Moira

15.

000d, 00h, 00m, 00s

That glimpse of a decently behaved Esmond peaking through at dinner was nothing more than that; a glimpse into something that could've been my reality — normal, pleasant, fun — but wasn't.

As far as I was concerned, never would be.

The polite, charming smile gracing his lips fell as soon as the door fell into its hinges as well. Giving me nothing more than a glance out of the corner of his eyes, he made his way over to the elevators at a fast pace.

I huffed in amusement at the drastic change in attitude, looked back at the closed door behind me one more time and then followed his lead leisurely. I knew we'd catch the same elevator one way or another.

The doors of it opened with a pleasant ding just as I reached them, stepping in after him before they closed. It was silent. The type of silence you couldn't stand for more than a few seconds.

The air around us felt thick, unpleasant and overall awkward. When the doors opened with the familiar ding once more, I couldn't help but blurt out a "Thank you" before squeezing out of the elevator before him. "I mean, if you think about it, I shouldn't thank you— you're the only reason my life is as much of a mess as it is right now—"

My own thoughts cut me off — wondering whether I should've laid off the wine a little earlier, before deciding I wouldn't have survived the evening any other way— when his own voice cut off those thoughts once more.

"Excuse me?" He wondered out loud. "I think a thank you is more than appropriate for what I just went through." He pushed the door of the building open forcefully, enabling me to slip through it behind him with ease.

"You had to go through a lovely dinner with my friends and family once, while I have to go through constant questions about you from everyone— every day," I whined, scrunching up my nose at the realisation. "From my family, my friends—" I thought for a moment. "—My boss!"

He stopped in his tracks at that, turning on his heels to look at me. I was just happy I was finally able to catch up with his fast pace.

"What did you just say?"

I tilted my head slightly at the question, rethinking my words and wondering if I said anything wrong. I came to the conclusion that I did not.

"I said I have to go through constant nagging about you—"

He quickly shook his head, waving me off in the process. "Who?" He interrupted me. "Who... constantly nags you?"

"I just said," I pointed out, rolling my eyes with a huff. "Eniola, Aiden, my mother—"

"Jesus Christ," He cut me off once more, throwing his head back with an annoyed groan before closing the distance between us swiftly. Hands on either shoulder of mine — his grip a little too tight for my liking — his eyes burned into my own, narrowed and intently watching my every move. "Your boss? Who?"

"Oh," I mumbled, the words accompanied by a muffled giggle. "Mr Monroe," I clarified proudly.

Letting go of my shoulders, he turned around to pace back and forth in front of me, sending an occasional glare my way or crossing his hands behind his head as he exhaled loudly.

"You didn't think that was a piece of information you should've disclosed, maybe?" He asked after a while, halting in his steps to scan me intently.

At this point, I was sat against one of the buildings; knees bent as my arms hugged them tightly, my head swaying back and forth, watching the brunette pace in the bright city lights.

He looked down at me, a mixture of annoyance and anger in his eyes at my apparent lack of communication.

"Well, that's entirely on you, really," I huffed in amusement. He clearly didn't find the situation as amusing as I did. "After all, I'm sure I would've been more open to telling you things if you wouldn't have been such a dick when we met."

"Don't expect anything about that to change," He snorted with an eye roll, sarcasm lacing his voice as he shook his head and pointed his gaze towards the ground.

"I had expectations of you before I met you— after those were thrown out the window, there's nothing else to expect ."

His eyes batted open to connect with mine, something in them I couldn't quite place before they dragged up my seated posture once. He shook his head, then, slowly but surely.

"I pity you, Amidelle," He spoke lowly, his voice genuine and his face blank. The polar opposite of his previously displayed disdain towards me.

Before I even realised it, I pushed myself off the floor and stood in front of him. The sudden movement, paired with the gravity of his words getting rid of the rest-wine in my system that tricked me into thinking the situation was amusing before.

"What?" I cringed at the way my voice was nothing more than a croak compared to the confidence he had radiated in his statement.

"You heard me," He began, lifting one of his dark eyebrows. "I pity you, Amidelle Gray."

Lips parting just slightly, my brows furrowed as I thought of how I wanted to reply to that.

How does one reply to that?

The question slipped out before I could further think about it. Asking not because I thought it was a good response but out of genuine curiosity.

"For what?"

The corners of his lips twitched upwards, then. For no longer than a moment, but long enough to make me curse myself for ever asking.

"For the fact you don't even know what I'm talking about," He shot back, the same confidence still in his voice. "—Sitting in your little bubble, content with a life so utterly boring," He went on. "For the fact you're naive enough to have had expectations for someone you've never even met before and worse even, the fact you were surprised when those same expectations weren't met." He let out a low laugh, head shaking in disbelieve at his own statement.

I wanted to say something; yell. Get angry. Cry, even. But I didn't.

"You're raised to be so naive you don't even question why on earth your own superior knows about that fucking countdown on your wrists—" He pointed towards his own wrist, then. "— or when it ran out, or why the fuck he's asking about me. He shouldn't even know who I am."

After that conversation, it took us weeks before we'd cross paths again.

-

No because things were going too good and I lowkey wanted to show how little they agree on anything again :) 

Also mans lowkey got a point LOL 

See you tomorrow. <3