watercolor ⦾ d.c.s. ⦿ book 2

☂ reason ☂

"dan, wh-what are you doing here? how—?"

"i have ways. i'm a smart man who travels a lot. why'd you leave town?"

"huh, town. try continent." i shrug. "what do you even want?"

scratches his head. "right. well, i'll answer if you answer. i bet you need a tour guide, so c'mon."

i mean, i don't hate him.

but i also do not know him one bit.

"okay, but that's only because there's no one else offering." i wink.

he grins. "i never believed that good, nice girl act you were playing."

"it wasn't an act. it was—"

"a play?"

"shut up." i have the nerve to nudge him but don't. "it was me trying to start over. be different. change."

"why'd you wanna change for? before you answer that, we're getting you a hotel. i know you won't let me, but i am paying. and i'm only offering because you'd never let me carry your bags all about town." he smiles again. "but you're going to accept."

"is that right?"

"you know it."

i look away. "whatever. fine."

dan checks me in a hotel. a nice, but not overly expensive one.

and then we stop at a bench with takeout, in front of the waterfall.

blue.

it's peaceful.

i start, "you first. it's one thing to just up and leave without rational reason, but it's another for someone to follow her to another country—a total stranger."

he thinks a minute. "not total, but sure. it is questionable. well, i came to find out why you kept running. we are strangers, but if no one else is worried about you, someone should be. guess it's just gotta be me."

"have you ever stopped to think that maybe i don't need anyone else worrying about me—don't want it either? how would you know i 'keep' running? you, too, stalking?"

tilts his head. "i don't know what you mean by that. but, i just assumed. you seemed to know no one when you came to my mum's little hut. god knows no one in town had cared about working for that shitty shack. num and dad didn't even need help. there're hardly customers if you didn't notice."

"what are you saying?"

"that she gave you that job, mum did, because you needed it. needed help and had no one else. she just made up a job for you. liked the company, too. but it is going out of business."

"but my paychecks, the money?"

"don't worry about that," he waves a hand. "they've got plenty. trust me. a man who travels as much as i do isn't in any financial crisis. but now it's your turn. tell me your story."

i bite a black fingernail. "i hardly count that as your story."

"you didn't ask me that. you asked why i was here. and i'm saying because everyone needs people to care and look out for them. i'll leave after if you don't want me here. but at least answer my question. why do you keep leaving?"

bite my lip. "maybe we can discuss that on a beach?"

he smiles.

i smile.

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aw, isn't this part so sweet? it gets better and actually has a not so sad ending, but i'll let you decide that when we get there yay! :) comment and vote, thank youuu!