The Choice Of Us

Moving On

TIANA

"How's Rita," I mumbled pushing the empty plate away only to resort to staring at the ground, unwilling to witness his reaction. I felt him shift next to me, aware of his slightly large body next to my petite frame.

"She's freaking out and blaming herself for what happened," he glanced in my direction," we both do."

"I should have been more careful," I whispered moving forward, overwhelmed to the point I leaned forward supporting most of my weight on my knees. Given my behaviour, I should have been watching my surroundings but I made myself an easy target for predators like that.

"Look, I know anything I say won't be much help. And I'm well aware I said this before, but all I know is that before you use this situation as an excuse to shut yourself off. . . just don't," he breathed," people like him shouldn't get to have so much control over you."

"You sound like you know him," I scoffed and I watched his orbs darken significantly but before I could spend any more time on the unreadable look, he blinked switching off completely.

"I know people like him," he murmured." but I'm serious, Tiana. You don't deserve to glue yourself to just working whilst life passes you by."

"It's easier to say that because you're a guy."

"But-"

"But nothing," I interrupted," if I had said no, none of this would have happened."

I felt the sofa shift, he had turned his body a little more in my direction and I had yet to stir up enough courage inside myself to look him in the eye," Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that shit didn't happen," he sighed." But nothing happened."

Still-

"And with me there. Nothing was going to happen," his voice came out a lot deeper. That statement pushed me to look up to his silver-grey orbs, the colour in them reflecting the face of the sky on a day where the sun never bloomed.

"I'm afraid if I say thank you again- you'll use that as an excuse to keep showing up in my life."

A small grin appeared on his face," Would that really be a bad thing?"

"Yes."

"Bullshit," he calmly replied.

"If you were aware of why I behave the way I do-"

"Won't stop me."

"I'm sure you have better things to do in your life," I blurted out purely out of curiosity which was odd considering most of the things I said to him were from a place of frustration.

"I'm kind of going through a period of writer's block. So. . ." he left the sentence mid-air.

I rolled my eyes moving away from him on the couch," So I'm some form of amusement to cater to your boredom."

"Would you prefer the truth," he offered innocently.

He took my silence as confirmation," I like being around you."

Raising my brow in shock, I scoffed crossing my arms," You're joking."

"Okay, fine," he chuckled raising his hands in mock surrender," I like being around your mother though. She . . . kind of reminds me of mine. She was the one who encouraged me to become an author."

"Well she must be proud of your success," I gestured to the expansive room.

"She was," he mumbled wearing an expression I knew all too well of someone grieving the loss of a loved one.