Dusk

LX

Not knowing what to do next, they just stood there, slowly feeling the sparks reignite between their physical contact each passing second. As they continued to stand the more awkward things became since they hadn't even spoken let alone touched one another in weeks.

Almost immediately after the strangeness was felt by both of them, they broke apart.

"Sorry I just attacked you like that," she fumbled on her words and played with her hair, a nervous habit she picked up. She wasn't going to tell him that she ran at him because of her jealousy. She made up an entire scenario in his head of him moving on and she just snapped.

"No, no. I am glad you did," he took a step forward, not wanting her to feel as if it was unwelcome. He felt the exact opposite as his eyes raked over the entirety of her figure, the bagginess of the clothes barely hiding her attractive, curvaceous figure, "I have been trying to do what you asked me, but it has been rather difficult. Up until I saw you, I thought you were unaffected but you looked as awful as I do."

She chuckled, the insult more refreshing than anything: like normal.

"Everest I wanna say-"

His finger gently found its place on her parted lips, to stop anymore words from coming out.

They were close once more as he pressed his body against hers, "do not apologize to me. All of this was my fault for being a fool and losing control. Then I was too prideful to explain myself. Instead I let you think that-" he stopped to just look at her, seeing her expectant gaze, "I could not deal with the guilt of calling you those names and asking you to change. It was selfish of me to want your forgiveness for my own guilt... either way, I wanted to confess what I genuinely meant but I so desperately wanted to respect what you wanted. I have been trapped in this dichotomous hell."

"If you could just explain yourself sooner then why didn't you try?"

"Would you have believed me? By that point was it even worth it since you got into your own head?" Some residual anger found it's way back as it coated his words, "have you forgotten that you rejected me?"

She lightly shook her head and diverted her gaze. Not wanting her to feel worse, he sighed and made her look back at him, "you broke your own rule: rule four."

"And what was that one again? We just have so many." A small smile appeared on her face, trying to make light of the dark conversation.

"Talk." He furrowed his brows back down at her, "talk Orion and the way you reacted- you made a rash decision to cut me out completely as if you were waiting for a reason to end this. I have never seen you so hurt and to know I did that, it nearly killed me."

"You're right," she admitted, "I wasn't dealing with my own issues, at least not healthily anyways. Turns out... pretending like it didn't happen or ignoring it doesn't work," she half laughed, "anyways, I guess I was looking for a reason to get some space cause I couldn't imagine I'm what you want. Like we just have this connection that neither of us had a say in, so how was I supposed to know that you were happy with what you got stuck with? It didn't matter how happy I am, you just seemed to want me to fix myself."

"Got stuck with?" Anger could still slightly be heard as his voice eventually softened, "I genuinely believe there will ever be another woman who I find as attractive, charming or as entertaining as you. The moment you rejected me, it seemed the other way around, like you did not want me."

"I- um regretted it as soon as I did it." She confessed. "I'm sorry for letting my insecurities run wild but it isn't something I can always help. I did work on it though, okay?" She grew shy as her voice cracked and she felt the lump form in her throat, "and how was I supposed to know a trip with my friends would cause all of this pain?"