Not Some Princess ✓

8. Be a woman

A/n: Trigger warning: mature and sensitive topics of sexual assault and suicide mentioned kindly proceed with caution.

8

Be a woman

Barefoot and a bottle of wine
You can stay with me tonight
You don't have to change when I'm around ya
So go ahead and say what's on your mind, on your mind
—No judgement (Nial Horan)

I PARKED my car beside the trees at my usual spot. I opened the door and got out of the car. The entire car ride was almost...impossible. For me.

But we're here now.

Finally.

I picked up the bag with the ice cream and shut the door behind me.

I am such an emotional wreck these days, I might want this more than Ray, honestly.

I saw Ray standing and looking around the surroundings with that ever intent look on his face, like he's stripping a story out of every corner.

And it's freaking hot.

I should get going.

He turned and met eyes with me and smirked.

I raised an eyebrow.

"If you wanted to cheer me up you're succeeding." He smiled in what seemed like thanks.

"Nah, I just wanted to get out, ya know." I rolled my eyes and pretended to not care.

I could be such a dork like that.

"Mhm." His eyes followed me as I moved ahead him and started at the familiar trail.

There were trees everywhere.

Though it's totally not safe to do this at night. But has it ever stopped me before?

Nope.

I moved aside a bush and smiled at the number of times I have been here on the very same place. Night times included. They say it's not safe because of animals and stuff but if we can dare to walk on those streets with the most vicious of creatures I think this can't be that bad. It isn't.

I looked back at Ray who was looking at me with the same intense look but there was something else there that I couldn't decipher.

"You coming?" I tilted my head toward the forest and he muttered something to himself, shook his head and then moved towards me. I waited for him to catch up to me until he was just a foot away from me and we were face to face.

Somehow it was colder in this area, always.

Cold breeze flushed our faces and hair and I shivered a bit.

"You cold?" He asked, rubbing his hands.

"Nah, I am used to it." I smirked.

"Let's do this then." He ran a hand through his hair and looked at me with what seemed like trust.

I turned and held his hand just in case he decided to observe something and get lost. It could happen.

Somehow I have always felt that being here had always made me feel more myself than everything else. Not Zach. Not my job. Just these plain 'ol trees.