Tied Fate • ✓

20

"Well, I guess I'll see you then," she prompted. Slowly, she looked up into Thomas's eyes. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing he was: they were not going to see each other again. Not ever again, it seemed like. It was funny how empty he felt at the thought ... like a part of himself was being carefully ripped down the dotted line, ready to leave with her.

He had met Regina in a flurry of circumstances, driven by his anger as he'd flipped every car in his path. But the moment he'd spilled that coffee on Regina's sweatshirt — his fate had been dealt.

He'd met Regina in the most peculiar of ways. Every new conversation had been a coincidence, fate tying them together again and again. Almost like they were made to connect..

He didn't like Regina. He felt like he needed her. Like the part of him that breathed and laughed and, well, smiled, came from being with her. He felt like a broken van, and just being with her these few hours of today had fuelled him to wanting to do better, be better, love better.

When was the last time he had loved? It was Cassie, if he remembered correctly. Yes.. Cassie. Thomas's eyes shut at the thought.

Cassie, with her shiny black hair, and always smiling face — Cassie smiled all the time. Cassie who drank her coffee black, to his ever-present dismay, and fell asleep with the lights turned on.

Cassie had dumped him for almost no reason. Her excuse was there was no more spark.

Two weeks later, she started dating the guy at her gym.

Remembering Cassie brought back a searing flash of memories. Painful ones, at that. He felt the thick shadow of depression start to crawl slowly back up his throat, an old friend with a present.

Cassie had been bad. She didn't just leave him — she left him broken, messy, lost.

Thomas didn't want to think about Cassie.

No. Not now, not here, in front of Regina. Regina who didn't smile a lot, like Cassie, but was still beautiful in every way. Regina, who's eyes made him feel every emotion he had never felt with Cassie — and everything he would never admit to.

Regina, who was standing silently in front of him, staring straight into his eyes, her gaze soft and unsure. Regina, a naked rose in a bush of wild thorns.

Regina, who was waiting to say goodbye.