his plucked flower

Chapter 6: Baby's Breath

She sighed pressing send and emailing her short story to her boss. She was surprised at the outcome of the story. She just sat down and poured her heart out to every crevice of the story, like she normally does.

Though the story was written in the girl's boyfriend's perspective. The story ended with a heartbreaking ending where the boyfriend just couldn't handle being with a girl so horribly broken it would just break him. He didn't have time to live his life while trying to fix someone else's.

Lillian hadn't had another message sent to her, luckily. Though she never found that camera that was so clearly inside her house, it scared her. Anytime she was in her living room she was drenched in fear, shaking from skin to bone.

Lillian watched video after video of silly cats on her computer before she received an email back. Clicking to her last tab, she read the long detailed message.

The email was from her boss expressing her sadness about the ending and how beautifully written it was. Lillian understood why she cried, heck she even cried writing it. The thought of Dan leaving her made her heart ache. Dan was her inspiration. The inspiration that can break her heart.

She sighs, standing up from the kitchen dining table. A ring from her door takes her attention and she makes her way over. She wasn't ready to see Dan, the sight of him will only break her. She opens the door and the sight of her red-headed friend stands in front of her in, again, all black clothing but the smile on her face was so bright it could put the sun to shame.

****

There was silence around the giggling girls as they watched movie after movie, varying from thriller to romance to comedy. From suspense to tears to laughter they went as they snuggled into their warm blankets and sipped their hot chocolates.

She knew her email was filling up with messages from the newspaper company, but she put her happiness first for once and let it fill up. She knew her boss would never fire her, she took sympathy on the girl that never talked. Her boss was cruel to everyone but was extra careful with Lillian.

The company only had one way of contacting her, her emails. They knew they can't call her since she wouldn't talk back. But they couldn't just fire her. Her days were Sundays and everyone knew that all the newspapers would go out of sale on Sundays. They needed her.

"That was a damn good movie!" Selene exclaimed earning an eager nod.

"So funny." Lillian giggled, tucking herself in the fuzzy, warm blankets while watching the credits roll in before pausing the screen.

"So, are you ever going to tell me more about Mr. Dan?" Selene teased.

Lillian tensed before replying. "Oh, um, he's nice." Selene snorted.

"Come on. When did you meet? How long have you known him? Did you guys-" Selene looked around as if she'd see someone eavesdropping. "Do it?"

"Do what?" Lillian crinkled her eyebrows cutely.

"Have sex," Selene said bluntly but with a hint of childishness. Lillian shook her head, wide-eyed. "Why not?"

"N-not ready." Lillian looked down, from the corner of her eye she saw Selene stiffly nod realizing the topic held more to Lillian then just being casual.

"That's alright. He seems like he really likes you, so I doubt he'd even care about that stuff." Lillian shrugged.

They watched a few more movies before Selene had to leave and all the while Lillian still thought about how she was ever going to be able to do anything sexual with Dan after her broken past. She wanted to. She wanted to be able to. But can't. At least not yet.

Lillian sighed snuggling into her lone blankets inside her lonely home. She wanted someone by her side at the moment, she wanted her mind to be else where. A buzz from her phone startled her before pulling it out from between the couch cushions.

She opened it see another picture of her, obviously just taken. She bit her lip before jogging to her room, now have a huge phobia from that spot of the house. The photo was obviously taken from somewhere on the television but she couldn't find it.

Soon another buzz was emitted from her phone. Her heart thundering in her chest as she opens it, already knowing from who the text is coming from. Opening up the app, she grows weary.

Good girl, you haven't told him yet. I thought you surely would have. But you couldn't without showing him the cryptic message. Maybe if I tell you who he actually is then you wouldn't even want him. Maybe you'd even want me before ever wanting him again.

She frowned before locking her phone, not believing a word from him. Dan is nothing but lovely, you jerk, Lillian thought with a huff. Throwing her phone on her bed, she plopped down after it causing it to jump before landing by her hand.

Lillian tried blocking the number before but it was as if that option just disappeared. But it wasn't like it would do anything, he still has a camera in her house. He was still spying on her.

Staring up at the ceiling, she thought. She knew if she wanted a true relationship she had to open up, they had to open up. Dan was still a mystery, a sweet mystery, but so was she. She had to tell him everything from her father to her last night in New York. She had to tell him about her past three years.

The thought of him walking out had her eyes watering. A few tears leaked when she pictured her life alone, again. She can't go back to being that lonely girl, who only talked when she was alone.

The sound of her door opening brought her out of her thoughts. She knew it was Dan, he was the only one she gave an extra key to. He poked his head in and smile before noticing her watery eyes. He frowned in concern and walked in.

"What's wrong?" She turned over to look at him better, her shirt riding up before she tugged it back down.

"Dan, there's a lot you don't know about me. You wouldn't want me i-if you knew," she said in her hoarse voice not even bothering with greeting him.

"What are you talking about, princess?" Her heart ached at the nickname.

"You don't know my past. And, I don't think we can be real if you didn't know. I don't want to keep tiptoeing around the subject, Dan." He gulped before nodding and taking a seat beside her.

"Tell me everything, sweetness." He placed his hand in her hair, rubbing his thumb gently.

He knew he had just as many things he didn't tell her but the problem was it all included her and she'd run as far away as possible if she knew. There's no way she'd stay if she knew. He lied way more than she ever has in her life too probably. He was sick and he knew it but he had to stay with her. He loved her.

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