𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐋 - ᴄ.ᴛ

40

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Slow Down
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The silence was picking at Evaras patience as Callum sat across from her. They had been at another high-end restaurant since he mentioned he was starving. Evara downed the white wine in her crystal-clear wine glass. There were pre-folded napkins, valet service, back rooms, and plum-colored velvet padding on the large booth seats.

Evara was overwhelmed with the pressure of this place. She didn't want to eat caviar and elite sponge cakes for dessert. She wanted a big American burger the size of her head and crème brûlée or tiramisu to wash it down.

She looked down at steamed and glazed asparagus beside the chicken breast. It was a portion for a toddler, yet she refused to eat it.

"I could really just down that for you," he spoke as Evara placed down her wine glass.

"I mean it's here, it's yours. Just take it," she said.

He placed his tongue inside his cheek and nodded before widening his eyes before placing both of his elbows on the table.

"What is making you so upset?" he asked.

"I've done so much for you today. I mean, I'd figure you'd at least have a decent attitude," he replied.

"What're you talking about?" she asked.

"Evs don't try and-

"Try and what, Cal? It's like everything I do, you go out of your way and complain about it," she raged.

"Just tell me what I can do. I don't like it when you're upset," he whispered.

"I'm just frustrated is all. With some stuff at work, it's just been lingering in my mind for a while," she confessed.

"I'm sorry." She added with a sad tone.

"You should eat," he sighed.

She stared at her plate again.

"I told you I'm not hungry," she replied instantly, feeling her lies chew up the inside of her stomach, leaving her with a pinch of pain from hunger.

"You haven't eaten anything all day, Evs," he replied.

"No, I have. I just-"

"We've been together all day," he cut her off as she looked down.

"Cal..I'm just not hungry." She bit her lower lip. They both locked eyes as he licked his lips out of frustration, he sighed before pulling back from the table allowing the waitress to place down the plate of food in front of him.

He didn't say anything but take a moment to look down at his plate before going at it. The awkward heat and silence hit Evara.

The sound of the metal fork screeching against the white glass plate, the laughter around the room and abrupt conversations, the chewing. Everyone was chewing, except for her.

"I'm gonna run to the restroom" she spoke he didn't acknowledge her since he was too upset to engage with her, but impatient to insist on speaking with her about her crisis. She got up heading to the back of the restaurant after pulling the small bag out of her purse, she looked up at the 'women' sign and pulled open the door acknowledging the luxurious bathroom. It smelt so clean and was spacious, Evara headed to a stall, closed and locked the door behind her.

She uncrumbled the small plastic earring bag out her back pocket before sitting down on the toilet seat, holding her infamous white powder. She placed it on the metal part of the thick toilet paper dispenser. There was a thin small credit card broken in half that always stayed in the bag. She poured out the white powder and took the chipped piece of the credit card, crushing up the powder immediately to get the chunks out and the coke back to its original form.

She hard footsteps towards the bathroom and a small conversation occurring. She rolled her eyes and instantly cleaned up all the white powder with her nose intoxicating herself quickly. Suddenly the women entered the restroom giggling and speaking out loud proudly about their previous interaction.

Evara sighed quietly and closed her eyes just sitting there sadly. She was exhausted, she wished she could genuinely laugh without remembering how tragic her life is. She hasn't genuinely been happy with this life she's made for herself, any other normal woman would've but there's just a dark blur that hauls Evara back into itself when she can feel herself slipping away out of isolation. She wipes the residue off her nose and uses a piece of toilet paper to wipe off the remainder of powder off the dispenser. She stood up off the toilet seat and eventually went back outside.