Way was shocked by Babe's words, but what hurt even more was the realization that he wasn't joking.
A storm churned inside him - confusion, jealousy, agony, betrayal, all colliding at once in a wheel of raw emotion.
And yet, he managed to not let a single flicker of it show on his face.
He took a slow step back, rage surged through him as he shoved Babe's hand off his waist with force and turned to walk away.
𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙚 : Wait, Way! We still need to talk
Babe called out, grabbing his hand to stop him. Way froze, he was now seconds away from breaking down completely. He drew in a sharp breath, steadying himself.
Then he pushed off Babe's hand from his waist, this time, in a more gentle manner than before, keeping Babe away on all his attempts to get closer.
With a voice barely holding together, he whispered,
𝙒𝙖𝙮 : Get your hand off me, Babe… don't make this harder than it already is. It's my fault, I - I should've seen this coming…
Babe stood frozen, the weight of guilt beginning to settle in his eyes. He hesitated, then took a step back, finally understanding that Way didn't want to talk anymore, at least not now.
Way on the other hand, clenched his jaw as he walked past them. He was on the verge of bursting out into tears.He clutched his mouth and gulped down the sobs that threatened to escape.
He didn't look back, leaving Babe and Alan standing in silence.