𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦, thomas (tmr)

Chapter Twenty Four

"Clara!"

Clara furiously ignored Thomas' voice, continuing to walk across the Glade, her hands clenched in fists by her sides. He didn't stop pursuing her, the longer legs he had being helpful in reaching her quickly. 

"Please, slow down." 

Somehow, he had managed to run out of breath, and the girl stopped walking so he could catch it back. She watched him in silent anger, the boy in turn looking flustered due to his pink cheeks.

"What do you want?" She asked blankly, only giving him a deadpan expression.

She nearly melted when he met her with puppy dog eyes. His angelic face was highly persuadable - and currently looking irritatingly kissable - and the girl found herself scowling as a defence mechanism to ignore her attraction to him.

"I'm sorry." He said simply.

Clara watched him blankly, as though expecting him to go on. But he said nothing else.

"For?" She questioned, half confused, but half knowing what he was going to say.

"Going in the Maze without you."

"No you're not." She immediately fired back, watching at how Thomas grew offended by her rejection of his apology.

"I am!"

"No, Thomas. You're only sorry I got offended by it. I know you had to have thought about me before you went out there, and decided consciously that I shouldn't go. Why?"

She went silent, waiting for an answer, and Thomas went silent, thinking of an answer. He sighed dejectedly, shuffling his feet on the ground.

"Would you believe me if I said I thought you'd be too busy?"

"Not really."

"That's fair enough." He mumbled.

There was another awkward silence. Thomas shuffled his feet once again.

"Was there anything else you wanted to say?" 

She sounded exhausted, and Thomas could feel his heart aching for her. He decided then that he wasn't just going to let it go without really letting her know he was sorry.

"I am sorry for not asking you to go. I was dumb because I knew you'd be hurt by it, but I just didn't want to risk your life over something you could potentially get Stung doing. I care about you more than I care about the rest of those shanks."

The Glader slang word sounded foreign on his tongue but Clara didn't care. In fact, a small smile had formed on her lips. He was being vulnerable and genuine. And then she decided it was her turn to do so.

"Look, I was angry because it felt like you were seeing my old injury rather than seeing me. I've had enough of boys in here acting like I'm as fragile as a flower over something that happened nearly a month ago. You're a newbie, and I trusted you enough to tell you what happened, and it just felt like you were pitying me. I thought you'd at least be the one person I could trust to see me. That's all."

Thomas stepped forwards and reached for the girl's hand, running his thumb over her knuckles as he looked down at their interlocked hands. And when he looked back up to her face, she could feel herself melting.

"I do see you. I promise."

She exhaled - a little shakily because Thomas was making her nervous - and then she actually relaxed. She still couldn't really believe how easily she trusted him, but she didn't really mind. Maybe it was time for her to finally let herself open up to people; and not just platonically.