Beautiful Dichotomy

chapter 19

"Seriously Rae, you're too nice for this," Samuel sighed, ignoring Gabby as he focused down at her. Her red eyes staring back up at him from the floor before focusing over at Gabby.

"Gabby relax," she pleaded, "I promise you nothing happened between us. You know I wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, I know you... so Samuel get ready to never get remotely close to her. She won't tell you shit and she won't ever let you touch her just like the rest of the poor guys she played."

"Poor guys?" Rae looked at her before standing up, trying her best to remain calm, "I felt weird because you made it seem like something was wrong with me for not wanting to date anybody. Then I try a few times and you say poor guys because I didn't want to sleep with them?"

"Rae, you literally talked to that one dude for five fucking months and you barely kissed him. If I spent five months going out and hanging out with someone and they refused to go past kissing, I'm not doing that. That's a waste of time for both people!"

"I don't have to live like you!" Rae found her voice once again, Samuel looking down at his feet, not wanting to intervene unless necessary. "If I don't want to have sex with somebody, I don't have to. No matter if it's a waste of time to you. And he stopped talking to me anyways after-" she paused, looking over at Samuel, scared to continue.

"After you sucked his dick?" Gabby knew she was going to not say it and wanted to make sure Samuel heard it. Smirking at Rae's terrified expression at her words, "neither him nor I forced you to do it. I just suggested that you should."

"Fuck you Gabby," Rae started crying again, "this is why I never tell you shit. You use everything against me and make a joke out of me whenever you want to. I can't even imagine what you say about me behind my back. Your best friend Michelle might wanna know what you said to me about her too."

"Oh no, don't you start that shit with me!" Gabby started to approach Rae, "anything I say about you, I say to your fucking face. I don't do that petty shit."

"Then stop being my friend if you hate me so much. Stop talking to me at all."

"How can I? I've covered your broke ass for rent way too many times. Where would you go? Back home?" Gabby laughed, "you told me you'd rather die than go back with either of your parents. Go ahead and you tell me if you want to stop being my friend."

Samuel couldn't believe what he was hearing. The words she spoke even hurt him and they were only meant for Rae. Before he could tell Gabby off, Rae turned and started slamming stuff into a duffel bag. "I'm leaving," Rae said out loud, to both of them, "I wanna be alone." Her words short and her tone dry.

"Where are you going?" Samuel asked her, his voice quiet, "come with me."

Rae paused to glare at him, "I- I don't need to be rescued. I'm not some fragile flower that can't be hurt," her puffy eyes looked into his, "I will be fine Samuel." Before he could say anything else, she zipped the bag and snatched her phone from Gabby's grip. "I will find somewhere to stay by the end of today. I'll come back for all my shit when I can." The side eye she gave Gabby was vicious.

As Gabby began yelling incoherently behind her, Rae continued out of the apartment. Samuel followed closely behind her, wanting to ignore what she had said to him earlier. He was definitely going to respect her wishes but he wanted to make sure that she had somewhere to go.

Somewhere safe.

"I told you, you didn't have to make sure I was okay," Rae said between sniffles as they continued to walk out of her apartment complex. Samuel held the doors for here every time there was a set. She walked through them until they were outside. Now, walking side-by-side on the sidewalk.

"I just wanna make sure that you're safe," His words making her look over to him.

"Why did you come back?" She asked him confused as to why and how he showed up during their fight.

"You called me?" He answered her honestly before realizing that she never actually greeted him, all he could hear was the yelling. "Well... now that I think about it, I think you uh- called me by accident cause all I heard was fighting. So I got here as fast as I could."

Rae just nodded in response, not sure she remembers how or when she pulled out her phone.

"Thank you," she said with zero hesitation as she looked down at her phone to scroll through her contacts once more. Desperately trying to remember someone's name who would be willing to help. "Especially for helping me with um- whatever happened to me."

"The panic attack?" Rae nodded before Samuel answered his own question, "anytime sunshine."

Him using that nickname, even after he just watched her fight with Gabby made her stop walking to just look at him. Slightly turning to look at her over his shoulder, he gave her a half smile.

"I think we should take a rain check for our first date," his smile never wavering, "as much as I don't want to."

Rae tried to stop the scattered laughs that escaped before catching up with him. They both headed into a small cafe on the corner. He went up to order food and drink while she sat at the little table just staring out the window.

"They're gonna call me when everything's ready." Samuel said with a sigh before settling into the seat across from her. "Rae you know-"

All she did was hold up a hand at him, "I appreciate the offer Samuel, I truly do," she began as she barely had the courage to look at him, "but this is my mess. I need to fix this myself and I'd rather not stay with you while I do it. It'll prove Gabby right and- and I don't wanna mess this up." Her hand now motioned between the two of them.

Nodding, he understood but couldn't help but feel somewhat dejected by her words. Clearing his throat, he leaned closer to her and used his hands to hold hers. Relaxing her hand before setting it down on the table between them, "I can ask some of my friends if they need a roommate. I'll even text David, he somehow knows way too many people. Just because you don't wanna stay with me doesn't mean I can't help you find a place to stay right?"

Rae just nodded and smiled at him before placing her free hand on their small pile of hands in the middle of the table. Patting it lightly, "that would be way too nice of you guys, but thank you. I'd appreciate it." Begrudgingly removing their hands, they both were now on their phones and texting before Samuel excused himself to get their food and drinks.

The smell of the coffee he ordered making her nose scrunch up as she grabbed the black tea from him. "Still no coffee?"

"Never," she joked making shake his head.

"I need to know how you survived undergrad without it," the air beginning to grow lighter the more they say together and brainstormed. Both of them even taking a few calls or making them to find somewhere.

Luckily, Rae's coworker who she spoke to on the daily was kind enough to consider it. As she hung up, she let a squeal of excitement out. "Who?!" Samuel asked as it was infectious.

"My coworker Dahlia!"