whitlandry

[whitlandry]

Whitney's arms dropped to her side, her shoulders slumping as any fight she had in her drained out. For a moment, she said nothing, just looking at him through wet eyelashes before nodding her head. Even if she wanted to argue with him, she couldn't. There was nothing in her mind that was a viable defence other than the fact she'd been here before, with very different results, and he'd cut that point to ribbons already. He wasn't wrong, and that made it so much worse. "I do realise," he voice was only a little louder than a whisper. "I know you're not them, Seth. I just... I don't know how to stop seeing it." She let out a shaky breath, wiping her face as she stepped back, physically putting distance between them as she nodded. If he needed space, she wasn't going to push back, not when everything she said seemed to make things a hundred times worse. All she could do was nod her head. "Take the time you need," she said, her voice barely holding out. "I'll, um, I'll wait for you to call." Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.

Seth ran a hand across his face, wishing he could wipe the exhaustion away with that motion. It was there, though, and the more Whitney talked, the heavier it felt. Despite that, he let her get out every word she needed to. He was a little too patient for his own good at times. It felt necessary, though, especially if he didn't want things between them to fully blow up.

"I know," he sighed, finally looking at her through her tearful apologies. "I know you are, Whit. I want to say it's okay and all that, but honestly? I can't right now. Like I said before, this isn't me breaking up with you or anything because that's not what I want, but...I might need space to think about all this." That felt like an understatement considering the tornado of questions in his mind, but if Seth was anything, it was articulate. "You understand you fucked up and you're sorry, I get it, but if you'd just talked to me from the beginning, maybe this could've been different. I don't know. I just really wish..." He cut himself off for a moment, wondering if what he was about to say would make things worse. They were at a place where it didn't really seem to matter, though. It was all going to hurt no matter what. "I wish you'd realize I'm not them. I'm not these awful guys from your past, Whitney. When you push these ideas of things they'd do on me, it's not just you its hurting. I want to be able to alleviate these fears for you, but I can't do that when you come into this expecting the worse. How am I supposed to show you that it's not always like that when you won't even give me the chance? I mean, you said it yourself. You already put a death date on our relationship." With a final sigh, he leaned back into his seat. "I think that's all I have to say right now, though."

[whitlandry]

Whitney didn't know what was worse - what he was saying, or the fact he didn't seem able to look at her as he said it. His gaze had locked on to the wall as she spoke, and there was a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach that this was it. She'd shown him the parts of herself she had been trying to bury, and she lost him. Panic bubbled up in her throat, and she opened her mouth to say something that might fix the damage she'd done, only the more she tried, the more tangled her words became. "That's not... oh God, I'm sorry." She stammered. "It's not that I don't trust you. I swear it's not that. It's just... it's like there's been a timer in my head, counting down to me fucking this up and you realising that I'm not.." she broke off, her words devolving into a quiet sob. If the timer wasn't ringing before, it definitely was now. True to form, she had ruined everything. Whitney wrapped her arms around her middle, as though she was trying to physically hold herself together. Seth wasn't yelling at her. He wasn't snapping, or calling her names, and though he was pointing out her mistakes, he wasn't really throwing them in her face the way her exes would have done, but somehow, the calmness was almost worse. It was so alien to Whitney that she felt hysterical next to him, and while that was a pretty good description of her current state, it was amplified by the difference in their reactions. She didn't know how to read it, nor how to respond to it, only that she was completely incapable of bringing herself down to his level. "I'm so sorry," she repeated, voice cracking. "I didn't mean to - no, that's not right. I wasn't thinking. I didn't think. I don't... I don't know how to fix this."

If it was hard to listen to Whitney's explanation, it was almost harder to watch it all play out on her face. The tears, the panicked eyes, the urging in her voice. Seth's own gaze slowly shifted away from her to the wall in front of him. There was some dissociation as he listened to her reasoning, absorbing the words but not having the heart to try and sympathize with her in that moment. He had an idea of what she'd been through. If it wasn't something already explained, her songs filled in a lot of the blanks for him, and he assumed that her moving on with him meant leaving those fears in the past. It never occurred to him that they'd still be present and looming. He nodded a little, but he couldn't bring himself to hear her out in that moment. He wasn't sure he ever would, especially not when it meant letting her worries get so bad that she started doubting who he was as a person. "I think...what sucks the most about all of this, Whitney, is that I get it cause I've seen it. I've been in your band for years now and have been watching all this shit happen from the sidelines. I thought I could show you that it isn't all like that, you know? It's just a shame that after everything, you don't respect me enough to trust me." He shook his head a little. "I just didn't expect it from you of all people. I know it's not what you were going for, but that's how it came out. It really sucks."

[whitlandry]

Whitney winced, her cheeks burning as the words sank in. Seth was right - she did know how bright stage lights could be, having stood under them more times than she could count, but it hadn't really occurred to her until that moment that it was what was going on in the picture. It hit her then just how flimsy her reasoning had been, and the fact she'd let her insecurities twist something so harmless into something ugly. "I... yeah," she muttered, her voice thick with embarrassment. "I didn't... I didn't think." As he continued talking, she froze, the shame she was feeling only multiplying. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, but it didn't seem inclined to. This wasn't what she had wanted - not to make Seth feel like she doubted him. In a weird way, she didn't, not really. It was herself that she had issues with, but that only made it harder to explain what was going on in her mind.

Instead, she shook her head, frantically, and though her lips parted, for a moment, no words came out. When she finally spoke, her voice was urgent, as though her desperation was growing. "God, no, Seth, this isn't about how we got together. I wasn't... I wasn't even thinking of that. Besides, it says more about me than you." Her words tumbled out in a rush to try and make him understand. "I saw the picture, and all I could think of was all the ways my exes have made me feel like I wasn't enough, or too much, or just not worth it. And I guess a big part of me still thinks that I never will be." Her voice was coming out in a high pitch, the tears running freely down her face now. "It's not that I think less of you. It's that I saw that picture, and it just didn't make sense to me why you'd want to be with me when you could be with someone who looks like that." Her breath was shaky, coming out of her in little pants as her eyes flicked to his. "Things have just been so good with us that I kind of forgot for a while how much I'm hanging on to from before. And that scares me, because I know how quickly it could all be over."

Seth wasn't the angry type. He was known for being a little too laid back at times. Her comments stirred something that stung in his chest, though. It started in the middle and seemed to coarse outwards through his veins as he looked at the photo and let out a heavy sigh. "Whitney," he started to say, pausing to think of how to phrase his words and let them hit with maximum impact. "You've been on a shit ton of stages, so I'm assuming that you know how bright those lights are." He stopped again, letting the both of them process it. "They're bright enough that the first few rows of the audience are basically a giant blur. Like, I can see that there are people there, but I don't know if they're pretty or ugly or have a third eye. Odds are I was smiling but not towards a specific person." He leaned back, letting out another sigh. His next words were less careful than before, because as much as he wanted to protect Whitney's feelings, it was also important for her to know that her own insecurities didn't just hurt her but the people around her, too. "You know, I'm...I'm a little thrown. Actually, no, a lot thrown, Whitney. I know we didn't get together in the most traditional or romantic way, but the fact you think I'd leave you for some fan I know nothing about..." He trailed off as his jaw flexed with tension. "I'm not leaving you or breaking up with you or anything, by the way. I'm just pissed to know you think of me in that light. I don't really know how to take it."

[whitlandry]

Whitney hesitated, her turn to look confused now. It should have been a relief that he didn't seem to have any idea what she was talking about, but it wasn't. She'd been lied to enough times in the past that there was no guarantee that that wasn't what was happening now. The fact he still hadn't raised his voice was also throwing her. It wasn't that she wanted him to, only that she had been expecting it, and trying to navigate his calm was new territory. She could feel her chest getting tight, doubt, uncertainty, and desperation all rolled into one. "Hang on, I'll show you," she reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone, the picture screenshotted in her gallery. It was taken from the crowd at one of Seth's shows, and showed him looking at a blonde in the crowd with a bright smile and soft eyes, and that had been what made her spiral. She offered the phone to him, letting him examine the image. "I've had a few DMs of it. Nobody I know, just... people who know my music. I don't know. It got to me. I mean, look at her. She's beautiful. I don't even think I'd blame you if you wanted her instead." She dropped her arm to her side, eyes searching his for any flicker that would confirm or deny what was in her brain.

Seth wasn't sure what was going on, and the way she was sitting like a statue didn't do much to help alleviate any confusion. Still, he waited. There was no interrupting from his end while she searched for words. When they came, though, the urge to stop her in her tracks hit him fast upon the mentioning of 'that girl.' "Wait, what?" It was his turn to start overthinking, wracking his mind for any instance he could remember smiling at a girl recently. "Do you want to enlighten me on who this so-called girl is, or show me the picture you're talking about? Cause the last person I can recall maybe smiling at was the woman who checked my groceries at the market, and it'd be kind of creepy if someone took a picture of me doing that. I don't think my shitty band's popular enough for that kind of attention. If it's not her, I honestly don't know who you're talking about, Whitney." He let out something resembling a hiss or a sigh. He wasn't sure which came through more. All he knew was she was in tears, and he didn't like that.

[whitlandry]

Whitney could feel her cheeks begin to heat with embarrassment, and the sting of tears as they began to pool in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but it was fast becoming difficult to hold it in. Seth didn't seem to understand, and she couldn't blame him for that. Even she didn't fully get what was going on inside her head, and why she couldn't seem to stop this slow-moving train wreck she had started. He wasn't yelling at her, though, and while a part of her was glad of it, she was also tense, waiting for the shouting to come and not sure if the calm coming from him was better or worse. She bit her lip, trying to steady the tremor in her voice before she answered. "I don't..."she started, then stopped, eyes darting to the ground where she was unable to look at him. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, suddenly wanting to crawl out of her own skin. "I've been here before, Seth. Thinking everything is good, and then getting slapped in the face with the fact I was wrong. So when I saw that picture of you smiling at that girl, it sort of put me right back in that place of not knowing where I stand. I've been trying to tell myself it doesn't matter, but my brain just keeps telling me that it does, and you've got your foot out the door." There was no holding the tears back now, and they slipped down her cheeks. She raised one hand to quickly wipe them away, but could not stop others falling to take their place. "I don't want to be this way. I don't want to doubt you or be weird or push you away." She shook her head. "But I just can't stop myself from expecting the worst here. And if I'm right then... then it's okay. I won't make it harder for you then it needs to be."

If he was confused before, it was nothing compared to how Seth felt now. She might as well had been speaking a foreign language at that point. Nothing that came out of her mouth made sense to him. "Um...no?" he managed to get out after a strong break of silence, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers while he wracked his brain. Whitney wasn't like any of the girls he'd been with before, and that's what he liked about her. He didn't like this, though. Sure, the start of their relationship wasn't a fairytale type story, but he didn't think the issues from anything before that would leak through. He was clearly mistaken there. "I'm a little concerned that you're even having these ideas...actually, no, a lot concerned." He let his hand fall to his lap, attempting to look her in the eye. "Should I ask where the fuck this is all coming from, or...? Cause I'm genuinely lost, Whit."

[whitlandry]

Whitney took a shaky breath. She could already feel the lump forming in her throat, and the last thing she wanted to do was cry. She thought she'd learned her lesson, that saying nothing was better than rocking the boat, but now the floodgates had opened, there was no taking it back. She felt stupid, like she was taking a sledgehammer to the first thing in her life for a long time that was actually good. Her hand raised up to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, shaking as it did. "I don't know," she was trying to sound casual about it, and failing miserably. "Because you're tired of me? Or because- because you met someone else?" there was no way he missed the way her voice faltered at the second question. She took a deep breath, mostly to steady herself from losing it completely. Why did she always do this? "I'm sorry." She didn't even know what she was apologising for.

There were so many scenarios Seth could've pictured happening with this conversation. The words that came out of Whitney's mouth, though? That was the last thing he ever expected. He wasn't sure what his expression read, but he imagined it was somewhere on the verge of total shock and a manic laughing fit. "What?" Other than that utterance, he was momentarily speechless. His eyes searched hers, brows crinkled in confusion as he wondered what in the absolute fuck would have her assume something like that. Despite his mind being anything but calm, he tried to approach the subject as delicately as possible. "Is there something you want to tell me? Like, a reason that I should be leaving you, or...?"

[whitlandry]

Since she'd been with Seth, Whitney had felt happier than she had done in years. There was a spring in her step again, she was laughing and smiling more, and life was generally sweet. That is, until she saw the photograph doing the rounds online of Seth smiling at a girl at one of his shows. She'd tried to put it from her mind, but the feelings of insecurity churning up in her tummy had only festered. She couldn't quite bring herself to say something, but she knew she was being far from normal, too. All in all, the last few days had been a lot of shitty awkwardness, with both of them dancing around the subject.

Evidently, Seth had already had enough of that. He was asking her outright, and though Whitney had thought of a million ways to come up with a tactful way, but when he asked her, she completely froze, looking at him with an expression that could only be described as deer in headlights. When she spoke, her voice was quiet.

"Are you gonna leave me, Seth?"

In most cases, Seth was a pretty laid-back type of guy. He didn't see the point in taking things too seriously or sweating the small stuff in life. Maybe that's why Whitney's sudden personality change, for a lack of better words, had been gnawing away at him. It had him on edge, and he was never on edge. Seth was known as the "chill" one, so losing that chill, even if it was only a fraction of it? Still a cause for concern. It'd gotten to the point where he couldn't keep dancing around it. There was only one way in, and that was diving head first. "You're acting weird," he stated. No point in proper formalities when he'd rather just have it out of the way. "And not just today but for multiple days. Can you just tell me what's pissing you off so we can hash it out and move on?" @whitlandry

[whitlandry]

Despite the fact he was talking about nothing all that serious, Whitney found herself hanging on his every word, as though he were telling her the most interesting story she'd ever heard. That was the nice thing about the early stage of a new relationship, or it was when there were genuine feelings there. She hadn't felt so giddy and entranced by anybody in a long time, but Seth was bringing out a side to her she thought was gone for good. "I didn't realise you were such a fan of claymation. We'll have to binge watch. Not today, though." There were other things on her mind, and she wasn't about to let Wallace and Gromit kill the vibe.

"Hmm. Not sure I like that idea very much, but if you want to make the inventor of ice cream your hall pass, I guess that's your business." Slowly, she inched his shirt up until she was gently pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side before returning her lips to his. His next words, however, had her cheeks heating up until she was an embarrassing shade of red. "Oh yeah?" Despite the suggestive tone of his voice, she tried to play it cool. "I guess all this talk of cake and ice cream does work up an appetite. What are you hungry for?"

"Well now that'd require some back story catching up on your part, my dear," he teased. "That vulnerability starts all the way with my OG's, Wallace and Gromit, then we dive in to the real good stuff with Shaun. Truly not for the weak of heart or stomach, though. It's raw, groundbreaking shit. Classic and hard hitting cinema at its finest." It really wasn't. It was more a childish, fluffy show for Seth to completely lose himself in during a green out. He wasn't about to share that information with Whitney just yet, though. Although she didn't seem to be scared off by him so far, he was still attempting to keep some parts of himself more tame than usual.

"It really does. God bless whoever invented ice cream, right? I'd kiss them on the mouth if they were still kicking...and if they happen to still be alive, the idea stands." He welcomed the feeling of her hands tracing his abdomen, though the idea of flinging his shirt off right then and there was becoming a little too tempting. He resisted as he leaned back and simply let her hands explore. He knew enough about her shitty exes that he wasn't about to be like them, or so he hoped. His mouth formed into a smile against hers before kissing her once more. "Although I can think of a few things I'd much rather eat right now. More than ice cream."

[whitlandry]

"I'll be honest, I didn't even know there was a Sean the Sheep movie," Whitney confessed. Even if she did, she wasn't sure she'd have picked it up on her own without Seth's recommendation. "But now you've got me all curious about it. I want to watch it with you, though. See you get in touch with your vulnerable side." Despite knowing that he was likely right that she'd be bawling like a baby at the first sign of emotion. That didn't mean she was above teasing him about it, though, and more than that, she wanted to see his reaction in person.

"Oh?" The word came out half a sigh, her mind a bit more occupied with the way his hand on her ass shifted her a little closer. She had no idea how he could make talking about ice cream flavours sound like the sexiest thing she'd ever heard in her life, but maybe she was just that into him that he could talk about the paint drying on the walls, and she'd find it borderline pornographic. A shiver ran over her at the kiss pressed to the part of her shoulder previously concealed by skin, and she could feel a flush creeping over her face. "Not enough people appreciate vanilla," she pointed out. "But it really does go with everything." His mouth found hers again, and as she kissed him back, her own hands began to wander, slipping under the hem of his shirt so her fingers could brush against the warm skin of his stomach.

"You of all people haven't seen Shaun the Sheep? That's pretty out of character," he snorted. If anything, she was one of the only people he knew and would've expected to have seen the movie. "I'm also not going to explain it either ither than saying it's the whole story itself because I know with full certainty you'd be crying, too, so don't even play that game with me, Landry." He had no doubts that it'd quickly shoot up on her to-watch list after that, but Seth still had the desire to keep things fresh and playful. That meant not showing all his cards too quick, but the sexy talk from her side had him considering throwing those beliefs out the window.

He found himself nodding along as if her words were the most captivating thing he'd ever heard, a sarcastic grin following the action. "Mmm, well you know, I actually prefer ice cream with my cake," he played along, although the way his hands were now fully gripping her ass and pushing her closer on his lap were a dead giveaway of how he really felt. "So many different flavours, and to go with cake? Brilliant design, really." His hand now ran up her arm, stopping just as it met her shoulder and his eyes following to where his thumb stroked against her shirt. He moved the material just enough so he could lean over and place a kiss to the exposed skin. "Vanilla is definitely my first choice, though," he muttered before flashing her a shit-eating grin and pressing his lips to hers.

[whitlandry]

"If you say so," Whitney muttered, though she didn't look convinced by it. Her relationship with her own siblings was very different to the one Mitch had with his, their attempts at teasing her more likely to result in Whitney crying than anything else. She couldn't relate, but she could relate to the confusion he seemed to have regarding his little crush on Charlotte. She'd been there, done that, and was actively in the middle of doing it all again. It seemed like she'd never quite learned her lesson, so she couldn't really do much more than she already was to help Mitch learn his. "I'm there with you," she commiserated, her mind once again turning to Seth and Sean and the mess she was making with all that. "God, look at us." She let out a small chuckle. "I don't know about you, but I really thought I'd have my shit together by now."

"Kidding, Whit. I wouldn't worry too much, though, it looks cute on you," he teased, knowing he'd probably show a little more mercy if it weren't for the fact him and his siblings were constantly at each other's throats when it came to lovingly bullying each other. It was also a great way to try and distract from the Charlotte situation, something he was still trying to do even after he'd already spilled his guts. He was very good at feeling his feelings and doing so deeply. It was actually addressing them when he was unsure that was harder. He'd be lying if hearing Whitney say Jordan was history didn't send a hard pang through his chest. He did soften once she continued, though, the idea of Charlotte making things better never really occurring to him until that moment. "I guess," he reluctantly admitted, although the dramatic sigh he let out didn't do much to help him with accepting the reality of it. "It just...I'm so confused, Whitney. I do appreciate your advice, really, it's just hard to wrap my head around. I feel like I've gone crazy...more than my normal level of crazy."

[whitlandry]

"Shaun the Sheep?" The confession had Whitney's eyebrows raising, and she pressed a hand to her mouth to stop from laughing in his face. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen it, so it could be a tearjerker for all I know but... what is it exactly about a modelling clay sheep that had you in your feels?" While a part of her was teasing him, she genuinely wanted to know. She was at that annoying, early-relationship stage where she wanted to know everything about him, and what she'd already learned wasn't disappointing. "Hmm?" She might have done a decent job at playing coy if she wasn't smirking, adjusting her seating position so she was straddling his lap. "In that case, you won't want to know what I'm thinking about right now. Which is a shame. It involves whipped cream."

"That's all it takes, huh?" he smirked again, suddenly wishing the roster of romcom's in his mind was larger. "I don't think I cried, but I will say that the Shaun the Sheep movie did pull a few heartstrings. I'm heavily denying it if you tell anyone, though." He couldn't hold back the snort that followed from her bluntness, not expecting it but nonetheless enjoying it. The way her train of thought continued didn't help his own already wild imagination, though, smiling against her lips before kissing her back. "Oh yeah?" he asked. He wasn't sure if it was her intention, but everything she said had him riled up completely. It didn't take much on his end, but it was still enough that he'd pulled her right into his lap and let his hands hover dangerously close to her ass. "You keep talking like that and we'll need a full fuckin' bakery shelf set up here."

[whitlandry]

Her cheeks went a darker shade of pink when he began to tease her, a momentary flash of worry on her face, but when he laughed and complimented her on her embarrassing weepy tendencies, the anxiety was soon pushed back down, replaced with relief. She had spent so long feeling like her emotions were a burden, and it still felt new to be with someone who didn't make her feel that way. "Oh, you don't have to wait for Love Island season for that. Just stick on a classic romcom with an angsty montage set to sad music and I'll be sobbing." One of the things she liked best about Seth was that, no matter what she said, even the stuff previous people she had loved had called annoying, he seemed to greet it with laughter. There was a levity there she had never really had before, and with that came a sense of comfort when she was with him. "What, a thanks-for-fuckin'-me cake?" She paused for a minute, the idea actually not being an unappealing one. "You know what? Remind me to bring cake over next time I come. Cake in bed actually sounds like heaven after sex." she let out a small breath of laughter, before leaning in and pressing her lips to his. "That clear enough for you?"

He was about to respond to her teasing, but Whitney's next comment knocked away any potential shame he could've had towards his own viewing habits. "Wait, you cry when they get dumped?" he asked, unable to hold back his laughter. It wasn't mean or at her expense, though. "That's fucking adorable, Whit. You're such a sensitive little soul. I'm coming over the next time it's on so I can witness all the emotions in action." His chuckles only continued as she smacked him for his Mitch related comments. "It is cute, I can't wait until they actually fuck. Maybe she'll bring an entire family sized cake as a thank you for that." He did find the innocence and obliviousness of her friend to be endearing, but not as much as how hard she seemed to be rooting for him. Seth had never spoken it out loud, but it was one of the things he really admired about her as a person. She always saw and hoped for the best in people. He also liked how he managed to surprise her, her comment having him raise a brow before sliding his hand to the small of her back. "Well then that's very different, indeed," he nodded and tugged her in a bit closer. "In that case, you might have to show me how much you mind."

[whitlandry]

"Hey!" Whitney frowned, raising her hands to cover her cheeks. "Now that's just mean." For the first time, he actually managed to distract her, and she craned her neck to look at herself in the mirror. "I'm not that pink," she muttered. Her distraction didn't last for long, though, and Whitney was soon honing back in on the matter at hand. When it came to matters of love, it was impossible to deter her for long. Call her a hopeless romantic, but if her own love life had to be in such a shambolic state, she was determined to make sure Mitch wasn't making mistakes in his own. She looked back at him, but found that he wasn't looking at her. When she heard his revelation, she understood why. "You don't have to explain it to me, or make it make sense," she spoke softly, trying her best to be comforting. "But it does, by the way. Make sense. Look, Mitch, I don't want to be harsh, because God knows it's a lesson I've learned the hard way myself, but Jordan... she's not part of your life anymore. If thinking about Lottie is helping you let go, that says it all, doesn't it?" She paused, giving him a moment for her words to sink in. "Does it matter why it happened? Is that something you need to understand? Or is it just important that it did? Would you do it again?"

"Huh, pinker than it is already, Peppa Pig?" he teased, unsure why that was the first pink coded character that popped in his head. It was a comment he would've thrown at his sister Ashley if she were to say something similar. Unlike with her, though, Whitney actually pushed him to think and talk about the deep stuff. He frowned a bit when she mentioned understanding being hurt before, and his own fingers tapped against his knee in anticipation as a thought came to mind revolving around all that. "Maybe. But also, Whit, the thing is..." He trailed off, an uncharacteristic bashful streak hitting him. He wasn't sure why it was so hard to get the next words out. He avoided eye contact as he made himself spill what was on his mind. "After we kissed and all that, I found that...I wasn't thinking about Jordan. Like, at all. It's for the first time in a long time, too. I know it's dumb, cause I loved Jordan, and I definitely don't love Charlotte, but...it's like kissing her shifted something. All that energy and brain power has gone towards trying to understand how and why the kiss happened, and I guess that it just pushed all the Jordan stuff to the side. It just feels weird. I don't really know how to explain it properly."

[whitlandry]

"I didn't realise you were a Love Island fan," Whitney smirked, the idea more charming to her than anything else. "I always end up crying when someone gets dumped. I know it's so stupid, and it's not like they're all looking for love or anything, but I still feel bad for them." Her eyes rolled at his next statement, though the grin remained on her face, and she lightly swatted at his arm. "Don't be mean. It's cute. She's making the effort, you know? He deserves that, even if he's being an absolute idiot about it all." Her brows raised a little bit. Seth was the first person since Travis to put actual butterflies in her stomach, and though a part of her was still holding back a little, and she didn't know exactly where this was going, if it was long term or just passing the time, the more time they spent together, the more she hoped it was the former. "Yeah?" She let out a small laugh as he pulled her closer, arms winding around his neck. "What if I mind?"

"I would be, too. The guy's more entertaining than reality TV...or at least any that's on right now. I might take that statement back once the next season of Love Island rolls around." He wore a smirk as he listened to the explanation, a dramatic gasp coming out towards her statement on where he was at with his not-crush. "A make-up cupcake? Holy shit. Might as well write the wedding invites up now." He shrugged towards her promise, not minding either way. "As much as I really like making out with you, Whit, you are allowed to take a breather every one in a while. I can guarantee you that I don't mind." Even with that said, though, he grabbed at her waist to pull her back in towards where he was sitting with a grin.

[whitlandry]

"Hmm?" Whitney glanced up from her phone, quickly pressing send on the text to Mitch. She had only been half-listening to Seth, but when she looked at him again, she suddenly realised what she'd done. "Oh my God, I'm sorry," she let out a nervous laugh. "I think I'm a bit too invested in Mitch's love life, but yeah, I think reality has set in. She brought him a make-up cupcake and they made out again, so if it hasn't hit him yet, it might be a lost cause." She locked her phone again, and moved it out of her eyeline. "No more distractions. Promise."

"So, was that your goofy little buddy?" Seth asked, smirking as he noticed how Whitney lit up while reading whatever he'd texted her. He probably should've been annoyed that it was mid make-out session and she'd pulled away solely to respond, but there were bigger fish to fry in the world. It was also nice to see her actually talking to dudes that weren't mentally destroying her in the process, and from what he'd heard about Mitchell, he highly doubted that'd ever be the case. "Did he finally realize he actually wants to bang that girl he supposedly can't stand? Cause it's about fuckin' time." @whitlandry

[whitlandry]

If there was one thing to be said about Mitch, it was the openness in which he displayed what was going on in his mind on his expression. There was no need to wonder what he was thinking or where his head was at - his face gave it all away anyway, and what she said was clearly taking a moment to process. Whitney could respect that, and so, she stayed quiet, letting him work through and respond before hitting him with more advice he didn't ask for, but she was going to give him anyway. "Wouldn't catch me in a cold shower. I like the water so hot my skin goes all pink and red," she knew he was trying to distract her, and she thought he could do with a small break from the conversation, so she gave him that one. It wasn't long before she returned to the matter at hand, though. "I get that. And I get that it must be scary. It, um, takes a lot of courage to being open to this sort of thing. Especially when you've already been hurt before." She was a little unsure about bringing that up, but since he had shared it with her, it seemed like it might be okay. "But is it not scarier if it could be something, but you won't let it be because of a grudge? I think you owe it to yourself to see if anything's there."

Mitch was super close to thanking her for the full agreement and support, but that was up until he saw her face. The smirk didn't match the sympathy of her tone. As he hoped his mouth to ask about it, it shut just as fast when she said something about caring about his happiness. What followed was her honesty, and in response, his face went through an almost cinematic display of different emotions. it started with confusion that shifted to shock and then dissociation. No. There was no fucking way that out of all the people in the world, he'd started getting feelings for Charlotte. He slumped back a bit, the look of awe still present on his face as he met eyes with her. "I..." he started, sighing when no words formed. He didn't know how to explain it. "Jeremiah takes cold showers all the time, by the way, he says it's supposed to help blood circulate better...or he gets all hot and bothered by running. I don't really have it in me to ask if it might be both," he added, but dropped it when he knew that that wouldn't be a tidbit Whitney was looking for. "I just...I've had this grudge towards her for so long, and the fact it could be more than just that is...messing with my head, I guess."

[whitlandry]

"Yeah, I guess so. Next time I have a 'just got dumped' makeover I'll bring you to the salon with me." Her hair transformations over the years was the last thing on her mind right now, though. Even thoughts of Sean and Seth had been pushed aside by Mitch's confession, and the more he spoke, the more Whitney's smug grin grew. There was no distracting her from this. Even if it seemed that Mitch was deep in denial, she could see exactly what was going on here. Mitch had it bad, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Oh, cherry?" She raised an eyebrow, nodding her head in faux-agreement. "Well, I'm sorry, Mitch. That must have been terrible to go through. What kind of monster wears cherry chapstick?" She couldn't hold it in anymore. As he explained the effect this girl was having on him, she burst into laughter. "Mitch, I love you, and I'm saying this because I care about your happiness," she managed to get out in between chuckles, before suddenly turning more serious. "You're clearly into this girl. People don't need cold showers because they thought about a person they have absolutely no feelings for without their clothes on. And take it from me - Travis and Woody, they both messed with my head so badly that it took a while for me to even function like a normal person again. Is eating your cupcake really so unforgiveable that you're going to ignore something you clearly want?"

"Meh, I feel like it wouldn't be the same. Like yeah, pictures would show it, but it's not actually experiencing it in the flesh. It's like the Northern Lights, and if you miss it, you just have to wait for the special moment to come back again one day. Kind of a shame." His distraction tactics worked most of the time with his siblings, but they clearly weren't going anywhere with Whitney. Her added comments on the situation actually spurred him on more. He might've known that was the intended case if he paid closer attention, but even as he heard her words, he didn't catch the expression on her face. His own thoughts were too occupied with how much he couldn't stand Charlotte. "That's the thing...it wasn't, even though I wanted it to be awful. And, like, the only reason I did it was to prove she was wearing cherry chapstick, which she was, Whitney. It's truly psychopathic behavior." He shook his head, and any normal person would just end the explanation there. Not him, though. "And like, was the kiss good? Yeah. Do I want to kiss her again? Sure. Have I thought about her in ways that make me feel like I desperately need to hop into a cold shower? Of course. But still, none of that is important because she's just...the worst. There's no way I could ever be into someone who can easily mess with my head that way, right?"