If You Miss It

2. armour

CHAPTER TWO

ARMOUR

—

Five years.

It had been five whole years since Dmitri had last seen him.

He didn't expect it to hurt this much.

"Fuck," he muttered, shoving his hands into his hair as he tried to calm his racing thoughts, bullet-like memories ricocheting off the walls of his brain, ones that he had spent years trying to suppress, because fuck, while they were some of the best memories of his life, they were awful. "God fucking damnit."

Somehow, Dmitri had managed to leave the scene before Tariq could say anything else, before Trinh could question him anymore, and had found himself in the back room of The Blackbird. Empty shelves lined the walls, and there was a frayed mop that was resting against a box, sad and pathetic. Me too, mop. Me too.

Sighing, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, sending a quick text to Eden, asking her to check if the guy in the black t-shirt was still there. Right at that moment, the sound of the door clicking open, and a ping was heard, Eden entering the back room.

"I'm assumin' you sent that text?" Eden asked, plopping down beside him with a soft huff. "What's up?"

Dmitri just shook his head, instinctively chewing the inside of his cheek, despite the voice in his brain yelling at him to stop doing it, that he was hurting himself.

"Okay, so—" He started, cursing mentally when a metallic taste filled his mouth. Oh fuck. "Okay. Do you remember that ex of mine? The one I told you about?"

A pinched expression appeared on Eden's face, clouded with utter confusion. "D, the two of us were high out of our fuckin' minds when you spilt your trauma to me, I don't remember shit," she admitted.

Letting out a laugh at that, Dmitri nodded. "My relationship wasn't traumatic, but yes, I did spill my trauma at the same time I told you about my failed relationship," he agreed, thoughts momentarily calming down around Eden, finally allowing him to breathe. "Well, my ex is here. With his sister."

Eden frowned, eyeing Dmitri warily. "Where?"

Wait, did no one else see him?

"The dude in the black t-shirt," Dmitri explained, praying that he wasn't the only one who saw Tariq. That would really solidify his theory that he was losing his fucking mind. "Dark hair, slight stubble. Thick eyebrows." Nice eyes, exactly five feet, six and a half inches, very slightly crooked teeth.

Body tensing up, Eden muttered a soft curse and shook her head, leaving Dmitri feeling more confused than ever. "Tariq? Your ex is Tariq?"

In an instant, Dmitri's blood ran cold, sledgehammer slamming against his chest, until all that was left was pure fucking damage. "Fuck," he whispered, voice hoarse, like he hadn't used it for weeks. "E, what the fuck? You know him? He works here?"

Pity was painted on Eden's face when she nodded, opening her mouth to say something, probably comfort him, assure him that he'd probably never have to see him there.

Unfortunately, she was interrupted by Trinh opening the door, urging Dmitri to come out with a loud, "I need you to get out for a second, just—" They stopped, head poking into the room, only to look at Dmitri and raise their eyebrows. "Are you okay, Dmitri? You just left out of nowhere."

No. While Eden knew about his bullshit life, and all the shit he had forced himself to deal with in highschool and college, he had no intentions of telling Trinh, or anyone else, for that matter. There was just no need.