Flashback #3

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S M I L E D


01:11 a.m.

3rd December

The stars were not visible, for it was New York City. The lights and pollution had blurred all of them from the sky. The Moon who seemed to be mourning the stars loss, was absent from the sky, as if she would never get used to the fact that they could not be together in New York; like a rebellious child, only wishing to defy the rules.

Rory sighed, she hated letting her guards down, even if it were for that one minute. She detested the fact that she had enjoyed Sebastian's hug, loathed the mere point of needing comfort. She had been alone for far too long, and comfort was a foreign term to her. Something she always knew about, but never felt. With him, there had only been high and recklessness. With her Father being too busy, he hardly had time for her, let alone comforting her.

But Pretty Boy had changed that and messed her whole system. She finally understood why everyone craved it, understood its addiction. The moment his hands wrapped around her, sobs had wrecked through her. Something no one had seen, but him; the stranger whom she knew nothing about. Yet she didn't care. She bathed in the warmth of his arms, before reality slapped her. And she ran away. She seemed to have been doing that a lot with him.

I miss you, Daddy, come home already, she thought. Even though her Father was never there for her, he was still her rock; still her Dad. He was what she had left now. Her only family and family loved each other irrespective of their flaws and mistakes.

"Rory, is that you there?" Sebastian called.

"If I say no, will you go away?" She didn't want to see him after her meltdown. She was embarrassed about her meltdown, ashamed of letting her guard drop. But this time the usual anger didn't surface when she heard his voice. She was getting used to him.

After all three times does the charm.

"Probably not," He chuckled as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Why do you stay up so late? Don't have things to do, like sleep?" She couldn't stop the question from spewing out of her.

"I could say the same for you," He smirked.

"Touché,"

"I have insomnia, so can't sleep at nights, what's your deal?"

"I like the nights, Pretty Boy, plus sleep has never been much in my dictionary," She glanced up, mischief dancing in her eyes. His heart stopped.

Getta a grip of yourself, Seb, she's just a girl. You have had plenty of them.

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to shake himself out of his daze.

"Why do you call me that?"

"Call you what?" She teased.

"That nickname, Pretty Boy,"

"You don't like it?"

"It's horrid," A grimace fell on his face.

"The fact that you say the word horrid is the only horrid thing here," she chuckled.

Who knew that teasing Sebastian would be fun?

He gave her blank stare; it felt like she never wanted to give him straight answers, like she was trying to remain as detached with him as possible.

"Are you ever going to give me a straight answer?" He asked, voicing his inner thoughts.

"Nope, Pretty Boy"

"You're incorrigible."

"So what's your deal, Pretty Boy, when did you come to New York?" She asked, ignoring his previous remark.

"And I would tell you that because?"

"I'd tell you why I call you Pretty Boy," Her eyes were still glinting with mischief, he didn't trust her yet he replied,

"Just because you haven't seen me does not mean I have not been in New York my whole life, Rory," he liked saying her name. It was cute, "I shifted to Aurora Apartments last week, so why do you call me Pretty Boy?"

"Isn't it obvious, because you are pretty, like the night," She slapped her hand on her mouth, her eyes widened comically. She hadn't meant to say that, and the fact that she had was a baffling thought

What is wrong with me? Why did I say that?

His laughter filled the night air, as he clutched his stomach. Warmth spread across her cheeks while she hid her face underneath her dark hair.

"You find me pretty? That's cute, even though I'd like to describe myself as hot or irresistible, but since you called me pretty, that also works." He smirked.

"I am going to punch you, Sebastian," her cheeks now blazing red in embarrassment.

Great now I look like a fucking tomato? Why do I become a blushing squirming mess in front of him?

"Don't stop calling me Pretty Boy, on my account," he winked cheekily.

The nerve

Soon his laughter subsided and the atmosphere became dense. They had yet to address the elephant in the room, as if the previous unanimous agreement to not do it, no longer existed. Sebastian sighed, it always seemed as if he was doing the talking here,

"About yesterday –"

"Don't. Don't ask things that you wouldn't understand, Pretty Boy," her blush was no longer there, the previous embarrassment gone. He was treading in dangerous water, and if he didn't keep quiet, he was going to drown.

Suddenly the previously dense embarrassing atmosphere, was now suffocating silence. Rory knew this change had been due to her, but she couldn't tell him. So decided to do what she always did best, to run away. But before she could, like she had always been doing around him, she asked

"Why?" The one syllable was now too heavy, as if it were trying to convey all her questions, fears and sadness.

Why did you help a stranger? Why did you help me? Why did you comfort me? Was this normal, comforting someone? Was I just pathetic?

The questions were now dancing in her mind, the box in which she had locked them now was lying open, as if taunting her to ask them; trying to make her realize how much big of coward, she actually was.

"Because you needed it,"

She    s  m   i  l   e  d .








{i find this chapter exceptionally weird, tbh}

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