The final part! I can't believe this series stretched out into three chapters. I hope you all enjoyed the ride :)
Also, I just realised that I've been spelling Micheal wrong for this entire book and I don't know how to feel about that.

••

Jeremy comes back to the apartment eventually. He lives there, he has to come back. When he does, everything is back to normal; the old normal, that is.
Jeremy acts like he hates Micheal, and Micheal just watches in misery and embarrassment.

"Jeremy"

Jeremy's spoon clinks hard against his cereal bowl.

"Please, you have to talk to me eventually"

The spoons clinks again as Jeremy takes another spoonful, shoving it into his mouth.

"Jeremy, about what you said-"

Micheal is interrupted by Jeremy standing quickly to his feet. He wordlessly throws his now empty bowl into the sink. Without looking at his roommate, Jeremy returns to his bedroom for the rest of the day.
Micheal watches him go from his seat at the table. His heart aches with guilt- can it be called guilt? This is unlike anything he felt before and probably lacks a name. He felt . . . icky. Icky and bad.

Micheal leans back in his chair. His hands rub his face.
"It can't end like this" he mutters. "Our story  end like this"

But how do you restore a story you shattered into ending?

Micheal does the only thing he knows to do; he calls the lesbians.
Brooke and Christine come over immediately, armed to the teeth with whatever they may need to comfort Micheal. They don't know exactly why he needs comforting, but them can sense that somethings wrong.

"Talk to us, Mike" Brooke sits opposite him as Christine makes tea.

Micheal is slouched. His arms cross his chest defensively. He has intimate eye sex with a stain on the table cloth.
"I fucked things up with Jeremy" his voice oozes shame.

Brooke glances to Christine for a millisecond before locking eyes with Micheal.
"Can you . . . expand on that?"

Micheal sighs. "He told me that he loves me and I just-"

"Is that what you want to hear, huh? That I want to be your boyfriend? That for every night since the wedding I've just want to tell you that I love you? Cause guess what asshole, I love you; but in this second-"

"I froze"

"-I've never hated you more"

"And now he won't talk to me" Micheal practically slams his head down, groaning into the table cloth.

"Where's Jeremy now?" Brooke has unleashed therapist mode.

"In his room" Micheal says into the table. "Don't worry, he won't interrupt us. He doesn't leave his room 20 hours of the day"

"That's concerning" Christine mutters as she picks up the now boiled kettle.

"Micheal" Brooke says gently yet firmly. "In order to sort this out, we need to figure one thing out. Do you love him back?"

The question that has circled Micheal's head has come to a stop, halting in front of his eyes.
Does he love Jeremy?

Love is a complicated thing. It's not a simple as romantic feelings for another. It's platonic, sexual, emotional, raw. It can be felt for anything in the earth. When humans are programmed to feel love for so many things, how can it be sure that their love for one thing is special?

"I can't help it" Micheal chuckles weakly. "I feel so much for him I just . . ." but he can't say the words.

Brooke reaches across the table, enveloping Micheal's cold hand in hers.
"Well then you have a couple of options here-"

"The only option I care about is the one where Jeremy stops ignoring me and I can finally be with him" Micheal decides firmly. His voice can't help but shake.

"Then you gotta let him know that" Christine places a cup of steamy tea in front of Micheal.

"But he's not going to just listen to Micheal" Brooke says. "Micheal can't just say it, he has to declare it"

"How do I do that?" Micheal stares into the swirling tea.

Christine sits down at the table. Ideas spin through her head like a twister. Her eyes sparkle as she forms a plan.
"I don't know, but god help me it's going to be gay"

⚣

Jeremy gets a text.

EVAN
Hey Jer, hope you're doing well. It's our three month wedding anniversary and we're holding a little party back at the hotel. I'd love it if you could be there!

Jeremy ignores the text.

EVAN
The party is tomorrow night. There'll be plenty of cake and booze and music. The guest list is very short so you're very lucky to even be invited

Jeremy is enticed by the mention of booze. A night in a nice hotel with lots of alcohol and no Micheal? And all he has to do is throw on a suit? Maybe it's not such a bad idea.

JEREMY
I'll be there. Congratulations again 🥳

Jeremy pulls himself off of his bed. He shuffles through his dark, messy room, grabbing clothes and throwing them in a backpack. He throws open his closet and stops. His suit hangs sadly on a hanger. A blue bow tie rests under the white collar.

Jeremy pulls off Micheal's already undone tie as Micheal's hands trail down to his waist. They pull each other's jackets and shirts off, discarding them onto the floor.

Jeremy shakes the memory from his head. He exhales.
Is this a bad idea?
"Hopefully not" he grabs the suit.

Jeremy practically bursts from his bedroom. Micheal (who is sitting at the kitchen table) jumps in surprise.
"Jeremy-"

"I'm going out for a few days" He ignores his roommate, shoving past to the door.

"I- do you want to take the cruiser?" Micheal calls after him, completely frazzled.

Jeremy slams the door behind him.

⚣

Jeremy arrives at the hotel late- at about 10pm. After what felt like an eternity of hopping on and off public transport, all he wants is to flop on a bed and sleep. He lands in front of a familiar looking receptionist. His heavily bagged eyes cant help but glare her down. She doesnt falter under his gaze.

"Name please?' she asks professionally.

"Oh" Jeremy is dumb. "I uh, I don't have a reservation"

"Name?"

"You're not going to find my name on the system. Like I said, I don't have a reser-"

"Your name, sir" She reiterates firmly. Jeremy is too tired to badger her further.

"Jeremy Heere"

She shoots Jeremy a quick smile before turning to her computer. A few clicks later and she produces a key.
"Your room was booked ahead of time. Room 324, oceanside view with with a minibar and a queen sized bed"

"Sounds perfect" Jeremy says flatly. He takes the key and trudges towards the elevator. Evan must have booked his room ahead of time.

I hope Evan plans to pay for the room too. I could barely afford it the first time.

The elevator doors open on the third floor with a ding. Jeremy steps into the hallway. As he walks to his room, he forcefully stops his mind from remembering his past self stumbling down this same hall with Micheal. Jeremy's eyes never leave the floor as he scowls.

He reaches the door, staring at his hands as he pulls out the key card. He inserts the card in the slot. It doesn't work. Maybe I did it too fast?
Jeremy swipes the card slower. It still doesn't work. After several attempts of swiping at varying speeds, Jeremy looks up and groans in frustration. When Jeremy looks back at the door, he sees something he didnt notice before.

A simple, small heart is glued underneath the room number. Jeremy's tired brain doesn't have time to rationalise it. He swipes the card again. The door swings open.
The room lights are already on. Before Jeremy can step inside, he's stopped by a trail of pieces of red paper leading to the balcony at the end of the room. Confused, he closes the door behind him and throws his bag on the ground. He cautiously reaches down and picks up the first piece of paper.

He unfolds it to discover that it's a small heart- just like the one on the door! In simple writing it reads,

YOUR LAUGH

"This is some kind of joke" Jeremy reassures himself. Confusion, tiredness, surprise, curiosity and even anger bubbles in his stomach.
He steps forward and inspects the next piece of paper.

YOUR TOTAL UNJUSTIFIED HATRED OF ABBA

Jeremy can feel his guard wearing away. He follows the trail across the dimly lit room, reading each note as he goes.

YOUR SENSE OF HUMOUR

THE WAY YOUR HIDE YOUR ENDLESS KINDNESS UNDER THREE LAYERS OF ASSHOLE-NESS

YOUR GORGEOUS EYES

YOUR COMPETITIVENESS

THE WAY YOU LIGHT UP A ROOM

The notes go on and on. Jeremy finally reaches the balcony which is covered by thick red curtains. His heart pounds in anticipation. With a deep breath and a trembling hand, Jeremy pulls back the curtain.

The balcony is illuminated by dozens of candles. More small red hearts decorate the ground. But the real centerpiece is an anxious boy standing at the opposite end. He's wearing a suit with a red bow tie, clutching a red sheet of paper.

Jeremy's face and mind go blank. He doesn't know how to react.
"Micheal?"

Micheal smiles nervously at him. He runs his fingers through his styled hair, taking a deep breath. He unfolds the paper in his hands to reveal a large red heart.

I LOVE YOU

He swallows. "All of the hearts that you followed here, they each say a reason why I love you- though, I mean, there aren't enough hearts in the world for all the reasons I have"

He swallows again, his voice getting quicker and quicker.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Jeremy, you deserve infinitely better than me but I'm extremely selfish and I wont let anyone else have you" Micheal chuckles. "I'm an idiot, but I'm an idiot who loves you. I love you, Jeremy. So, if you'll let me, I'd like to show you how much I love you. Unless . . . is this a bad idea?"

Jeremy still hasn't reacted. He's taken aback by the nervous boy in the candlelight. A million thoughts and a million feelings run through his head. There's only one way he can give Micheal an answer.
He stretches out a hand.
"Is this a bad idea?" Jeremy takes a moment to think. He smiles. "Hopefully not"

Micheal takes Jeremy's hand, and the rest is history" Rich finishes his story with a flourish. He raises his glass in the air.

"Now, everyone, let us raise a glass to Micheal and Jeremy; The two guys who showed thart love can overcome any and all bounds, and that enemies to lovers is a realistic trope"

The crowded hall all raise their glasses, including Micheal and Jeremy at the to table.
"I thought that speech would never end" Micheal whispers in Jeremy's ear. "Rich said that his Best Man's speech was going to be long but that was like three chapters worth"

"He truly spared no detail" Jeremy cant help but smile. "We can yell at him for it later, until then, let's just enjoy our wedding"

Micheal grins as the room toasts to him and his new husband. As everyone drinks and cheers, Micheal leans over one final time. "Things are just going to get better from here babe- I can feel it"

Jeremy smiles.
"Hopefully so"

•••
The series is finally over! I can't explain how much I enjoyed writing this (I swear I did not intend it to be this long).

I've been thinking a lot about the future of my account and what I want to do with it. And although I haven't made any concrete decision yet, I won't be doing anything until I've published a few special chapters of this book.

I hope you all enjoyed. I love you so so much <3
- Avery