Porcelain

Chapter 14

A shorter chapter for today but the next one will make your ovaries explode, just figuratively though, hopefully. Happy reading!

Chapter 14

Rebekah's POV

So here I was. Strolling the sidewalk not knowing where to go. My apartment had the pills I so badly wanted to take but I was doing so good now, sort of, and I didn't wanna go back to the same path. And it didn't feel right going to WU either, after my outburst. Plus the last time was something I saw as a one-night invitation.

′I need to figure out some plan to take Zach down. Preferably Dominique too.′

My thoughts wandered and all of a sudden I was pulled into a chest.

I panicked and tried to break free before a heard a voice.

"You're okay. Thank God you're okay." I relaxed when I recognized the rushed voice. Josiah.

"Ehm . . . What's going on?" Slightly confused, I looked up to face him and he did the same but his grip on me didn't vanish. After long hesitation, he spoke up.

"I think we need to talk." I faked a gasp, putting my hand on my heart.

"Is Josiah Hayes having the talk with me? Sorry bud, but I think you're a few years late with that one." He grinned and for a second his tense face relaxed slightly before looking down at me quietly. "So what did you wanna talk about?" Josiah tensed again and I waited for an answer. He let out a frustrated sigh and dragged his hand through his hair.

"To cut it short, we saw a video . . . of you and . . . we know what happened." His eyes didn't leave mine, waiting for my reaction. "When you were gone for two years. We saw, we-"

I cut him off. "What video?"

"It was a put-together timeline of you and two other guys and . . . yeah you obviously know what happened." His hand was now around my waist and he bent down to look at me straight. "I don't know why, but it feels as if you're gonna distance yourself from us, towards WU again and I don't want that. If you don't want to talk about it then fine but don't leave. Not now, not later." I just stood there, staring at him as if he was some crazy twat, which he most likely was.

"If you're thinking about what I said earlier about me bitching out, I just wanted to say, ehm I was wrong. I shouldn't have done that after you guys helped me." I mumbled the last part, dreading the apologize stuff.

"So you won't go away?"

′It would make it so much harder to run away after the unwanted attention and awareness. Especially if they cared.′

"Only if you buy me a burger." My poker face showed my complete seriousness and he took my hand in his and smiled.

"I'll buy you one for every day you stay." A huge grin portrayed his face and I turned it back while chuckling.

"Oh, you have no idea what you just promised."

⤱

We spent the rest of the day talking. A lot. And never once did he bring up the video again or anything related to it. The only thing that fucked up my mood for a while was a text from Zach. I had deleted his other texts but even without the contact information, it was clear who the person was.

That explained the video that got sent to WU and for mere seconds it made my blood boil. Surprisingly though, I easily shrugged it off and continued eating my burgers. Yes, plural. I hadn't eaten for a while so I was deadly hungry now when I finally had my appetite back, who knew how long that would last. When we were the only ones left in the restaurant we walked out of there and began strolling around with no specific destination.

"Where do you stay?" I balanced on a rusty railing and held Josiah's hand to keep me from falling. Once in a while, I almost lost footing and squished his hand harder.

I remember doing this every day on my way to school with my friends. Every once in awhile we would play-push each other so they'd trip and lose their footing. We weren't always there to catch one another but merely just waited out the getting up part and started all over again. I and my friends had a weird way of showing affection, I guess.

"Just a couple kilometers from the square town."

"Well, that's specific." He frowned.

"No, I think that's further south." Silenced filled the air and I looked at him, waiting for a reaction.

"That so wasn't even funny." I mumbled an irritated 'sorry' and got off the railing after a couple of meters and stood in front of him, took his hand, and shook it. He snickered at the formal way of my greeting but played along anyway.

"Thanks for today, I had fun. But I'll leave now." It felt like I had opened up too much on one day and I needed a break.

'Being around others is exhausting."

"There's no double meaning behind your words right?" I shook my head, "In that case" He held out his hand for me to shake again and I did, "I had fun too, thanks." I did a mocking honor and took off.

⤱