flora
The sob slips out before she can stop it; raw and aching, caught somewhere between her ribs and her throat. Flora tries to breathe it back in, to force the tears into obedience the way she always has, but her body doesn’t listen this time. The effort to contain it makes her chest tighten, makes the back of her throat burn like seawater swallowed wrong, and the pain of it folds her inward, leaning into Sohalia’s embrace like it’s the only thing holding her together.
She nods against her friend’s shoulder, jaw tightening with the force of her grief. "It feels like I’ll never get over him," she whispers. It’s barely sound, just a confession clinging to her breath. The worst part? She wasn't sure she wanted to.
But after a few more ragged inhales, Flora forces herself to sit up. The shawl falls askew around her arms as she wipes at her cheeks with her shoulder, trying to sweep the tears away before they can leave salt-streaks behind. It’s not like Soh hasn’t seen her cry before. But still, there’s something in her that needs to try to be composed again.
Sniffling, Flora turns toward her, eyes still glassy but mouth curled into the shadow of a smile. "Sorry," she says with a watery laugh. "I swear one day we'll have a date where I don't cry over my love life." She sniffles once more, then raises her brows with quiet curiosity. "You said you had news, though?" Her voice is still cracked, but there’s a flicker of hope in it now, like maybe hearing what was going on in Soh's life might help patch over the places where she’s still bleeding inside.
She nods against her friend’s shoulder, jaw tightening with the force of her grief. "It feels like I’ll never get over him," she whispers. It’s barely sound, just a confession clinging to her breath. The worst part? She wasn't sure she wanted to.
But after a few more ragged inhales, Flora forces herself to sit up. The shawl falls askew around her arms as she wipes at her cheeks with her shoulder, trying to sweep the tears away before they can leave salt-streaks behind. It’s not like Soh hasn’t seen her cry before. But still, there’s something in her that needs to try to be composed again.
Sniffling, Flora turns toward her, eyes still glassy but mouth curled into the shadow of a smile. "Sorry," she says with a watery laugh. "I swear one day we'll have a date where I don't cry over my love life." She sniffles once more, then raises her brows with quiet curiosity. "You said you had news, though?" Her voice is still cracked, but there’s a flicker of hope in it now, like maybe hearing what was going on in Soh's life might help patch over the places where she’s still bleeding inside.
& someone else lights up the room; people love an ingénue
will you still want me when i'm nothing new?
will you still want me when i'm nothing new?
