No Strings Attached - Kylo Ren AU

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: No Strings Attached

It hadn't been that long since the whole thing with Kylo happened so it didn't feel right to see Danny. Not because you wanted to be loyal, but because you were still recovering emotionally. It was breaking a major rule in the contract, but technically you were already breaking it, so did it really matter? You wanted something more comfortable, something familiar to you that could pull you away from the number of changes that have gone through your life, to even it out. Danny was familiar to you, he represented the old you from two years ago, the girl that looking back now wasn't at all like you. But that's what you needed, that normal, calm life you once had, so you decided to go.

Going through your closet, you found old clothes you had worn while you were going out with him. That was another way of going back to your old self and feeling more comfortable. The restaurant the two of you agreed on wasn't too far from your place so you decided to walk there, it was much-needed exercise since you had been staying in bed for most of the day.

He wasn't sitting when you got there so you decided to get a table and wait for him. Obviously, if he was obnoxiously late then you would leave, but a couple of minutes couldn't hurt. When he eventually walked through the door, it was like your heart had stopped. You forgot how attractive he was, but maybe that was just the loneliness talking. His smile was the first thing that you noticed.

"Wow, you haven't changed one bit," he said while sitting down.

You laughed. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, oh my god, yes. You look beautiful". You smiled at his compliment, it made you feel good after all that had happened.

"How have you been?" you asked, before taking a sip of your coffee.

"Good, really good. Um, the restaurant's been going really well," 

"Wait, you have a restaurant?" Last time you talked to Danny you were aware that he wanted to become a Michelin star chef but knew nothing about him creating his own business.

He nodded his head smiling. "Yes, I forgot that I didn't tell you. I have my own restaurant now, it's actually just two blocks away. It's a nice seafood place I created with my friend from culinary school."

"What's it called?"

"Hart. It's part of my last name because I put in all the money, and he mostly just helped me staff and other things," he said, looking at the menu for something to eat.

"I like it, it's simple".

"What have you been up to?" he asked.

There were a million things you could say but most wouldn't even sound real to someone who wasn't with you when it happened. There was no way you were going to spring the whole lake house situation on him. Kylo's situation was too complicated to be explained in such a small amount of time. It would take days to express every emotion and describe every detail as how you saw it. What had only been a couple of months felt like years of emotions, trauma, and pain.