flora
Flora swallows hard, the movement visible in the graceful line of her throat. "It’s probably for the best anyway," she says, voice low but clear, like the truth has finally resigned itself to being spoken. "I don’t want Kai to be some rebound. He’s...he’s too good for that. We’re too good of friends for that. And gods, maybe sleeping with him was a mistake—not because it wasn’t perfect, because it was—but because now I don’t know how I’m supposed to just go back to being his friend again. Not when I know how good it felt to be something more."
She sets her glass aside with a faint clink, the condensation leaving a faint circle on the dark wood of the table. A sigh follows as she leans, folding into the space between them and resting her head gently against Sohalia’s shoulder. The warmth there is comforting in a way few things are these days—familiar, safe, solid. "I probably just need to take a break from all of it," she murmurs, her voice muffled slightly by the fabric of Soh’s shirt. "From trying to be with anyone. Just give myself time to figure out what I even want. But it’s so fucking lonely, Soh." Her fingers curl slightly against her thigh, as though trying to hold something in place. "Like I’m hosting this whole damn life and there’s no one left on the guest list."
A pause, then, and her voice curls tighter, threaded with quiet frustration and something that aches like shame. "And I don't even think I can take the bar back. From the triplets, I mean. Caly’s part of that now, and if I tried, it’d just look like I was trying to take something from her. Like I’m jealous, or petty, or trying to get between them. Even if I’m not." She huffs a hollow laugh, though it doesn’t carry much humour. "So now I’m single, heartbroken, and out of the only job I like." She closes her eyes, letting her head rest heavier against Sohalia now. "Gods, this sucks."
She sets her glass aside with a faint clink, the condensation leaving a faint circle on the dark wood of the table. A sigh follows as she leans, folding into the space between them and resting her head gently against Sohalia’s shoulder. The warmth there is comforting in a way few things are these days—familiar, safe, solid. "I probably just need to take a break from all of it," she murmurs, her voice muffled slightly by the fabric of Soh’s shirt. "From trying to be with anyone. Just give myself time to figure out what I even want. But it’s so fucking lonely, Soh." Her fingers curl slightly against her thigh, as though trying to hold something in place. "Like I’m hosting this whole damn life and there’s no one left on the guest list."
A pause, then, and her voice curls tighter, threaded with quiet frustration and something that aches like shame. "And I don't even think I can take the bar back. From the triplets, I mean. Caly’s part of that now, and if I tried, it’d just look like I was trying to take something from her. Like I’m jealous, or petty, or trying to get between them. Even if I’m not." She huffs a hollow laugh, though it doesn’t carry much humour. "So now I’m single, heartbroken, and out of the only job I like." She closes her eyes, letting her head rest heavier against Sohalia now. "Gods, this sucks."
How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?
Will you still want me when I'm nothing new?
Will you still want me when I'm nothing new?
