? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? STEPPING, I'M STOMPING, I'M ALL GONE. ? ? ????? ?? ?? ????????????? ????
this book has been fully re-edited and its original name being "his destructive little wildfire" but as it was cre...
"until he practically told you he'd give you a reason to ditch your boyfriend?"
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xxiv. fee-free fia 6040words.
LIFE WAS A BLOODY DRAG. Everything about this argument felt dreadful, like some unrelenting curse that wouldn't lift. Deleine sat perched on the edge of George's bed, her head cradled in her hands, her fingers gripping her hair in frustration. The room was far too quiet, save for the occasional shuffling of feet and murmurs exchanged among the boys. They all stared at her, waiting for her to speak, but she had nothing left to say.
"So, what? You're all just ignoring each other now?" Lee finally broke the silence, his tone incredulous. "This is proper bollocks, you know."
Fred snorted, leaning against the bedpost. "Honestly, you lot. Just talk it out, yeah? Like normal people? No way the band's splitting up over a little row."
"Little?" Deleine muttered darkly, lifting her head to glare at him. The circles under her eyes were stark against her pale skin; she hadn't slept since the argument. "It's not a little row. It's... It's massive. You think it's easy for Indi to just swan about, pretending everything's fine? She's not rooming with the bloody enemy."
Fred's grin faltered, and even George looked uneasy, his usual easygoing demeanor dampened by the weight of the situation.
"Oh, come off it," Kenneth piped up from the corner, arms crossed as he leaned against the wardrobe. "You're not enemies. Don't be daft."
"As if," Deleine shot back, her voice sharp, her eyes narrowing. She slumped forward again, resting her elbows on her knees and staring blankly at the floor. The weight of it all pressed down on her, making her chest ache.
Lee exchanged a glance with Fred before taking a seat on the floor in front of her. "Look, mate," he said gently, "I know it feels like the world's caving in, but you can't keep skulking about like this. You need to sort it."
"It's not that simple," Deleine muttered, shaking her head. "If I try to talk to her, it'll just... blow up again. What's the point?"
Fred groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration. "You lot are a nightmare. Honestly, just snog and make up, or hex each other and be done with it."
George shot him a warning look. "Not helping, Fred."
Deleine managed a weak laugh, but it quickly faded. "It's not just about us. It's about everything. We're falling apart, and I'm stuck in the middle of it."
Kenneth gave a dramatic sigh, throwing his hands up. "Right, well, sitting here moping isn't gonna fix it, is it? Either talk to her or don't, but stop driving yourself mad."
