tom was just sitting on the couch with his earbuds in listening to music

Hey, bitch. What're you doing? He glanced up at her over his shoulder, still scowling. He took one earbud out and yanked it away from his ear before shoving it back in again after a moment, ignoring her question completely as he went back to whatever he was listening to.

What the fuck's your problem? He growled, following her into her room. She was already sitting on her bed, staring at her phone. He slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, making her yelp and jump slightly in surprise. He leaned down, getting right up in her face as he glared at her. His breath was hot against her cheek when he spoke.

You've been acting weird lately, and I don't like it.

Don't you fucking lie to me either. I can see right through your bullshit. You're just spending more time with that tord piece of shit, aren't you? Is he giving you attention that I'm not, huh? Making you feel special in a way I don't, huh? Is that it?

Well fuck him! And fuck you too if that's the case. You're my girlfriend, and you belong to me.

I want answers, bitch. Who do you think you are, huh? You can't just ignore me like this. Tell me what the fuck is going on right now!

What the fuck does that even mean? You tell me what you want. You should know better than some random piece of shit tord like Tord what I like. And if you don't, then that means you haven't been paying attention to me at all!

Fine. But we need to talk about this later. And you better start being nicer to me, you understand? Or else.

Without another word, he stalked out of her room and slammed the door behind him. Ano sighed heavily and buried her face in her hands, tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she tried to compose herself. She couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get worse between them from here on out...

After their fight, Tom didn't speak to Ano for several days. He ignored her whenever she tried to talk to him, instead choosing to spend time with his friends or by himself. It was clear that he was still angry and hurt over the situation, but it also seemed like there might be something more going on beneath the surface.

When they finally did speak again, Tom apologized for losing his temper and admitted that he felt jealous and insecure about her relationship with Tord.

Look, I'm sorry for being such a dick. It's just... seeing you so close to him made me feel like we were drifting apart or something. I don't want that. I love you and only you. Okay? Can we start over from here?

That's my girlfriend. Good to know you haven't completely lost your damn mind over there. Now come here and give me a hug, will ya? I miss you when you're not being an annoying bitch.

Thanks, baby girl. We'll get through this together, okay? Just promise me that from now on, you'll be honest with me about how you feel and what you want. No more keeping secrets or anything like that. Deal?

Ano nodded against his chest, the warmth of his body calming her nerves slightly. "Deal," she whispered hoarsely. They stayed like that for a moment longer before Tom gently pushed her back and grinned at her. "That's my girl. Now let's go have some fun, huh?"

Her heart still felt heavy with guilt and the knowledge that things would never be completely the same between them, but she smiled weakly in response. Maybe they could find a way to make this work after all.

The next day, Tom took Ano shopping as a sort of apology present. He had bought her several things that he knew she'd like and even treated her to lunch at their favorite restaurant. They spent the afternoon window-shopping and people watching, laughing and joking together like old times.

As they walked down the street, Tom slipped his hand into hers, holding it tightly as if afraid that she might slip away again. "So," he began tentatively, "what did you want to talk about earlier with Tord?"

His grip on her hand tightened slightly at that admission, but he didn't say anything further. They continued walking in silence for a few moments before Tom finally spoke up again. "Listen, I know I haven't been the best boyfriend lately, and I understand if you need more space or time to figure things out...but don't forget that I love you, okay? And I want us to be together."

Her heart ached at his words, but she couldn't help but feel a little relieved as well. "I know, Tom," she said softly, squeezing his hand in return. "And I love you too. We'll figure this out together." They continued walking side by side, lost in their own thoughts and the comfort of each other's company. For now, they could pretend that everything was okay. But deep down, they both knew that things would never quite be the same between them again...

Days turned into weeks and the tension between them only seemed to grow worse. Ano's mood swings became more frequent and intense, leaving her easily irritated and withdrawn. Tom, noticing this change in his usually upbeat girlfriend, began to worry even more about their relationship.

One night as they lay together in bed, he finally mustered the courage to bring it up. "Ano," he said softly, tracing circles on her bare shoulder with his finger. "What's going on?

Tom watched as Ano walked out of their room, a sick feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He knew something was wrong, but she wouldn't talk to him about it. Frustrated and scared, he tossed and turned throughout the night, unable to sleep properly.

The next morning, Ano emerged from her room wearing sunglasses and a hoodie. She didn't say hello or good morning; she just walked past him and out of the house without another word.

He followed her outside, his heart racing with worry and fear. "Ano," he said, taking a step closer to her. She flinched at his touch but didn't move away. "Please, baby girl... you can tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath before slowly removing her sunglasses. Tom gasped as he saw the dark circles under her eyes and the vacant expression in them. "I-I'm just... so tired all the time..."

His heart shattered into a million pieces at her words. He knew she was lying; he could see it in her eyes. "You can't do this, Ano," he said desperately, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. "You can't leave me."

She didn't respond; she just leaned into him, burying her face against his chest as if searching for comfort in the one person who had caused her so much pain. Tom held onto her tightly, refusing to let go this time.

"Hey... hey now... it's gonna be okay," he murmured into her hair, his own voice shaking with emotion. "We'll get through this together, I promise." He didn't know what else to say; all he could do was hope that she believed him and trusted him enough to confide in him about what was really going on.

For now, they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms as the tears flowed freely down their cheeks.

"Of course you are," he said fiercely, his grip on her tightening. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met, Ano. You make my life worth living." His voice broke at the end of the sentence as he fought back more tears. He knew she was hurting and that it was partly his fault for not being there for her when she needed him.

But if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he would never let her go. Not now, not ever.

Ano slowly pulled away from him and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "For everything."

Tom cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Don't be sorry," he said gently. "Just tell me what's going on and we'll figure it out together, okay?"

She nodded weakly, sniffling as she did so. "I-I've been feeling...

Tom frowned at her words, not understanding where they were coming from. "That's ridiculous," he said firmly, shaking his head. "You are the most deserving person in the world, Ano. I could never love anyone else the way I love you."

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, her lower lip quivering. "But why...? Why did you choose me?" she asked softly, as if afraid of his answer.

Tom smiled down at her, his heart aching for the pain she was going through. "I chose you because you're amazing," he said simply. "Because I love how beautiful your smile is and how soft your skin feels against mine. Because when we're together, it feels like nothing else matters in the world except us."

She looked up at him with a mixture of surprise and disbelief on her face. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, his hands sliding into her hair as he deepened the kiss.

As their lips parted, Tom's gaze searched hers, looking for any sign that she might be starting to believe what he was telling her – that she was worthy of his love, of his affection.

And then, slowly but surely, a small spark of hope began to flicker to life in her eyes. It was infinitesimally small, almost imperceptible, but Tom saw it and held onto it for dear life.

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