The Imperishable Flame⎪✓

❨08❩

♀︎

Rubbing my pounding temples, the simple act of breathing becomes difficult. Elijah left me thirty minutes ago and I'm still sitting on the chair, trying to will myself not to cry. He talked to me as if we were strangers and I did the same to him, the only difference is how hard it was for me to keep up my front, he seemed to have no problem. I wanted nothing more than to jump straight into the craziness of having this man close, but he's here for a reason and my job is to talk to him and learn exactly why he needs these sessions.

The frustration of Mr. Franco not telling me anything becomes more apparent as the minutes pass, my phone is buzzing in my pocket, it's probably Lucy wanting to know how it went. I can't tell her, me telling her will only result in a lot of tears and she would want to know why he means so much to me. The past is a thing that her and I never mention and I'm fine with that, this will ruin our silent agreement. 

Shaking my head, I walk to the computer in the waiting area and journal our conversation. Leaving out the part of me knowing him already, of course. By the time I type out the last words, I grip the chair from the dizziness of my headache. This is one of the things my dad's death left me with, pounding headaches and a hollow heart. 

Knowing where the headache will end up, I hurry out of the clinic and lock the door behind me. At the speed I am driving multiple mothers would probably yell at me by now, but I need to get home before the headache turns into a full migraine. The medicine is at the dorms and my bed is as well. 

Parking in my favorite spot, my feet carry me inside where I open the medicine cabinet, grabbing two pills I swallow them with a little water. One side of my head is pounding and my eyes clench shut as I feel my way to the bed, this is what I hate about my migraines. Losing sight of where I am and the wave of nausea that will hit me afterward. My eyes close and before I know what's happening, sleep takes over. 

"Dakota!" A loud voice suddenly booms as the door slams open, my eyes shoot open and Lucy walks inside. "I saw your car and you haven't answered any of my texts. I'm a curious soul."

I have no idea how long I have been asleep, but my headache has diminished. Pointing at my head, "Just had a little migraine and fell asleep."

"Oh shit," She says and sits down on her bed. "Sorry, I didn't know you had an attack."

"No worries," I wave her off and grab a bottle of water from our mini-fridge. "Today was interesting, to say the least. I met my client and we had the first session, I'm hoping he will open up a little more once he's comfortable."

Talking about Elijah like this feels weird, he won't ever be comfortable in that room and I feel like our professional front will break at some point. Right now we have to keep it up though, he clearly needs me for something and I need him to complete this clinical trial. I wanted to know more about him today, he kept his answers vague and it annoyed me a little. My need to know about Tilly and Papa Black shocked me, but I didn't truly act on it. 

"Did you get an epiphany then?" She asks with a cocked eyebrow. 

"No," I shake my head. "Not yet at least. Everything felt fine, not too great and not the worst."

She tuts at me in wonder, "You've only been there once after all, I hope you find the way that will make you the happiest."

"Thank you, Lucy."

"Now that's out of the way, I wanted to ask you something," She stops and gives me a guilty smile. "I may have told a guy I'm a little interested in, that we will attend a social event this Friday. Don't hate me! He is aware how much we hate it and promised that it takes about an hour, I just really don't want to go with him alone."

"If you're interested in him, then what's the problem with going on a date just the two of you?" I ask it feels a little off that she is scared to be alone with him. 

"He mentioned the place being a little sketchy, but he offered me to bring a friend, and then him and I can eat afterward," She explains with a shrug. "I just want you there for emotional support, you know."

"Well there is no way in hell I could say no after you asking me like that," I laugh and she squeals in delight. "But what do you think he means with the sketchy part of the date? Hopefully he isn't a serial killer or anything."

"No, he isn't. I've been kind of crushing on him for a month and he finally noticed me in history, so this is our first date and I really don't want to mess it up. Having you there, in the beginning, will surely help me tremendously," She pulls her red hair into a bun.

"I'm all in," I smile at her and throw my legs onto the bed, relaxing against the wall. "What is the dress code then?"

"Just something casual and preferably dark."

"That did nothing to diminish the sketchy feeling to this, L."

"I know. There is something I haven't told you yet though," She bites her lip and twiddles with her fingers, a nervous trait. 

"Spit it out," I say and she smiles at me.

"Travis, the guy I'm crushing on, he knows Wyatt. This means that Wyatt will be there as well and this honestly isn't me trying to set you up, but I knew you would say no immediately if I opened the question with him coming. It's a minor detail and I don't expect anything from you, I mean, it's not meant to be a double date. I promise."

Blowing out a frustrated puff of air, I can't leave her to go with two guys alone like that, "Do you trust them? Because my paranoia is sort of going through the roof at the moment."

She nods her head in certainty, "I trust them very much."

"The one time we go out and we are risking our lives," I joke and roll my eyes. "If that isn't fucking ironic then I don't know what is."

"They won't do anything, pinky?" She asks and extends her pinky, I briefly interlace mine with hers and let go again. 

"You can pinky promise as much as you'd like though, at the end of the day it isn't their fingers I will be chopping off. Even more so, I refuse to be one of those teenage girls from the horror movies, I've yelled at them one too many times to be just as dumb."

"But will you come with me anyway?" She asks and gives me her best smile.

"Ugh!" I grunt and run my hands over my face. "I guess I will, but the blame is all on you if we end up dead."