flora
Flora huffs out a breath, shooting Mateo an exaggeratedly wounded look as she wraps both hands around her drink. "Whose side are you on?" she demands, pouting just enough to be dramatic, nose wrinkling as she watches him tend to the tea. "Because I feel like I came here for solidarity and instead you’re giving me a reasonable perspective, and honestly, I don't love that for me."
The queen exhales sharply, knocking back another sip of her drink before finally shaking her head. "It’s not the dress," she admits because despite how much she wants to just be mad about that, it was never really about the dress itself. That she could absolutely write off as Jack being a moron. "Like, yeah, obviously it was a weird choice if he didn't want my mind to just jump to wedding, but the thing that got me was..." She trails off, biting at her lip, turning her glass absently between her fingers as she tries to find the right words without giving too much away.
"He’s not like most men," she finally says, and gods does that feel like the biggest cliche as much as the biggest understatement. "And the way he reacted..." She trails off again, frustration flickering across her face before she sighs, shaking her head, unable to properly explain it to her brother without giving Jack away. "It’s like—he knew exactly what I was thinking, and instead of, I don’t know, doing literally anything about it, he just shrugged and said he could dye it if it was a problem."
The words sit heavy on her tongue, bitter in a way that even the sweetness of her drink can’t quite wash away. "Like I was stupid for even having the thought in the first place." And that, more than anything, is what stings the most. The idea that it had all been a misunderstanding? Fine. That he hadn’t meant it that way? Sure. But to feel it the way she know he did? To have her hurt slither through the space between them and do nothing? "Maybe I just don't know him as well as I thought."
She sighs, rubbing at her temples before tipping her head back against the chair. "Or, I dunno, maybe I am being stupid." She closes her eyes briefly, then peeks at Mateo through clumpy lashes. "This is where you tell me I’m not, by the way."
The queen exhales sharply, knocking back another sip of her drink before finally shaking her head. "It’s not the dress," she admits because despite how much she wants to just be mad about that, it was never really about the dress itself. That she could absolutely write off as Jack being a moron. "Like, yeah, obviously it was a weird choice if he didn't want my mind to just jump to wedding, but the thing that got me was..." She trails off, biting at her lip, turning her glass absently between her fingers as she tries to find the right words without giving too much away.
"He’s not like most men," she finally says, and gods does that feel like the biggest cliche as much as the biggest understatement. "And the way he reacted..." She trails off again, frustration flickering across her face before she sighs, shaking her head, unable to properly explain it to her brother without giving Jack away. "It’s like—he knew exactly what I was thinking, and instead of, I don’t know, doing literally anything about it, he just shrugged and said he could dye it if it was a problem."
The words sit heavy on her tongue, bitter in a way that even the sweetness of her drink can’t quite wash away. "Like I was stupid for even having the thought in the first place." And that, more than anything, is what stings the most. The idea that it had all been a misunderstanding? Fine. That he hadn’t meant it that way? Sure. But to feel it the way she know he did? To have her hurt slither through the space between them and do nothing? "Maybe I just don't know him as well as I thought."
She sighs, rubbing at her temples before tipping her head back against the chair. "Or, I dunno, maybe I am being stupid." She closes her eyes briefly, then peeks at Mateo through clumpy lashes. "This is where you tell me I’m not, by the way."
Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
