teenage wasteland ;; the maze runner

2.28

it had taken florence a long time to piece it all together, to fully acknowledge the depth of her feelings for antony. but somehow, their time alone in the desert had done the trick. walking across endless dunes, hearts still thrumming from narrowly escaping death, florence began to understand there was something between them—something far greater than she had ever allowed herself to imagine.

the realization had been a slow burn, a series of moments she hadn't fully appreciated until now. it probably began with thomas' arrival, when survival became their only option and they had no choice but to rely on one another. in those high-stakes moments, antony had been her rock. the realization truly struck when they were separated at wicked. florence had missed all the boys, of course, but antony's absence felt like a hole she couldn't quite fill. she missed the quiet strength he brought, the way his presence made her feel just a little safer, even in a world falling apart.

and it wasn't just about protection. it was the way he came for her, dragging sammy along as proof he would never leave her behind. when antony refused to leave without her, something in her heart cracked open, exposing a longing she hadn't dared to name. but florence, as stubborn as she was, refused to look too deeply into her own emotions—let alone his.

still, antony's actions spoke louder than any words. he protected her, he cared for her, and in the moments between chaos, they built a friendship. a real one. and in their walk to the city, surrounded by the vast emptiness of the desert, something shifted.

florence had found herself watching him more closely. the sharp angles of his jawline, the way his hair caught the light, the softness in his voice when he opened up about things he wouldn't share with anyone else. vulnerability wasn't easy for antony, but he let her see him in those moments, and that meant everything to her.

she'd started to hope.

but all of that came crashing down when he rejected her at marcus'. florence had braced herself for a lot of things in this world—pain, loss, death—but not this. not the harsh reality of her deepest fear: she wasn't wanted.

and now, no matter how deeply she'd come to care for him, all she could feel was the sting of rejection, the sharp ache of a hope dashed before it could fully bloom. it made her angry—at him, at herself, at the world that had shaped them into people who couldn't seem to get it right.

but the worst part? she still couldn't stop caring.

and, much to her dismay, florence discovered that newt and minho, in their ever-meddling wisdom, had discreetly conspired with harriet to "solve" whatever fallout had occurred between her and antony during their time away from the group. their solution? pair them together.

florence found herself glaring daggers at the two boys as harriet made the announcement. "florence, antony, sammy—you'll be sharing a tent. should be plenty of room for the three of you." harriet smiled as if she'd just made everyone's day.

florence, however, couldn't have felt more betrayed.

"you have got to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath, shooting a venomous look at newt, who had the audacity to whistle innocently while minho barely suppressed a smirk.

"problem?" harriet asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed florence's reaction.

florence plastered on a tight-lipped smile. "nope. no problem at all," she said, though the edge in her voice was impossible to miss.

she felt antony glance at her, his expression unreadable. he didn't say a word, of course, which only fueled her irritation.

by the time they arrived at their assigned tent, florence's annoyance had bubbled into full-fledged anger. she threw her bag down on the farthest cot from antony without a word, her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. sammy, blissfully oblivious to the tension, plopped onto the middle cot with a grin.