Oreo Ice Cream

Chapter 11| Never hold back

"I thought all along the way," The tears were making it hard for me to keep my eyes open. My eyes were like set to fire. My chest heaved up and down; my stomach churned with the thoughts of that night. I knew I was on the verge of breaking down. 

"Flora," I heard Josie whisper as I felt her sweaty hand rubbing mine.

"That the princess was in his dreams and that it wasn't real." My voice broke in 'real', and shook in despair as I felt my heart about to explode now. I didn't know why, but I felt like letting everything out in front of Josie today. If I went on, then I would cry, and if I started crying, I wouldn't be able to stop. Yet I continued, "But I found everything out which he didn't tell me. He locked the princess in his treasure box and slept happily." The pressure sank my heart, I felt my breath getting clogged, and a warm tear came down my cheek. My throat tightened. I could feel my stomach sinking. Those green walls were making it hard to say, yet I wanted to let them out. I did manage to hold my tears back. 

"What happened to her?" I instantly recognized the gravelly voice in front of me. I looked up and found Tris standing. Concerned.

I had missed that face. Those furrowed eyesbrows and concerned ocean eyes. The last time I saw it, was probably when he visited to our house to give me muffins because I was severely ill. I remembered him stroking my cheeks and quoting Dickens. I wondered, if he was still a Dickens lover.

"I don't know, Tristan," Josie was worried, and I could see the tensed lines growing on her forehead, "She- she's, maybe, saying a story or somewhat. I mean, she was," She exhaled in exhaustion as she stood up, making signs of leaving. "I guess she can let out everything in front of you," I heard her tensed whisper to Tristan as she left hurriedly.

Her words echoed louder to me. Her slender figure disappeared in the crowd. She can let out everything in front of you. Deep.down, I was happy she atleast understood me. Us.

"Nothing happened to me," I lowered my eyes and clenched my fingers, "I was telling a story to her and got nostalgic." I stood up after cleaning my hands with the tissue paper. 

"Really? That's it?" How dare he mock me now? Tristan stepped closer. He didn't smell of vanilla or mint, but something damp and fresh—like wet grasses after the first downpour or the crispy air after a storm in the beach.

"I should get going," I tried to move, but he grabbed my arm. A shiver ran through my veins.

"We should, and that to the bikeshed." He dragged me as I kept quiet. 

The bikeshed's always been my favorite spot to be. And thankfully, it was Tristan's favorite as well. The last time we were there, we had ice cream together. I still remember Tris putting some cream on my nose before I smacked his arm, and we laughed so loud that students gathered around us. A part of me wanted to go back, yet I wanted him to take me there. This time, I actually wanted to empty my brain and save my heart from drowning.

~*~

"Hey," Tristan's arm brushed mine as I stood still. I wanted to crumble into his arms and tell him everything that was killing me. Instead I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Something uncomfortable was still lingering in my throat—something firm; threatening to burst out loudly.

"I wish Josie enjoyed my story." I turned mute and stared at the gray wall. Even though I was trying hard not to get upset in front of him, I knew I was on the verge of crying.

"You aren't gonna cry now, are you?" My breath hitched.

"No." My voice broke a little.

"Flora," His voice came as a rough whisper as he turned my face to him and grabbed my forearms, "Look at me." He cupped my face and turned it up—those dark blue eyes. My throat tightened as I saw him clenching his jaw and gulping down. His pulse was racing faster—I could see.

"You didn't tell me anything all this way." The words came faster than I thought they would through my mouth. I still couldn't compute what I said, so I stood there tearfully and watched him grow tense and uncomfortable. I shouldn't have told that to me. Perhaps, he's got a new friend. We weren't best friends anymore. The air around us thickened as I felt like freeing myself from his grip and running far away from these persons, this mess.

From him.

Yet I stood there like my feet were glued. I could feel my cheeks warming up and getting wet. I couldn't hold myself back anymore, so I let out a breathy sob. Lifting his hand, Tristan touched my cheek, wiping away the tear. I closed my eyes. They were burning—they exploded already. The anxiety, the pain, the truth and lies, the puzzles—all were set on fire. I just required a cold thumb pad to turn them into ashes.

"You don't have to hold anything back," Tris's voice came closer as my feet trembled. "Not now, atleast."

I wanted him to say not from me. But whatever he said, was comforting. It was warm and thick
Like the warm sunkissed waves brushing against your feet.

All these years, I had someone's back even though we weren't really together. We were on our way, setting goals and planning our lives. Yet we were each other's secret keepers. We never held anything back from each other, but Tris did this time.

I let out another sob as I hugged him tightly. I couldn't hold back really. The weight lifted as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I just wanted to let all of these out. Cole asked me to get ready—I doubted if I were yet. His hand gripped my forearm gently as his other hand went to my back, up to my nape, and then to my hair. He messed them with his fingers as he continued rubbing my nape. He kept his chin in the crook of my shoulder as his warm presence lifted the weight more. My almost sinking stomach could now work fully, and my lungs filled with fresh air as my cheeks started getting dry. I wished this would last forever. But the next moment, I realized, the embrace was broken, and we were shocked as much as the person in front of us was.

Any guesses who this person could be? Let me know about your beautiful thoughts!❤️