A barista in a café stumbles over a black-haired artist often ordering the same: a cup of plain black coffee.
When she ventures to enter his life, who makes her heart flutter like no other, life slaps back with a "not too fast". She discovers his s...
❝Brushing a girl's hair behind her ear once a day will solve more problems than all those therapists and drugs.❞
07
SHARING 共有
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. . .
The realisation hit me when the alcohol buzz started wearing off a little.
I didn't know why I requested that, but he accepted anyway. My broken self was pleased he did.
He was in front of my flat ten minutes after I gave him the address. When he rang the bell, I regained some of my senses. What did I do? I invited a man, the induction of my dilemma, to my flat, alone... I was stressed over it for a bit, but with his second ring, I opened the door on impulse, pushing all my fears to the back of my head.
I had nothing to lose anyway.
"Hey..." I said quietly, only a slight part of my head appearing, but my puffy eyes were visible enough.
"Hey. You okay?" he asked, his eyes roaming around in a way that asked me to open the door for him.
I widened the door and invited him in.
He entered with cautious steps as if stepping on water. Hands balled into fists, I took a quiet breath, assuring myself nothing wrong would happen. I merely needed company for my lonely night instead of drowning myself in nicotine and alcohol.
You could've called a friend, Cass.
I probably looked pathetic with my sleep-deprived face, reeking of smoke and alcohol. I knew I would regret all that once I was sober. His nose scrunched up at how intense the smell was.
"Fuck, I'm sorry," was the first thing I said. I lost my balance to nausea that took over me. I plopped myself on the sofa in my living room, rubbing my temples. "Didn't want your first visit in my place to work this way bu—"
"Cassandra, it's fine. I came because I was worried." He crouched down to my level. "You live alone? Why did you drink?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm suffocating," I muffled out, attempting my best to hide the strangle in my words. "Open the window, please."
He obliged then came back to my side.
Blake dared to brush a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I'm not the best at handling drunk people, but I'm here for you right now. Just... try to relax?" The scent of his perfume filled my nostrils.
I pulled away. "I'm sorry," I apologised, mind clouded with alcohol.
He held my shoulders with care and spoke, "There's nothing to be sorry about. You just needed company, and it's fine."
I nodded, then he reached for a blanket on my couch and covered me as I lied down. He sat on the floor calmly for a few minutes, could only see his shoulders with his back given to me.
He broke the silence, "I'll stay for as long as needed. What's bothering you, Cassandra?"
"I'm fine, Blake. Just the drama that accompanies alcohol."
"Dramatic drunk type?"
Was I?
I stared at the empty ceiling, or maybe it was my unclear vision that saw it empty. The words were on the tip of my tongue after their extended torture of my mind. Being unsober must have helped tonnes as well.
"He got me raped," I blurted out.
His legs shifted on the floor, but I couldn't see his face yet. He didn't say a word, but I felt the word 'how' floating around us.
"He accepted money from his friends in exchange for helping them spike my drink to..."
I couldn't finish my sentence. I doubted I needed to anyway.
He cleared his throat. "Honest drunk type then."
I rolled on my side and snickered. "I can tell that when I'm sober even if it feels harder to. I don't remember it anyway—I was off the world, thanks for the drug."
He didn't say anything.
"Everyone judges me, will judge me, even my family, who had no problem letting me move to Cali. I'll always be that damaged good no one wants..."
He sighed. "I think everyone has a story to tell, Cassie. I was... cheated on. All the time. Might not be as painful as getting raped, but everyone has a story."
I gulped. "It's not a competition, and there are no levels. I'm sorry you went through that emotional turmoil."
His Adam's Apple bobbed. "Yeah..."
Curiosity took the best if me when I dared to ask, "Why did she cheat?"
Blake hesitated to answer. He rubbed his nape and eventually opened his mouth, "I was such a young fool in love. I decided that woman was whom I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, and so I didn't waste any other day and proposed to her..." he admitted, sorrow evident in his voice.
I didn't speak a word while he talked.
"We were so in love. We dated for three years... it was such a beautiful relationship. But one day, she told me she didn't love me anymore and wanted to break the engagement a month after it started.
"I learnt she was cheating the whole time. She was never mine, and I was never hers. Until now, I don't know why she cheated. She even admitted I was a good man, a good boyfriend, but she didn't love me as I did to her."
He snickered. "So, I guess when it got serious, and I proposed, she decided it was time to end it and stop playing around. At least she was nice enough for that." He laughed humourlessly.
We went silent for a moment. I could see him wipe the corners of his eyes from my peripheral vision, but I preferred not to face him fully not to embarrass him.
"I'm sorry about that, Blake. She definitely didn't deserve you, and you surely deserve better."
He finally looked my way. "See? We always tell that to each other. But do you really tell yourself he didn't deserve you?"
"What happened to me is different," I opposed.
"It might be. But the conclusion is one—you could keep hanging to what happened and feel worse every day or try to let it go slowly to allow better people in your life."
I didn't agree with him, even if he was right. However, I didn't want to speak that out. It was close to impossible to let it go for me. What happened became a part of me, almost defining me as a person. A young lady who chose the wrong man, and he got her scarred. It was a stigma that stuck to me till the end of time.
My thought bubble was popped when he held my hand. He squeezed it, looking at me with his lips in a tight line.
"You'll be fine. I promise."
. . .
hi guys! hope you're doing well <3
i've received notes on how i might've went too fast about revealing Cassandra's issues, which is correct. i am aware of that. the plot is not about this woman's past—this is most likely the first and last time rape will be mentioned. her past experience could affect her choices in the future, but that's all about it.
don't worry about getting your excitement ruined already haha. there's yet more secrets to unveil when the actual plot unfolds more. thanks for sticking around!
