Work Text:
EJ really and truly messed up this time. He’d officially gone and lost the one good thing in his life, all for a show that was already about to be sabotaged anyways.
He just didn’t know where to go from here. He hadn’t stopped crying since Gina told him it was over. He can only truly blame himself, because every point that Gina threw in his face was a factual representation of how horribly he’s treated her this summer.
He makes promises he can’t keep. He tells her things will calm down once he figures out how to handle everything.
She smiles. She understands. She accepts. She supports. She makes promises she keeps and believes him that it’s just temporary and they’ll get back to their normal soon.
Until she didn't.
EJ continued to wander around aimlessly still in his pink prom suit, refusing to head back to the Yurt Locker and have to explain his tears.
He sat down on an empty log and turned his gaze towards the stars. His cousin had found new meaning behind them, so he figured maybe he could too.
A few minutes went by before he saw his first shooting star. He closed his eyes tightly and wished for a second chance.
//
Meanwhile, Gina was alone in the Honeycomb solemnly packing her suitcase. She had called her mom sobbing and filled her in on what happened. For once, her mom dropped everything and said she was on her way to pick her baby girl up from camp.
Gina felt fresh tears leak out of her eyes as she came across the blue Duke hoodie. She folded it neatly and left it on her now completely empty bed. She quickly scribbled out a note and placed it on top.
------------------------
Eej,
I always thought that the times I missed you while we were in the same room but acting miles apart, were the worst sort of pain. I was wrong. This is worse.
I miss you and I love you,
Gi
------------------------
With that, Gina went to wait for her Mom’s minivan without so much as a glance behind her.
//
It was very late by the time Ashlyn sprinted to the Yurt Locker holding the Duke hoodie and the crumpled note. She banged on the door and didn’t even care how loud she was being.
Ricky flung open the door “WHAT THE HELL?!!”.
Ashlyn pushed him aside and started scouring the room for her cousin. “EJ, where’s EJ?!!! I NEED EJ, RICKY.”
“He hasn’t come back yet, I don’t know where he is!! What’s wro—“.
She flew out the door and ran around the camp before finally spotting him in the campfire circle. She yelled his name and his head snapped toward hers.
“Ash, what’s wrong?” The closer she got to him they could both see tears in each other’s eyes.
Ashlyn shoved the sweater and note into his chest before she started crying once again.
EJ’s heart dropped at the sight of the hoodie but completely shattered after he read the note. “She really left?” He whispered.
“Eej what happened? Are YOU okay? Is SHE okay, ugh this is terrible, the show is tomorrow, what are we even gonna do what are we gonna tell—“
“SHHH I need to think and I don’t wanna hear about the stupid show that I could care less about right now. I still have Ms. Porter’s number from when I bought Gi the plane ticket. I gotta go call her.”
“Okay please let me know what happens. Good or bad.”
EJ nodded firmly and watched as Ashlyn gave him space and walked away.
EJ scrolled through his contacts and pushed call. His leg was bouncing like crazy, missing the only person who could help calm his anxiety.
EJ held his breath as he heard the line pickup. He waited a minute before he heard it.
“EJ.”
“Oh thank God, Ms. Porter thank you for even picking up. I can't imagine what you think of me right now, I’m such a mess, I’m so sorry for everything I’ve caused.”
“EJ, slow down. How are you?”
“How am I?? M’am that doesn’t matter, how is she? Is she okay, is she safe?”
“Of course it matters Honey, this I assume has affected you a great deal too. She’s to be expected, lots of tears. I finally just got her settled into bed, last I checked she was knocked out.”
EJ took a deep breath in and out. “M’am, how do I fix this? How do I show her that she’s not a maybe but that she’s my everything. She’s my whole world.”
“I think, from what I could get out of her. She’s just tired of feeling like she’s not enough or not the main priority. All of her life it was move after move, she never found a safe place to land until SLC. Until you EJ. All she talks about is you, but it seems to me like summer might have gotten away from you guys a bit. It’s easy to do, you’re both so young, relationships are hard.” She said gently.
“She told me that a bit as well, and I see why she would possibly feel that way. I’m more so just kicking myself that I wasn’t able to show her that she’s more than enough and that she’s my favourite person in the whole world. I cant believe I let her slip away at a two week summer camp.”
“So show her Honey, show her now. I know it seems like the end of the world right now, but I know my daughter and my daughter is hurting right now. But the real reason behind that hurt, is because she loves you EJ, and I think you love her just as much, probably even a bit more.”
“Absolutely, I LOVE her and I never even got to tell her properly.”
“I’m telling you Son, it’s not too late. I need to go check on her again though, I hope we will be hearing from you soon. Good night.”
EJ hung up the phone and started to formulate a plan. He packed all of his things up as quickly as he could, booked the first plane ticket available, and asked Red if he could drop him off at the airport.
EJ made it to the airport in record time and was able to board his plane quite quickly. He thanked God they had a red-eye back to SLC, he could have cared less about the expensive price tag.
He fell asleep on the plane ride and the next thing he knew he woke up to the pilot beginning his descent. He rushed through the airport and quickly hailed a taxi and gave them Gina’s address.
After paying the taxi, he hesitates before knocking on the door, feeling bad that it was now very early in the morning. He knocks quietly a few times and holds his breath.
After a few moments a very sleepy Ms. Porter cranks open the door. “Oh boy, I knew you’d come, but you don’t think you couldn’t have waited 'til morning???”
EJ shifted his weight from foot to foot and stumbled over his words. “I just had to see her, I need to make this right, I'm sorry if I barged—“
She grabbed his arm and hauled him inside before locking up. “Im going back to sleep. You know where her room is, I trust you guys. Good luck, you two will be just fine”.
As EJ quietly pushed open Gina’s door, he saw her figure as a lump on the bed. He used his phone flashlight and found her face which was scrunched up and restless, along with dried tear tracks down her plump cheeks. She was clutching a stuffed teddy he had gotten for her and his heart cracked at the sight.
Since she was closest to the wall, he sat down on the empty space beside her and brushed a few stray tears away. One of her hands moved to rest on his in her sleep, and he grasped it tight.
All of a sudden Gina awoke with a start and EJ announced his presence right away, so that she wouldn’t be scared. “Gina, hey it’s me EJ. Don’t worry, I don’t wanna scare you.”
She immediately relaxed, but then quickly changed her course of action. She wrenched her hand out of his and sat up, put her back against the wall, and crossed her arms. “Why are you here?”
“Gi, I’m so so sorry. For absolutely everything. This summer was supposed to be the best summer ever and somehow it turned into the worst. I seriously neglected you and took you for granted, which is something I’ll never forgive myself for. I just need you to know that I was always thinking of you first.”
“What do you mean?” Gina huffed.
“If I made the show amazing, my dad would let me stay in SLC, with you. If I made the show amazing, you could have caught your big break on Disney. It’s always been about you Gi, all of it.” EJ bowed his head and put it in his hands.
He felt Gina take a hold of his head and make him look up at her. “When are you going to figure out that I just need YOU, EJ. Yes, all those things would be amazing, but I want you now. I’ve lived my whole life not knowing what my future will bring, but with you, that’s the only time I’ve ever felt certain. And this summer, I just started to think I might have misread things a bit, I am notoriously good at that.” She fake chuckled.
EJ grabbed her face and stroked her cheeks gently with his thumbs. “Hey hey, none of that. You didn’t misread anything. I am in love with you Gina and I’ve been kicking myself everyday for not saying it. But I do, I love you. And I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much, if you could just give me a second chance.”
Gina surged forward and placed her lips on his. EJ pulled back, “Wait wait, is this a yes?”
“Of course it’s a yes. I love you so much Eej.” With that, he pulled her into a fiery kiss but after a few minutes, EJ sheepishly pulled away.
“As much as I’m LOVING this, your mom trusts me and she really helped me out tonight, so I think we should stop.”
Gina reluctantly agreed. “You’re sleeping in here though. With me.” She pulled him under the covers and he wrapped her up in his arms.
“There’s absolutely no place else I’d rather be.”