ROSES [E.A]

CHAPTER TWO

ROSES; CHAPTER TWO -
RUNDOWN DINERS + WHITE LIES.

The strong aroma of dark roast coffee was the first to greet them once they walked through the doors of the diner, the scent softly tickling the skin against their faces while Malia searched for an empty booth for them, her sights landing on the one in the far back corner. Motioning for Elliot to follow with a beckoning of her hand, she laced her fingers with his when he didn't take the clue and instead gently pulled him over in the direction of their table where they each took their own respective side of the booth.

"What happened back there?" Elliot was surprisingly the first one to speak up between the pair, momentarily quieting down when the tired teenage waitress came over to drop down the dingy menus for them before quietly speaking up again with more curiosity lacing his tone. "What are you running from, Malia?"

Her bare lips parted in thought at his question while her dark natural eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his words hitting her harder than he had anticipated as Malia attempted to craft an answer for him. The truth always seemed to be the route to go for her, lying never being a hobby of hers and instead being something she deeply despised, yet tonight she didn't seem to muster up the courage to tell the cute male next door the truth about her - the reality of her night life.

    Luckily for her, Peggy the waitress came to save her and give her a few more moments to conjure up a simple lie for Elliot. Quickly down their simple orders - two coffees, eggs and pancakes - she left the pair to their privacy once again.

   "An ex. He came into my work place and begged that I take him back." Malia lied when she thought back to the strange man armed with guns that was coming up their apartment to attempt to end her life for multiple reasons.

    Unknowingly for her, it ended up being the perfect lie with Elliot already aware of her psychotic ex boyfriend as he nodded at her words with understanding, believing every word she spoke to him.

    "Couldn't take no for an answer." Malia finally shrugged, turning her lips up into a small smile at Elliot when the waitress came over to their table with a filled tray placed on one hand.

"I understand." Elliot vaguely offered in an attempt of comfort, watching the waitress place their food and drinks on the table and secretly eyeing Malia. Finally noting the tiredness residing in her own splotched skin under her red tinted eyes, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity that she was having her own restless night like him, just for different reasons. "Malia?" He had already called her name before he could stop himself from his next action, acting more on impulse than thought for the first time.

    Malia paused her act of digging into her delicious stack of pancakes to look up at him with a questioning look, the way he had delicately called her name had been so hesitant and unsure as if he was afraid to have her name in her mouth; though, he should be.

    "Yes, Elliot?" Malia asked, her knife and fork clinching against the surface of her plate once she set them down, giving him her full attention as she hoped for the worst. Something along the lines of 'I think we shouldn't talk anymore' or 'stay the hell away from me' had been what she expected him to tell her which is why his next words had completely caught her off guard.

    "Would you like to spend the night with me?" Elliot had regretted them a second after they come out, her eyes widening not helping his lack of confidence in the situation "Not, not like that. I mean, since your place isn't safe right now and you look tired, I just assumed-" She cut off his rambling, a meek attempt to explain herself by happily nodding at his previous question.

    "I'd love to spend the night with you, thanks." Malia hastily accepted his offer, unsure of her own answer and instead opting to change the subject at hand, not wanting to further talk about the subject. "So, tell me about yourself, how'd you get that nasty scar above your eyebrow?" She folded her arms against the surface of the table, placing her chin on top of them to listen to his story, not aware that it would be extremely confusing and questionable.

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tbh this made me want pancakes and coffee ugh also im about to start watching from dusk till dawn and im v excited 🌞