Temporary Bliss

Chapter 39

The crisp air breezed through Justin's shirt as it the clothing flapped around in the wind. He saw the view of the lit beach from here as well as the hats of the chauffeurs arriving and departing. He was seated on a bench on the roof. Maybe it was time to let her go. He was being a desperate prick to think that she would actually choose him. Of course when it came down to the girl who changed him for the better, she'd go with the actual asshole when being proposed to instead of the made up to be one. 

What was he doing? Sitting on a rooftop thinking about a girl. Something he swore he'd never waste time on doing again after the last incident. But something deep inside Selena's eyes showed him that what she had for him was real. It was a glimpse of love, the real kind that actually existed and made the world an interesting place instead of a daily cycle of survival. He let out a bitter laugh. She sure put on a good show. There was a ninety nine percent chance that she was on that boat, dancing with her groom-to-be and something about that shook Justin's world. Hell, he'd just shoot for the hundred percent acknowledgment of the situation.A soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

 "For a rooftop, this place is sure fancy," her soothing voice spoke. 

Justin looked next to him to find Selena dropping her heels down-- those landed with a thud as she lifted the bottom of her gown and stretched her legs out, which were barefoot, for room to breathe. She looked over at him as the distant horn of a car beeped below them, the sound of the waves still overpowering that. She watched him from next to her.

 "It's weird isn't it? You'd think the rooftop would be the most overrated place to find someone, or to go to when you need to think. But before it used to be a thing that almost nobody did," she continued on. 

"Making it underrated. And people fear so much of those underrated things going mainstream and becoming overrated, but that's exactly what ends up happening... so it's basically this cycle of underrated things becoming overrated. But in reality, those overrated things were once underrated." She let out a small chuckle. 

"I don't know what I'm saying, but it's just one of those things that make you think, I guess." She leaned forward following Justin's gaze to the dark waters of the ocean as she looked down at her legs.

 "Just so you know, I didn't say yes."

"Oh?"She nodded.

 "I ended it," she spoke softly.

 When she saw that he was watching her she bit her lip, keeping her eyes down. 

"Are you mad?"

"No." Justin said.

 "Why would I be?" He took out his hand from his pocket, revealing a small box with a silver bow on it.

 "Just pissed me off that he had beaten you with a gift before I could." He said.

Selena looked at the present and then at him, raising her eyebrow. 

"Justin-- what?" But he just handed it to her.

"I tried to give it to you before."She looked down at it as it rested in her hand before looking up at him.

 "Can I ask you something?"

 "Sure," he said, studying her face. 

"If you... were stable, financially and what not," she took a breath as she looked back at him. "Why didn't you just tell Nick about us and quit? When you found out? You'd be fine either way."He chuckled.

 "Maybe because I had already fallen for you by then," he whispered as he leaned his head in on Selena's bare shoulder, kissing it softly. Selena tried to keep her posture as she nodded her head slowly. 

"Now open your present," he suggested as he sat upright, placing his arms on his knees as he watched her.

 Selena looked at the small black box in her hand. She pulled on the bow and lifted the top off, revealing what was inside. She was surprised to find a silver key placed against the black velvet material. She looked over at Justin, confused. But then she realized what it was. A key to his penthouse.