Title From: "Therapy" -All Time Low.

After a week of typing out messages and deleting them, I eventually decide to click send. What do I have to lose?

Hi, it's Alex

Hey! How r u?

I'm ok ig, u?

I'm doin okay, but are you sure you're ok?
I heard what your dad said :(

Wdym?

I heard him tell you not to "make me gay" and not to ruin his life. Idk I think there's more to your dad than meets the eye. He seemed all nice to us but he treats you like crap and it doesn't make sense
Sorry I'm getting too personal

He said that because last time he had an office friend, the guy's son became literally obsessed with me and then when I told him I didn't wanna be with him, he made up shit about my dad and of course his dad took his son's side and yeah

Wait, so are you actually gay? Too soon to ask?

No, I am...

I click the screen off, my hands shaking. Oh God, he'll hate me after this, I know it, I know it...

*ding*

I reach for my phone, taking a deep breath before going back into our conversation.

Oh, I completely support you!

I was so scared you'd hate me for it xD

Nahhh I couldn't hate you

You don't even know me

But I want to

No, you don't

How many friends do you have?

None...

Cool, I'm your friend now

I smile at my screen, feeling a blush paint my cheeks. He was too cute. I haven't had someone be this nice to me in ages.

Fav color?
Fav food?
Fav season?
Thing most people don't know about you?

Okay...
1. Dark blue
2. Pizza, duh
3. Fall
4. The three things above, you're like the only person who knows that now xD

Noooo, that's sad :( you seem like such a nice person, I don't get how you don't have friends??

I'm a walking travesty, Jack, but I smile at everything, and as soon as people see past that facade, they leave. You will too, so please don't try to get too close to me. I'll just hurt you...

I look away from my phone, turning the screen off, my mood suddenly changing entirely. I knew I'd hurt Jack, but I didn't want him to leave. He'd have to. It's better to just forget about him now before we both crash and burn in the future.

Suddenly, a feeling rose inside of me that was painfully terrifying. I'd never had this thought before, but it now stained my thoughts and consumed my common sense. The urge was so strong that I couldn't escape it, no matter how much I tried to push it out of my mind.

I don't want to be alive.

I run out the front door, earning myself a yell from my father along the lines of where the hell do you think you're going? I didn't look back, I just ran as far as my legs could take me. The summer air fills my lungs, the sky still slightly illuminated, as it was only eight p.m.

"Alex?" I hear a voice say from behind me. I don't look back, but instead, keep running. I hear footsteps behind me, and whoever it was would catch up to me in no time. I couldn't stand much longer.

Just as I feel my legs give out, a tall figure catches me. It pulls me a few feet from the sidewalk so we're slightly hidden from view. The person sits down with me between their legs, my back leaning against their chest. A hand pushes the hair from my eyes before wrapping around my waist.

I turn my head to the side to see none other than Jack. None of this made sense. He met me a week ago for just ten minutes and he seems so intent on getting to know me. He wants to help me. That was something I never thought was possible. He actually wanted to help me.

I've known him for almost no time at all, but somehow I felt so comfortable around him. I didn't believe in love at first sight. That has to be fanfiction bullshit, right? That doesn't just simply happen in the real world. Why did he make me want to believe in it? Is this just because I'm so lonely that the moment I get shown attention, I fall for them? Also, he's straight as far as I know.

I turn around so I can wrap my arms around his neck, burying my head there, too. My legs wrap around his waist, as I'm sitting on his lap at this point. He moves his hand in slow circles on my back, which calms me immensely. I don't cry, but I don't feel the urge to, either. Being here in Jack's embrace gave me a sense of safety.

"You ran by my house," Jack murmurs into my shoulder, still moving his hand on my back. "You weren't replying, and when I saw you I had to make sure you were okay."

"Why do you care so much?" I ask.

"Honestly, Alex, I don't really know. I've been the type of guy to follow my gut instincts, and caring about you feels... right." The sincerity in his voice informs me that he is not lying. It was so, so comforting.

"You don't know how good it feels to hear that," I whisper before pressing myself against him even more.

"Everybody deserves somebody," he replies, holding me tighter.

"Can we stay here forever?" I blurt. Where the fuck did that come from? What is wrong with you, Alex? He's gonna think you're weird...

"I wish," he says, chuckling. My stomach does a fluttery thing. Is this was crushing feels like? Is it even possible to like someone this quickly after meeting them? "I have to get back home," he says, pulling me from my thoughts.

It hit me just then that my dad would be very, very angry with me as soon as I got home. I ran out with no explanation as to my whereabouts, and my dad despised that. I physically shiver at the thought, which Jack notices.

"You cold?" he asks softly.

"Yeah," I lie. It was summer, so it wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot, either. Luckily, for that reason, my excuse worked. He gently pushes me off his lap and pulls off the lightweight hoodie he'd been wearing, presenting it to me.

"Take it, Lex. It'll do you more good than it will for me." I dip my head, blushing at the nickname before taking it, pulling it over my head. It made me feel warm- not physically, but emotionally.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"No need to thank me," he replies, standing up, extending his hand to pull me up. I take his hand, electricity shooting through my body at the touch. He lets go, which shouldn't have made me sad, but it did. We walk back to his house mostly in silence, but it was only a three-minute walk.

Our arms occasionally brush against each other on the walk, and it takes everything in me not to take his hand into mine. I long to feel the rush again that shot through my veins every time his skin met mine. I've accepted at this point that I have a crush on this boy, even if it was just a week since I've met him. I didn't even know much about him, but, God, I really wanted to know him. I wanted to know all his favorite things, the things he had a weak spot for, his voice in the morning, what made his eyes light up with excitement, the things that made him sad, all of it. I wanted to know Jack Barakat in every way.

"Alex?" Jack murmurs. I hadn't noticed we had reached his house, or that we'd stopped moving, or that I was now looking into his eyes, or that he was now extremely close to me, or that his hand was on my cheek, or that his lips were just inches from mine...