𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞.
𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎,
𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍,
𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝.

"What are you doing here?!".

Hazel had been woken up by her doorbell, ringing unnecessarily loud and long.

She put on her purple robe that matches her pyjamas and her flip flops and hesitantly opened the door of her apartment.

"We need to talk". He's drunk. He looks hazy and the words coming from his mouth are barely understandable because of his slurring.

"George it's 3 AM for fucks sake".

"Is Lando here?".

"No".

He's not. Hazel and Lando had been in a fight earlier that day. Lando confronted her with her weird behaviour from the past few weeks.

He knows something is up, he knows there's something she's not telling him.

Lando stormed out of the apartment with the words 'I need some time'

He didn't say how much time.

Every day since the party Lando had asked why she and Charlotte were talking about him. What was it that she wasn't telling him?

About your birthday

Hazel had tried to convince him but of course he didn't believe it.

She had called Charlotte earlier that day, told her about the argument she and Lando had. Talking to her best friend made things slightly better.

Hazel followed Charlotte's advice and tried to sleep for a while.

A very much needed sleep. George still haunts her dreams every time she closes her eyes, leaving her awake most of the nights.

"Can I come in please?".

"I don't know George, you're drunk".

"Please, I really need to talk to you", he begs.

"Fine", Hazel hesitantly steps aside and lets George in. Closing the door behind him.

"We need to come clean", he starts off as Hazel hands him a glass of water, hoping it'll sober him up a little.

"I can't keep lying to Carmen anymore", he continues. "But I need to know something. I need to know if you feel the same. I need to know it'll all be worth it. I need to know it's gonna be alright in the end. I need to know if I am gonna be alright in the end".

Hazel doesn't know how to feel about this all. Suddenly George shows her how vulnerable he is and how he actually struggles as much with this as she does.

"What makes you think you won't?". Her voice sounds so calming, so reassuring that he doesn't even doubt it anymore.

He will be alright. As long as he got her by his side.

George puts down the empty glass and looks Hazel into her beautiful green eyes.

"I'm in love with you Hazel", he murmurs.

Hazel looks at her hands which suddenly became very interesting. Her lips tremble as she speaks up.

"Don't say things you don't mean George".

"What makes you think I don't mean it?".

"Because you told me I ruined your life and you never wanted to see me again".

"I was a fool, Hazel please, look at me".

He gently lifts up her chin to make eye contact with her.

"I mean it Hazel". The way he says her name makes her heart flutter. "It took me a while to realise that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I hurt you in the process and I'm so so sorry for that. You and I are meant to be together Hazel, we're soulmates".

His thumb gently wiping away a tear that escaped from her eye. "I never meant to hurt you".

She lets out a shaky breath. "I know".

George inches closer to her. Alcohol on his breath as his lips slightly brush over hers.

"We can't do this", Hazel mumbles against his lips. Yet she has no intention of taking a step back.

These are words George wishes Hazel hadn't said. Because he knows she's right, they can't do this.

He has been eager to kiss those plump lips of hers. And now, they're so close, they look so kissable. It reminds him of that story about Adam and Eve, the one with the serpent and the forbidden fruit.

Hazel is his forbidden fruit.

That one apple that he so dearly wants but can't have.

Hazel is conflicted. She wants nothing more than to kiss George right now. But it's not that simple, they're both still in a relationship.

It would feel so wrong if she were to kiss him right now yet looking into his hazel eyes, feeling his breath on her skin it's all she can think about.

So she makes the tough but right decision to take a step back.

"So what are we gonna do now?", George doesn't break eye contact with her, his hand still on the bare skin of her waist.

"I will sit down with Lando and tell him the truth, tell him everything. You should do the same with Carmen".

George nods before asking the question he doesn't really want to know the answer to.

"Do you still love him?".

Hazel sighs, she knew this question was coming. "Lando was my first love, a part of me will never stop loving him. But it changed, it's a different kind of love now".

George nods. What Hazel just told him made a lot of sense. It's the same for him with Carmen.

"Promise me everything will be alright in the end", Hazel looks up at him like her life is depending on his answer.

"Hazel...".

"Promise me", she begs.

"Everything will be alright in the end, if it's not alright, it's not the end".

George takes her face into his hands.

"I promise".

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍.