𝙵𝙻𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙴 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 𐂃

Chapter 51

It was early morning and Cristine took small bites from her breakfast to lessen the pulling pain at her mouth from chewing on her food. Her eyes were bleary, her head hurt and her face thumped like crazy and the exhaustion washed over her in physical and mental form. She hadn't slept last night, couldn't, and before she knew it the day started again. Her body needed rest, yet her mind kept moving, pushing the emotions to back burned her tiredness right out. Stifling the sequence of yawns with her fists, Cristine winced by the traction against her muscles and slowly munched her way through bits and pieces of her food

"Coffee?" Tensing in her seat, Cristine twitched when a mug of piping hot instant coffee sat perched in front of her tray and she raised her eyes. She was quiet and attentive when Blake took the seat opposite of her. She warily looked around to see if more would follow, but it was just him. The others had breakfast at their table between the rest, where Troy sat and Cristine straightened her relaxed pose in reflex.

"Thanks." Cristine muttered and accepted part of Blake's olive branch and took a sip from the caffeinated beverage- perfect temperature with a spice of sugar; just how she liked it. She melted when tasting the sensation on her lips and made a small noise in the back of her throat. "Coffee was gone when I was in the line."

"You were late for breakfast." Blake commented, finding an opening to comment on her lateness. Cristine was always one of the first around because she opened the infirmary early and did her morning check-ups. Blake hadn't seen his friend until now and wanted to check on her. His blue eyes mapped the ugly bruising on the side of her face that was clearly recent and Blake clenched his teeth when he put two and two together fairly quickly. Rolling his own cup between his palms before taking a sip from the beverage, Blake listened to her two-word explanation.

"Late night." Cristine lowered her cup and picked up her fork to take a few more bites from her scrambled eggs.

"More like a rough night." Cristine paused when hearing Blake's direct statement indirectly referring to her face and swallowed her food. Her eyes were piercing and narrowed before her full lips pressed into a straight line. She faintly arched her brow at him in silent answer to lay off, but asked either way, "was it Dolores?"

"..."

"We're a tight-knit community and people talk Cristine."

"Let them. It's not the first time people did that." Blake sighed in exasperation and looked away as a wave of suppressed anger for his friend clung around his body. Of course he was going to pry in her business when he knew the type of environment Cristine grew up in and what she had to endure, still had to endure from her messed up family. Contrary to her tough exterior and directness, Cristine's weak spot was her family, as abusive and toxic as they were, but he'd protect her in his own way because they were friends. "I'm sorry, okay?" Blake suddenly said.

"Blake this is not about that-"

He cut her off, "well I'm still apologizing and I shouldn't have thrown all that in your face. It wasn't fair and you didn't deserve it." The apology in his eyes were his honest feelings and Blake wished he could've handled it differently than how he did before. "I get if you're not willing to move past this. Hell, I don't blame you for hating me. I was an asshole and two of ours got-"

"It's fine."

"No it's not."

"Blake, shut up and let me speak." He did stop talking at her order and hunched over with a look that was clearly remorseful and guilty. Cristine tapped on her coffee mug, eyes softening and a breathless sound escaped her nose, "even if I don't agree with what you did, I'll never hate you. You did it cause you thought you could help us all in the long run and I don't blame you for it. Sometimes, we tell ourselves we have a choice and that there are alternatives or other ways, but that can't and won't always apply. I'm not naïve. No matter how good or perfect a plan is. Something will always fuck it up."