He wasn't fine the morning after that day either. I went home earlier than I expected because I wanted to give him time to himself.

But even five days later, he didn't answer any of my messages or any of my calls. At first I thought it must've been something I said or did, but replaying everything from that day, I still don't understand what could have gotten him so upset.

I liked when he was in a good mood and it made me so nervous to think that I did or said something to hurt him. Because I knew I could be a lot but I would never want to hurt him, or anyone.

The last few days I had been thinking about how what I did wrong. I can't seem to figure it out. I've come to realize that I have to watch what I say because words can hurt people.

I should know. But at times I can't control what I say even though I really need to think before I talk.

If I was the cause of his sudden madness then I wanted to make it up to him. He was always buying me things and doing things for me so I wanted to repay him. I got him a little something with my own money, I had saved up.

It wasn't anything big or expensive but I hoped he'd like it. I added some pink flowers because flowers are the best gift. I also wrote him a little apology note because I felt that was the right thing to do, after I upset him.

Before showing up to his house, I decide to call Duke just in case he knew anything. After a few rings he finally picked up.

"What. I'm shitting." He says and I shake away the funny thought of him on the toilet.

"I was just wondering if Heath was home? Are you with him?" I ask, I hadn't gotten any insight on him since the last time I slept at his house.

"Oh that brat? Nah. Thalia, I'd love to stay and chat but I'm a little preoccupied at the moment. I just finished eating three chalupa's from Taco Bell, you know how it is." He says making me chuckle and I hear a groan come out from him.

Not wanting to interrupt any longer, I hang up the phone and decide to make my way out to his house. Sitting on the kitchen stool, dad doesn't miss me on my way out.

"Where are you headed?" He looks up from his phone.

"To a friends house." I admit and he nods after.

" Before you go, can you help me with something. This phone hasn't been working, no matter how hard I try." He holds up the new iPhone I'd gotten him for his birthday and holds it up to his eyeball.

"Dad, what are you doing?" I ask, literally confused out of my mind.

"Aren't I supposed to hold it up to my eye to unlock it?" He asks, looking up.

"That's not right at all." I shake my head and laugh at his cluelessness.

"Then why is it called eye phone?" He thinks and I face palm. He really needs to get out more.

"It's called iPhone, the letter I not eye as in eyeball." I explain and he finally realizes.

"Ohh, that explains a lot. Well I won't keep you longer. Go" He shoo's me away and I giggle.

Walking to Heaths house, I practice what I want to say once I'm there. Should I give him a hug and then apologize? Or no hug and just apologize? I don't know..

I step over the cracks on the side walk and try to withhold from swinging the gift bag in my hands. As I finally reach closer to his house my stomach feels a little funny because I don't want to say the wrong thing.

I walk around his house to the one gate I know he always leaves open and walk in. To my surprise Beau wasn't out which was skeptical because he was always out in the yard. I make my way to the front door and knock.

I hear some voices inside, one which I recognized as Heath but the other I was slightly unsure of. A few minutes later, the door opens and reveals a sighing Duke.

"Thalia?" He says surprisingly when he sees me. I thought he said he wasn't here?

"Hi. What're you doing here?" I ask, suddenly wondering if Heath told him to say that he wasn't with him because he didn't want me to know. I frown at the thought.

"I just got here, Uh.." He looks back inside and sighs again.

"You know what, just come inside." He gives me half a smile and lets me walk inside.

I still didn't see any sign of Heath which left me wondering where he was. I look back at Duke who was scratching the back of his head and seemed to be acting out of character.

"Heaths been in one of his moods recently... so.." He explains but I'm still confused. Is it because of me?

"Can I see him?" I ask, pleading so that I could get a chance to talk to him.

"I don't know if-"

He was suddenly cut off by Heath when both of our attention falls on him as he walks into the room. A stilling glare remained on his face and I could just tell that he was upset from the energy he radiated. His hair looked somewhat messy and he was in sweats and a gray shirt.

"What are you doing here?" He looks at me, his jaw becoming clenched.

All of that was already confirming my suspicions that I was the reason for him being upset. Maybe I could make things right.

"Why'd you let her in?" He questions Duke who stood behind me. That slightly pains my heart but I quickly dismiss it.

"I wanted to talk to you, and bring you something. I'm sorry if I did something to upset you. I didn't mean to, really-"

He scoffs at me and looks in the opposite direction. Duke takes a step forward heading towards him but he doesn't get a chance before Heath snaps again.

"I don't want your fucking apology or whatever you want to give me." Heath says angrily as he looks me with a cold glare.

"I want you two to leave." He looks at Duke who looked at me with an apologetic smile.

"I'm just trying to help-" Duke tries getting a sentence out.

"Fuck that. Get out of my house and take her with you." He glances at me and I'm left shooked.

I'm kinda shakin in my boots not gonna lie. I've never seen him this angry before.

"I'm sorry for what I did, Heath." I apologize again, really meaning it.

"Not everything's about you. I don't fucking want you here. Get out of my house." He says to me which makes me frown.

I know that not everything was about me, which is why I was trying to consider his feelings and how I hurt him. I was trying to apologize.

Duke sighs and shakes his head at him.

"You'll regret this later man. She didn't do anything wrong so stop." Duke gets a final sentence out before turning to leave with me next to him.

I look behind me one last time at Heath, who looked somewhat exhausted or tired, one of the two. I really wanted to give him this gift because even if he didn't want to hear me right now, at least I'd still say what I want to say when he reads my letter.

"I'll get out but I'll leave this here for you." I said gently before he yelled again. I crouched down and left the pink sparkly gift bag near the front door. Also gently putting down the flowers.

I turn around once more in his direction and smile at him as he watched Duke and I leave his house in silence.

Once finally outside I look down at the ground, in sadness as I just realize how hurt Heath looked. Duke doesn't say anything until we're out of the gates and standing by them.

"Look, he gets like that around this time of month. Don't let him effect you." Duke places a hand on my shoulder making me look up.

"He's just dealing through shit but he takes it out on people. Don't take it personally." Duke slyly smiles before taking a deep breath.

"Why is he so angry?" I question, furrowing my brows. I didn't understand.

"Just personal shit." He shrugs and sucks his teeth.

"He just handles it childishly by pushing people away. He doesn't mean what he says, usually I let him talk his shit just so that he gets all his anger out." Duke explains and of course I'm curious to know what personal things he means.

But that was his life and if he didn't want me to know, that was fine. I just want to help him.

"Do you think he'll be okay by himself?" I turn around to look at the house but there was no sign of him from where I stood.

"He'll be fine. We all have those days." He wraps his arm around my shoulder and walks to his car.

"I don't have anything to do today, how about we spend some time together? Who cares if Heath is busy throwing a tantrum? Leave him." He brushes off to try to make the mood better.

I think about it, it wasn't like I had anything to do either and it would be nice to know what a day with Duke feels like. So why not.

"He's missing out, come on. Hungry?" He asks as I get into his car.

" Super" I admit and he smiles as he starts the car.

My thoughts still drifted away to Heath and my worried thoughts kept wondering if he was alright. I know when I'm upset I don't like to be alone but everyone was different, maybe that's what he needed to cool off. So I'll give him some space.

I could be too much or too annoying like he says, so I get it. We all need breaks from time to time.

Duke drives us to some restaurant where we sit across form each other as we eat and he tells me about the time where he broke his arm at a party.

"So my advice to you, would be to never jump off a roof. Even if it's a dare and you want to impress a cute girl. Not worth it." He shakes his head and I chuckle even though I knew I would never do that.

I eat my waffles that I ordered and finish up my third one, when I look up realizing Duke hadn't said anything in a while, I see him holding up his phone.

"Perfect." He smiles and shows me the picture he took of me caught off guard. I wouldn't say that was a good picture of me but if he thinks so.

He tucks the phone away and asks the waitress for the check.

"I'll pay" I offer, slowly taking out my wallet so that it gives him time to interfere and say that he'll pay.

"No, it's okay. My treat. I'm the one who offered right?" He smiles and takes out his wallet.

"Plus I want to act like a gentleman so that the pretty waitress notices." He scans the room for our blonde waitress to come back and I look around for her too.

When we finally spot her she walks our way causing both Duke and I to look away and act normal.

"Is there anything else I can get for you guys?" She asks, smiling too much for someone that works at an Ihop.

"Your number perhaps" Duke flirts and the girl blush's a little at his bluntness.

Dukes phone then rings, breaking the conversation between them and he groans before answering it.

"No."

"Yeah."

"You just press the round button on the bottom, quite simple." Duke turns away as he talks into the phone.

"Alright thanks for interrupting, no yeah, perfect timing . Alright bye." He sighs deeply as he hangs up, shaking his head.

"Sorry, that was my aunt. Apparently adults don't know how to properly use phones these days. But anyways where were we?" He brings his attention back to the blonde waitress and flirts away.

I let them two do their thing before remembering how my dad was having trouble with his phone today too, like his aunt. An idea runs through my mind and I note to ask Duke about this aunt of his later.

I watch as Duke effortlessly flirts with this girl and we end up leaving with the waitress's number and name. Chelsea. She seemed nice enough.

"And that's how you do it." Duke smirks at me, holding up his phone, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

I laugh at him and find myself confiding in Duke, he seems like a good friend who cares and he's always in a good mood. Much like me, which I really think I need another person to really match my energy.

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A/N

Thanks for reading 🥰

7/22/22