of him at the moment. From his bright green — long time no see— eyes, to his ruffled up hair, chiseled face, tall slender frame and long arms. I saw all of him and it was too much of a resemblance that on first glance seeing him hurt.
Diego was in front of me in no time, sitting and extending a mug of something hot to me. "Drink, for your hangover."
I looked away from him quickly, too quickly for my head that I had to wince but that didn't matter. I had to leave. "I have to go," I made to get up again but he stopped me before my legs could.
"Hey hey, calm down," Diego had his hand on my shoulder, his thumb moving slowly. "What's the rush?"
I couldn't look at him. I was feeling too much at the same time which could serve as an irony seeing that all I was supposed to feel was my aching head alone. Amongst everything, shame was the biggest of all. For whatever reason I didn't want Diego to see me like this. Anyone but him. "I have to go."
He dropped the mug, a hand finding my thigh. "Paxton, what's going on?"
"Nothing," I grit out through my teeth, already feeling the tears fighting to come. Please let me go.
"Bull. You are supposed to be back home, right? You came back, you didn't say shit and now I find you shit face drunk at a bar? So not you if you ask me."
"You don't know me," I manage out, the tears had won. Nobody knows me, even I don't know me.
"Bull. Again."
I don't say anything but then a sniffle betrays me. Why the fuck am I crying?!
"Paxton..."
"I want to go."
"I'm sorry, I am not letting go until I know what's wrong."
Now I turned to him, glaring through my tears although a glare was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment. "Why don't you listen?! Let me go! Let me fucking go! I don't want to be here!"
I see Diego's jaw twitch and his eyes narrow down and the next thing I know he's cupping my face, forcing me to look at him. "What the fuck happened?"
Then I break down. It's uncontrollably, it's like the wall of the dam just needed a little tap to go tumbling and Diego did it. As if I haven't tumbled enough. "I- I- fucked up," I mumbled out but he heard me loud and clear. I shrugged, repeating myself. "I fucked up. Real bad."
Then I break down embarrassingly, crying into Diego's shoulder while he has his hands around me. Admits all the feelings, there was comfort. More comfort than I have ever felt in the last week. I didn't trust Diego not to shame me and insult me on my mistakes, no. But I trusted that I'd be fine with him. I don't even know where that stemmed from but it was there.
I'd be fine.
*
"You need to drink more of that," Diego said, gesturing to the mug just as I was about to drop it down.
I sighed, "no one ever told me hangover could suck like this."
He laughed, a laugh that almost made me smile. "You don't know the half of it. Just be glad you aren't puking and puking. Some people don't take their faces up a toilet seat the whole day."
My eyes widen, "you're lying."
"I'm not." He wiggled his brows.
Now I smiled, "damn." I sipped more from mug. It didn't taste sweet at all but Diego said it was his tested and trusted hangover recipe and I trusted him. "That sounds like a Ry thing to do." Immediately I said it, it echoed in my ears and a frown came on my face. Ry. My best friend.
"It's going to be okay between you and Ryder Pax," Diego tried to assure me like he was reading my mind. "Best friends too fight all the time."
I shake my head, "not me and Ry. We've known each other our whole life. We're more than best friend, we're..." I trailed off, shaking my head to myself and keeping the tears at Bay. No more tears, Diego had told me and I planned on keeping to it. "It just felt weird, you know? She always had my back, even when I'm wrong. Always, Twenty four seven. I know I'm wrong, I just– I guess I didn't expect—"
"You aren't wrong," Diego cut me off and I looked up to see his eyes on me.
I shook my head. "Yeah no need to sugar coat or try—"
"I am not sugar coating shit," he said in a very stern voice making me look back at him. "You felt what you felt Pax, you can't control that. Whatever happened, had to happen. Just because you feel you could have reacted better doesn't make it crime. We feel, we fall and we rise. Ryder shouldn't have tried to dictate how you react because only you know how you felt at that moment, only you know how much what you want means to you. Only you Pax."
"Now, I'm not saying she's wrong and all, she reacted how she thought was best," he shrugged. "That's on her, not you. You guys would be alright. All of you."
I bit on my lip, it was getting really hard to keep my word. "I broke up with him. How do I fix that?"
Diego stayed silent for a while and just when I thought he'd not say anything, he spoke again. "I don't know but what I do know is that communication must happen. You have to go see him."
I was shaking my head before he finished his sentence. "No, I can't. I can't see him." I swallowed. "I know it's crazy and probably overreacting and probably childishness but I really really feel betrayed. I really thought--" my throat hurt. "I- I really thought he'd involve me in everything." I broke my word. "I- I didn't know I was so pushy to the extent he couldn't talk to me. I feel betrayed. I feel like a horrible person. I feel—"
"Hey hey," Diego was beside me again, had on my jaw, slowly bringing me to look at him. His hand reached up and wiped my tears. "No rush then. You don't have to see him now. Of course not. I understand, okay? I know that sudden change does to someone, especially when you've had your life mapped out on one thing."
I nodded, looking away and wiping my face myself. My whole body hurt. "Simba, I don't know if I'm gonna be fine."
"Of course you would, I know it."
"How?" I looked at him. This was one of hardest thing I've ever experienced. Call me spoiled if you want but I was wrecked. My boyfriend and best friend cut off at once. I haven't been without them for the longest of time.
Diego smirked, "I just know it." I didn't know if I completely believe. "Pax, what do you say coming with me?"
"With you?"
"I was supposed to go to an island but I rainchecked because I didn't want to go alone," he pushed my hair that was falling over my face away. "Come with me. New environment, should clear your head."
Tick tock.
Was I going?