Forehead Kisses (ONGOING)

Part Eight

     "I'm sorry," I told him. It was all in general for I'm sorry for ruining your mood. I'm sorry for tearing up. I'm sorry for stopping our friendly dance. I'm sorry for lecturing you about how you should ask a girl to dance even if you did commanded me in a sexy way in the first place. Wait what? I'm not apologizing for that!

     We're in a garden at the back of the restaurant, sitting on a pretty white bench. Sev was sitting on the other end, one foot up on his leg. He propped his elbow on the free leg and slouched so his chin would lay on his hand. It seemed like he didn't mind my apology. He just sat there, looking at a pretty flower in front of him.

     "This part of the place is only available at dinner. You know... to create a romantic vibe to the couples who paid for reservations. It's much more beautiful at night than it is right now. Do you like what you see?"

     I did. Everything was green, dotted with many vibrant colors of the flowers. And then there's the bricked pathway. Trees stood tall and mighty above us and there leaves shimmered with the rays of the afternoon sun. In the middle of the garden was a bridge with water flowing underneath it. In the water were goldfish that swam with delight. Everything was as if from a dream. I really wanted to take photos but I'm not really in the mood.

     "Are you OK now?," he asked and I realized he was watching me calmly glancing everywhere. I nodded. He sat closer to me. "Do you wanna talk about it now?" I looked at him and he just tilted his head and batted his lashes.

     Irritating, yes... but so damn irresistible.

     I'm not really good at talking about my problems. Sometimes, I just find myself fixing someone else and then realize that I haven't fixed myself even if it looked like I did. Inside, I'm still hurting and I don't want anyone to get involved in it. This is my own fight. No one should be standing in between. No one knows how I really wanted to wake up everyday and find myself forgetting my past and the pain it brought to me. I don't want this. It felt cold to be living, knowing I'm alone but it felt good too. Then I felt warmth... my hand. Sev's holding my hand. 

     "I don't know what you've exactly been through, Elizabeth. I don't know about your past or... or why you barely cried back there. And I know we're not close but we're not too far apart to be strangers." He stretched his hand across my back, offering me a shoulder and looked at me. "You can cry here. Nobody else will hear you out but me. I'm here as your friend. I got you, OK?"

     Those words echoed in my mind.

                I'm here...

                                             I got you...

     In a single moment, everything got to me. Those words reminded me of a certain boy who made me feel like a princess. This boy who always knew the words for every pain I felt. This boy helped me get through everything. This boy did everything and got away.

     "That's what he said." I tried not to falter.

     "Who said?"

     "Scott." Just saying this single name made me choke. I'm aware of the tears flowing down my face this time. Flashbacks just continued pouring down memory lane and it was too much that I had an emotional breakdown. I kept muttering words that don't make sense to him now. I was even sobbing in between lines. "Scott ...my dad... my mom ...the car... stupid...peanut butter."

     Peanut butter?

     When I got to the peanut butter part, I was sure I turned completely insane. Letting go of his hand, I put my feet up on the bench. I hope it was okay though because I know it would leave a mark. I sink my head between my knees and hugged my legs together. My camera was getting in the way so I took the strap off and put it beside by my side. Embarrassment overtook me while my eyes dry. 

     Peanut butter had nothing to do with any of this.

     I heard him chuckle. "I thought I could do something good for once but I think you handled it pretty well."