Strangers | ✔️

four (but not quite)

wednesday ☾

Damien left the deck of cards on the floor and stood up. The clock read seven o'clock. We'd been here for a while.

"It's late. I should go. I'll give you my number." He reached a hand out and I passed him my unlocked phone. He typed in his number and texted himself. A buzz came from his pocket and he nodded, heading over to the door.

"Text me if you're bored. I will most likely be bored, too." He looked at me, barely smiling. "Night."

"G'night." I whispered as he closed the door behind him.

After a while, I went down to the lobby and grabbed dinner in a restaurant on my own. A cute guy smiled at me from across the restaurant, and I smiled back, but Damien was cuter.

The thought crossed my mind on its own, surprising me and giving me pink cheeks.

I put my spoon back onto my plate and sighed.

Perhaps I should have gone with Allie and Raegan after all. I usually wouldn't have minded having dinner alone, but after spending a whole afternoon with Damien, his sudden absence only left me feeling desperately lonely. I turned my phone on too many times, stared at the brief hi he texted to himself. I wanted to text him, tell him I was bored because maybe then, he would come back, with his dimples and ice pops and poker games.

When I went back up to my floor, I paused in front of his room, knuckles hovering over the wood. I felt so drained after thinking about him all through dinner. I just wanted to talk to him, even if it was over poker, even if it consisted of small talk and nothing that really mattered. I wanted to see his eyes again, wanted to hear him laugh again. Wanted to hear a real apology, if he really did mean it.

Wanted to give him a chance.

Boyish laughter leaked through the door and it scared me. I took a step back, head lowered.

What was I thinking?

I took one step, two steps away from his door. Before I knew it, I was back in my room.

It was a very lonely night.

No, it wasn't a lonely night. I was the lonely one.

Not the night.

Not him.

My friends came back at two o'clock in the morning. They woke me up, and apologized, but then I started crying, so they ditched their heels and washed their makeup off before climbing into bed with me and showering me with kisses and hugs and not questioning a thing.