The doorbell rang, cutting through the heavy silence. Tori hesitated, glancing back at Lola's door one last time before standing up, wiping her face in quick, shaky motions. She took a breath and went down the stairs, each step weighted with the remnants of a day that had slipped too far out of her control.
When she reached the front door, Tori pulled it open to find André standing there, his face shadowed by concern.
"Damn, T." he muttered, noticing her swollen eyes. "Are you alright?"
Before he could say more, Tori reached out, gripping his arm and pulling him inside, her fingers tight. She buried her face against his shoulder, her arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace. For a moment, she just clung to him, letting the silence stretch. André didn't move, didn't push her away. He just stood there, steady, like he always had.
"I'm… I'm sorry." Tori murmured, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
André rested his hand on her back, rubbing small circles to soothe her.
"Hey, I'm sorry too, alright? I shouldn't have gone off on you like that—"
"No." She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a tired, broken expression. "No, you don't have to apologize, Dré. You were right. You… you were right about everything."
He shook his head slowly, but he didn't argue. Instead, he led her over to the couch, sitting down beside her, their knees almost touching. "What's goin' on, Tori? Talk to me. Why are you crying?"
Tori swallowed, looking away as her fingers tangled in the hem of her shirt. Her voice cracked when she spoke, barely above a whisper. "It's Lola… I told her everything, the truth about what happened between me, and Jade." Tori choked on her sob, "She looked at me like… like she didn't even know who I was anymore."
André nodded, letting her words sink in. "That's not her not knowing you. That's her hurting because she does know you, T. She knows the real you, the one you don't even let yourself see sometimes. The girl who loved everyone. The girl who pushes us to become better. The girl who would lights up the room every time she walks in."
Tori looked down, blinking away the sting in her eyes. "I don't know. I keep… hurting people, André. The ones that actually care. You, Lola…" Her voice broke, her fingers fidgeting as her façade slipped, piece by piece. "It's like there's this… this ugly part of me that just comes out, and I can't control it. I feel like I have to be this person everyone hates, this… this version of me that's just hollow and cruel. Like if I'm not, then I'll just fall apart."
André reached out, resting his hand on hers. "You don't have to be anyone but yourself, T. You're not alone in this. You don't have to keep pushing people away just because you're scared of being vulnerable." André searched her face, reading the exhaustion and guilt etched into every line. He reached up, cupping her face with a gentleness that Tori rarely saw in herself these days. "We're all here for you, Tori. You know that, right?"
Tori's lips quivered as she shook her head. "Not everyone." she whispered, a raw, vulnerable truth in her voice that made André's heart twist. "Not… her." Her gaze to his, and she took a shaky breath, the tears slipping down her cheeks once more.
André understood without needing to ask. He'd seen how the rift between Tori and Jade weighed on her, even if she refused to admit it. He gently pulled her back into his arms, and Tori rested her head on his shoulder, allowing herself this rare, fragile moment of comfort.
"I'm just so tired, André." she confessed, her voice muffled, barely a whisper. "Tired of pretending… of pushing everyone away. And now… I messed up so badly that even Lola…" Her words caught in her throat, and she bit down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood.
He rubbed her back, offering silent support, feeling her grip tighten as she continued to pour out the guilt and sadness she'd kept buried for so long. "Lola's hurt, Tori, but you know she loves you. And she'll come around."
Tori's shoulders shook as she tried to steady herself, yet the pain of Lola's anger and her own mounting guilt made it impossible. "I was just so cruel to Jade today, André… I humiliated her in front of everyone. I could see it on her face…" She choked, her voice barely audible, her words laced with regret. "I don't even know why I keep doing this. I just… I miss her. I miss her so much, and every time I see her, it's like I'm reminded of how much I ruined us." André didn't respond right away, allowing Tori the space to continue unravelling. She took a shuddering breath. "It's like… I'm punishing myself, you know? Because if I don't keep pushing her away if I don't keep being this… awful person, then I have to face what I did, and I can't… I can't handle that."
André rested his chin atop her head, his voice steady, full of patience he rarely showed anyone else. "I know you're hurting T, but you can't keep doing this to yourself."
"I don't know if I can. All the parties, the booze, even the damn sex."
André, pulls away from Tori, looking into her red-rimmed, glassy chocolate eyes, "You can. I know you can. I mean, you're my best friend after all right?" he smiled.
Tori's lips curl up, "You still haven't given up on me?"
"Never will." André answered.
Tori, snuggles in André's arms, "Thank you, André."
André caresses Tori's head, "You know I'd help you with anything." he pauses, "So, you ready to make things right with Jade?"
Tori didn't answer right away. Her gaze was distant, somewhere between regret, longing and frustration. "I guess." she murmured, almost like she was admitting a crime.
"Come on, you don't sound too convinced." André chuckled softly, "You gotta be ready if you really wanna fix things."
Tori's eyes darted to him, a glint of vulnerability showing through. "I want to… I just… I don't know if she wants me back. And I don't think I can take that kind of rejection. Especially from her."
André's smiles softly, "T, you can still make it right. Believe me, she still loves you. She'd listen to you if you just tried."
Tori looked down, fiddling with the edges of the pillow. "Maybe…maybe you're right." she mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. She'd had enough shouting for one day, and André could see the fatigue on her face. "Enough, sombre stuff. This too much." She lets out a small chuckle, "So, what are we gonna do for Senior Ball, huh? You bringing a date or are you just gonna sit in the corner looking pretty by yourself, bestie?" she teases.
André no longer able to contain himself laughs. "Well, funny you mentioned that." He said, rubbing his hands together. "I've got something else that might surprise you. Or shock the hell out of you."
Tori raised an eyebrow, trying to match his smirk but only half-succeeding. "Oh yeah? Try me Dré."
He shifted in his seat, a glint of playfulness in his eyes. "Actually… I do have a date. Got down on one knee, promposal and all. Real dramatic. Had a whole speech planned and everything." He waited, letting the suspense grow as he watched her brow furrow in curiosity.
"No way." Tori's eyes narrowed, and her lips curved in a bemused smile. "You actually asked someone out? My God, who did you torture like that?"
"Oh, I didn't torture anyone." He said. "Just Jade." André followed before Tori's face morphed from shocked disbelief to genuine surprise, her jaw-dropping in a comical way that made him laugh.
"Shut up!" She laughed, shaking her head. "There's no way she said yes. Jade hates stuff like that."
But the smirk on his face only widened. "Not kidding. Got down on one knee right there in the parking lot. She was so red, I thought she was going to sock me, but—she actually laughed. She was laughing so hard I thought she'd pass out. Then, yeah, she said yes."
Tori's eyebrows shot up, her eyes brightening. "Jadelyn West—as in 'I'm not into guys' Jade, agreeing to something like that? Hell, I'm shocked she didn't run away or throw her boot at your head. God knows she can throw."
"She's got a hell of an arm." André admitted with a laugh, shaking his head. "But yeah, maybe she wanted the normal high school stuff just this once."
Tori's laughter softened, almost becoming something nostalgic, even wistful. She pictured Jade being a goofball like she always was, laughing like that, eyes crinkling, actually happy in a way Tori hadn't seen in ages. Despite herself, Tori felt her cheeks warm, a little flutter in her chest at the thought of Jade being herself again made her feel warm.
"Damn." she muttered, letting herself sink further into the couch. "I bet she looked cute. You know, like when she's not trying to hide from everyone?"
André nudged her playfully. "More than cute. Jade West, blushing like she actually liked me or something." He chuckled, then fixed Tori with a look, his voice gentling. "I think it meant something to her."
"I'm sure it did." Tori smiled.
The slam from Lola's bedroom door upstairs snapped Tori's head up, and her heart pounded as Lola's footsteps thundered down the staircase.
André could feel Tori tense against him, her breath hitching as she instinctively shrank back, trying to make herself invisible and hide from her twin. But Lola's gaze didn't waver as she reached the bottom step, barely giving Tori a glance. Instead, her focus turned to André, her expression shifting to something softer.
"Hey, André." Lola said, her tone light, almost too friendly given the thunderous look she'd worn a moment earlier. "Didn't know you'd be here this late."
"Just keepin' Tori company, you know?" André replied carefully, casting a concerned look at Tori, who clutched his arm like a lifeline. His protective stance only seemed to deepen Lola's cold indifference towards her sister.
Lola nodded, ignoring Tori entirely, even as her sister peeked out cautiously from André's shoulder. She kept her eyes fixed on André, her voice calm but laced with something dark. "Well, tell that dumbass in your arms that I'm gonna go and fuck my boyfriend. And if she has any bright ideas about calling me while we're at it, don't. She can't fix anything with some late-night apology after what she pulled." Her voice was ice-cold, but her words were sharp, carrying every ounce of pain Tori had inflicted on her, and then some.
The room went quiet as Lola's words sank in, the air practically vibrating with tension. She shot Tori one last dismissive glance, her mouth curving in something that wasn't quite a smile. Then, without another word, she strode out of the house, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed, like a punctuation mark.
Tori was left trembling, her grip tightening on André's arm as she buried her face.
André gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, Tori." he murmured softly, leaning close. "I know Lola's mad. Probably won't change right away, but... maybe after a steamy night with Beck, she'll chill a little." He forced a light chuckle, trying to inject some humour.
"Hopefully." Tori said. She leaned against André, feeling the weight of the silence settle around her.
Over at Beck's Lola stood outside his trailer, her hands stuffed in her leather jacket, hoping to lose herself in the familiar steadiness of his presence, even if they'd been anything but steady themselves.
Beck answered after a moment, hair messy, eyes half-curious, half-surprised. He hadn't expected her. "Lola?" He stepped aside to let her in, softening. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight."
She let herself inside, folding her arms across her chest as she surveyed the trailer's familiar interior. The posters, the slightly frayed couch, the half-packed boxes he kept saying he'd unpack but never did. All of it was Beck, and somehow, it calmed her just enough to finally meet his gaze.
"I didn't expect to come here," she admitted, voice softer than usual. "But here I am."
He closed the door behind her, nodding. "So…what's going on?" He tilted his head, studying her. "You look like you have something on your mind."
She sighed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I…wanted to continue our conversation earlier. About us." She forced a smile, though it barely reached her eyes. "About this, whatever we keep doing. One minute we're together, the next we're… not. And every time we try seeing other people, we just keep coming back here."
Lola let out a dry laugh. "Yeah. Can't decide if it's a curse or just…us." She took a breath, feeling a pang of bitterness twist in her gut. "I mean, I know we both tried to move on. I've been with people, you've been with people." Her eyes flickered away, the words stinging more than she expected. "But it doesn't really work, does it?"
Beck looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "No… no, it doesn't. It's like… we just can't replace this." He motioned vaguely between them, his voice soft. "I mean, I've tried to move on, Lola. But no one's… you. No one else drives me insane in exactly the way I'm weirdly okay with."
That managed to coax a real smile out of her, if only briefly. "So, you like it when I drive you insane?" she teased.
"I don't know. Maybe I do," he admitted, laughing. "Maybe I've just gotten used to it. Besides…" He sighed, his eyes searching hers. "I'm still in love with you, Lo. I can't… let you go. Not for good. It's just… I don't know. There's no one else who gets me the way you do."
A silence fell between them, and Lola moved closer, her heart pounding as she closed the distance, her hand reaching up to rest on his chest. "Boo…" she murmured, their old pet name slipping out. She hadn't called him that in over a month. "Maybe we're just…bad at staying apart because we're supposed to be together. Maybe all this off-and-on shit is just us being stubborn."
Beck's hands found her waist, pulling her closer. "Then maybe we should stop being stubborn."
She nodded, barely a whisper on her lips. "Yeah, maybe we should."
Lola straddled him on the couch, her fingers threading through his hair as she leaned down, capturing his lips with a kiss that was soft at first, gentle. It'd been a while since they'd kissed like this, not just out of habit or comfort, but because it felt right. She could feel his breath hitch as he responded, his hands sliding up her back as he pulled her closer.
They broke apart, her forehead resting against his, eyes locked. "I love you, Beck," she sighed, a flicker of vulnerability in her usually fierce gaze. "I love you so much."
He closed his eyes, breathing her in, pressing his lips to hers again. "I love you too, Lo. I always have."
The words hung between them, heavy, tangible. They kissed again, slow but building, the intensity growing as they gave in to that magnetic pull, they'd both fought so hard against. Lola removed her jacket, as Beck's hands slid under her shirt, his touch warm on her skin, and she let it fall away, not breaking the kiss.
They moved together in a familiar rhythm, every touch sparking a rush of memories and feelings they tried to bury and forget. He pulled her even closer, his hands tracing her bare shoulders as she let her guard down, finally letting herself feel safe and wanted.
When they paused, her lips brushing against his neck, she murmured, "Promise me, Beck. Just… this time, promise me you won't give up on us."
He held her tightly, his voice a whisper in her ear. "I promise, Lo. I'm done letting you go."
Their lips met again, as they fell back against the couch, holding each other like they were afraid to lose this moment.
Back at the Vega home, Tori's chest tightened with every second she waited in Lola's room, searching for any comfort in her twin's absence. It was late, a thick silence settling over the house, and her fingers traced the edge of Lola's bed, nervous and restless. She could still hear their voices in her mind, earlier, replaying with painful clarity. "Meddlesome bitch." Tori lashed out to her sister back at lunch after cutting down Jade and sending her off in tears again. "Please, I'm sorry." She begged Lola later on the night before Lola herself cut her down as well.
Now, sitting here in the dimness of Lola's room, that word tasted sour on her tongue. She winced, a hollow ache settling in her stomach as she pulled her knees to her chest. The room was thick with memories. Lola's sketches of the two of them littered the walls—drawings and pictures of them laughing, sharing secrets, and playing on the open fields of their old Kansas farm—and Tori's gaze lingered on each one, feeling them prick at her armour. She had put so much effort into building that armour, into being untouchable, yet here she was, unravelling at the edges.
As she glanced around, her foot hit something that was sticking out under the bed, causing her to trip slightly. Tori knelt down and saw Lola's private chest, the one she never let anyone touch. A wave of panic rushed over her as she hurriedly slid it back into place. The respect she had for Lola's privacy was one of the few lines she hadn't crossed. She knew better.
Instead, she picked up a small teddy bear nestled on Lola's pillow—a soft, worn thing she had given Lola on one of their birthdays. Clutching it tightly, Tori crawled onto Lola's bed and curled up, the faint smell of Lola's coconut shampoo and the warmth of the familiar bedding washing over her. In her exhaustion and hurt, she felt herself drifting off, thoughts swirling like ghosts.
Sleep was uneasy. Her mind twisted, diving into memories she'd tried so hard to bury—she and Jade, once inseparable, the way Jade's laugh had sounded like music, the way they used to hold hands under the cafeteria table when nobody was watching. Then, her mother's body flashed before her eyes, the twisted, blood-soaked scene she'd stumbled upon that night after she'd snuck out to Jade's. And then… Lola's face, a look of heartbreak as Tori stammered out her apology earlier.
Lola's absence cut deeper than she could admit. She missed her fierce protector who'd once looked at her like she could do no wrong. She missed pale snarky goofball too, and it scared her just how much she wanted it all back.