& if you never bleed you're never gonna grow
Flora laughs—but it’s wet and broken at the edges, her smile barely holding shape through the salt lining her lashes. "I’ll go lead the Family myself before I let a boy come between us," she says, squeezing Sohalia’s hand even as her throat tightens. "I mean it. Dahlia and I? Matching thrones. Watch out." It’s humour, sure, but it’s armour too. A way to hold the cracked parts together while she says what needs to be said.
"You don’t need to feel bad." Her voice is softer now. Calmer, though she still blinks hard like that’ll somehow keep the tears at bay. "I made my choice, Soh. And gods, just because I'm a mess right now, please don't think you don't get to be happy just because I’m not."
She sniffs, dragging the sleeve of her sweater across her cheek before exhaling shakily. "Last time Koa saw me, he couldn’t even look at me for more than a second or two. I mean, after what I did—after I picked Jack right after he.." Her voice hitches, and she looks out across the water, blinking at the brightness on the ripples like it might burn the sting out of her eyes. She didn't need to finish the sentence, and not just because Sohalia knew how it ended. If Koa was going to be her boyfriend, there were certain parts of their combined history that probably were weird to mention now. "There was never gonna be a future for us. Even if… even if there was some world where he was okay being second. And there isn’t."
And yet.
"You're going to be so happy with him." Her gaze flicks back to Soh, fragile and full of pain but holding steady. "Gods, Soh, he’s—he’s so good. You already know that. I just…" Her laugh shakes loose again, half-grimace. "And you absolutely deserve that." Her fingers squeeze once more, tighter now.
"You don’t need to feel bad." Her voice is softer now. Calmer, though she still blinks hard like that’ll somehow keep the tears at bay. "I made my choice, Soh. And gods, just because I'm a mess right now, please don't think you don't get to be happy just because I’m not."
She sniffs, dragging the sleeve of her sweater across her cheek before exhaling shakily. "Last time Koa saw me, he couldn’t even look at me for more than a second or two. I mean, after what I did—after I picked Jack right after he.." Her voice hitches, and she looks out across the water, blinking at the brightness on the ripples like it might burn the sting out of her eyes. She didn't need to finish the sentence, and not just because Sohalia knew how it ended. If Koa was going to be her boyfriend, there were certain parts of their combined history that probably were weird to mention now. "There was never gonna be a future for us. Even if… even if there was some world where he was okay being second. And there isn’t."
And yet.
"You're going to be so happy with him." Her gaze flicks back to Soh, fragile and full of pain but holding steady. "Gods, Soh, he’s—he’s so good. You already know that. I just…" Her laugh shakes loose again, half-grimace. "And you absolutely deserve that." Her fingers squeeze once more, tighter now.
