I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

Without so much as knocking, he opens the door full force and shuts
it behind him.
Neo glances up from his writing, legs beneath the sheets, Sony’s
stained sweatshirt on his shoulders, and the hood on his head. C
waits for his full attention before talking.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. Denial is my life’s
work, and I’ll be damned if I let it ruin this.” He motions between Neo
and him.
“Every day since the day those guys hurt you, I missed you so much
it hurt and I miss you now. I miss you because even if you’re a
stubborn pain in the ass, you’re the only person I’ve ever wanted. So
I’m sorry and you don’t have to forgive me, ever, but you’re going to
get used to me being around because I am
not leaving you again.” C runs out of breath, holding the edge of
Neo’s bed to regain his balance. “And most of all, I’m sorry I treated
you like the shallow end of a pool.”
Neo’s stunned expression shakes till he forces it into a frown. “What
does that even mean?”
“I don’t know!” C waves his hand through the air. “But I’m trying here.
Because I like you. I really like you. So am I going to have to go steal
our old textbooks and a pack of sticky notes from school? Or are you
finally going to accept that you like me back?”
Neo stays quiet. So does C. It’s not comfortable, but at the very
least, it’s not a quiet that stems from a grudge.
Neo looks at the book in his arms, squinting.
“Seriously? Jane Austen?”
“The theme is love. Love and loss.” C says, twirling his wrist to show
off the cover. He lays it on Neo’s lap. “I like love stories.”