Dear Mr. Pessimist {Completed}

~13~ Sweet and Sour

Dear Mr. Pessimist,

Don't ever give up on yourself or the world. As much as you may believe that you don't have anybody, I'm right here. I don't care if it's the middle of the night, I'll be there for you to talk to if you need me.

With Love,

Sydney

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxo

I laughed as I laid my head back against Tristan's arms, staring up at the sky.

"I bet Bennett would think this is pretty cool." I said. I felt Tristan sigh before I heard it.

"Syd, all you've been doing all night is talk about Ben." He replied, gently pushing me away and standing up.

I glanced up at him, warmth starting to spread through my cheeks as Tristan ran his hand along the stubble along the bottom of his face.

He was right, I had been talking about Bennett all night, and it scared the crap out of me. Sure, he had started to warm up to me a little, it was a tiny step closer to getting him to believe in himself, but his expression when I had climbed out of his car was imprinted in my mind.

"Look, beautiful." Tristan knelt back down and took my face in his hand, brushing his thumb along my cheek, "I know you aren't used to relying on men. That you believe that you can do everything yourself. And I'd be lying if I said that wasn't one of the reasons I like you." I watched as his eyes fluttered slightly, his thumb still caressing my cheek.

"I know that you're used to being the one to find good in the guy you're dating, but Syd, love, you don't have to do that with me. I like you, a lot. You're sweet, smart, and probably the strongest woman I know. You don't let anything get in your way and you want to prove that women can do things just as well as men can, and babe, you're so right." He finally let out a shaky sigh before continuing.

"That's why I believe that this, us, we aren't going to work. Not right now, and maybe not ever." He said, "Because no matter how hard I'm going to try and tell you that I don't need fixing, I know you'll still look for it. And honestly, right now I'm not the one that needs fixing."

I stared at him as he spoke, at the way his eyelashes were fluttering against his cheeks, at the way his hazel eyes were shining in the moonlight.

"Bennett needs your right now, romantic feelings or not, he needs you. For now, I want you to focus on trying to help my best friend. If, by the end of the summer, you want to try to spark this relationship back up again, then great." He stood up again, holding his hand out as he came to the end of his speech, "If not, then I understand. I don't want you to act like someone you're not for me, even if that means waiting for you to come around again." I hugged him, burying my face against his jacket.

My whole life I'd lived doing everything for myself, for my mom. I had been able to do things that even my Dad wouldn't have if he had stuck around. Men hadn't ever really been there as a light in my life, most were problems or people I was trying to help out.

But Tristan, he was different. He was a wonderful person inside and out.

"I'm always going to be one call away, or right next to you at work. I want you to know that you can always rely on me, Syd. I won't leave you." I could feel my eyes stinging as I tore myself away from him and met his beautiful, warm and greeting eyes.