"HEY WAIT UP" I yelled, hopping on the sidewalk, catching every other strangers attention.

"A-Antheia?" Her copper toned red hair swayed as she briskly turned to meet my calls, her eyes widened as she watched me stumble towards her.

"W-what are you doing?" Her thick accent questioned me, tilting her head to understand my actions. "are you free right now?" I asked, a toothy grin adorning my face.

"I guess, I umm, I was heading to IGV museum" she pursed her lips, attempting to hide her confused expression.

"Mind if I join you?" I can understand her being confused with my sudden barging in, but i couldn't help but feel awful at the turn of events, and seeing her all alone in a city she's not familiar with.

She nodded her head with glee in response, allowing me to lead the way as she tucked her phone back into her tote bag. I remember it took me about 8 times on the GPS to actually memorize the way to that museum.

It's where I always went when I first moved to the city, I get all dressed up and no where to go, the museum was it. I don't know damn about contemporary art but the one thing about that place is that you don't feel time go by. You walk in, and you walk out like 4 hours later, you don't even realize. No really, that place must be a portal.

It was a little awkward at first, i don't know where the sudden burst of confidence came at me, she and I both struggled to break the silence as we entered the museum. We both mindfully walked next to each other, taking in the paintings and the sculptures. But what the fuck do I say?

"I heard you're leaving tonight?" I softly asked, finding the two of us studying a painting depicting 1800s Morocco.

"Yeah... I should go anyway" she sounded meek, her fingers gripping tightly onto her tote bag.

Colorful histories

The theme for this weekend in the museum, ranging from dresses from medieval Europe to even... Asia? Which, I don't even know if it even belongs to them to have it on their museum but here we are. The highlight of this weekends theme however, were the paintings depicting figures from different parts of the world, decades ago. Oh how I would've loved to just be at home learning piano and to sow while men went off to war and died, yes I know It's not that simple but let the girl dream.

"You should, or you had to go?" Antheia strikes again with her assumed smart ass comment.

She shot at me, her eyes seemingly drooping from what I assumed a night of crying? Are those puffy eyes? She let out a deep sigh, a forced smile appearing on her face. "Does he know you're with me right now?" She questioned me this time, her gaze looking up at me. Hollis is perhaps an inch or two shorter than I am, which I've come to realize as we both continued to walk along side each other inside the museum.  How cute.

"Who Liam? No... but does it matter?" We keep bouncing off questions at each other like a game show.

A doubtful expression formed on her face, as she chewed on her bottom lip, "I-I don't know, I don't think he'd like that-"

"Oh please, who cares what he thinks? Do you mind that we're hanging out?" My tone shifted to a stern one, the two of us still standing directly in front of the Moroccan painting, hindering others from fully viewing it.

"No..." her lips slightly pouted, shaking her head animatedly.

"Then that's all that matters" I gave her a confident smile, gesturing her to follow me as the two of us continued our tour.

A mannequin with a fat ball gown stood in the middle of a room we entered, encrusted with real jewels and lace. Kinda tacky but I see the appeal, and I know for a fact Erika would try to buy this if she were here. She owns an actual gown from the 1800s, that's currently inside her bedroom closest in her castle. The entire Kings believe it's haunted but whatever makes her happy I guess.

"Please don't take this the wrong way but... why are you hanging out with me..?" She shyed away from my gaze, her eyes on the floor before she looked up to face me.

"Well... I thought I'd get to know you better, I heard a lot about you since Liam got back" a small smile appeared on my lips, "and I heard what happened last night and...I don't want to insert myself where I don't belong but I think that was rude of him" I rolled my eyes, clearly annoyed at Liam over his behavior.

"Oh...h- he told you?"

"Sort of... you can tell me what happened if you'd like" I tried to be as comforting as possible, I can't begin to assume what her situation is like but the least I can do is make sure she isn't alone in this big ass city. Because god forbid I know exactly what that's like.

The two of us walked over to a little seating area to rest our feet, I shouldn't have worn those boots, it's killing my heel, and I'm pretty sure I got a shoe cut on my pinky toe. I am never letting Rhiannon chose shoes for me.

"You don't know do you?" She rested her head against the pillar behind her, rolling over to look at me. Making myself feel comfortable, I prepared for the incoming heavy conversation. "Know what?"

I can feel a pit form in my stomach, my heart jumping inside my chest.

"That he still feels strongly for you?" she sighed, "i could tell everyday, it was weighing on him, and I think, he allowed it to weigh on him" she was staring at a strange humanoid like sculpture obnoxiously placed right in front of us, her brows knitting, slowly breaking her gaze away from the distracting sculpture and back to me.

Is that a monkey? What the fuck is that?

"No- he- no I'm w-"

"It's okay, it's not your fault not at all" she comforted, her smooth melodic voice humming in my ears like a siren.

"He thought being with me would change things, and for a moment I think it did" she smiled, reminiscing to her time with Liam back in his cottage. "That was until he got a letter I think... from? Edward? With a picture of everyone... and that sent him right back to where he started"

I furrowed my brows, tilting my head. "W- wait- what letter? And he reads our fucking letters? he responds like once in every three months?" My voice became irritant, rolling my eyes,  clearly every little thing is fueling my annoyance at Liam.

"Usually he doesn't read but this time he did, and I think he did because he wanted to feel something again"

The confusion flooding inside me was far too great, I violently bit the inside of my cheek as if I was watching unsolved mysteries, trying to connect the damn dots. "He didn't even tell me he's planned to leave, one day I come over and he was just gone? Only then I found out he planned to come for your birthday"

"Oh my god?? The fuck?" My voice got louder with my disgruntled tone, shaking my head in disbelief.

"And I came back two days ago, with just the little details he's told me about him I-" her voice croaked, gulping as she struggled to finish her sentence, "I came to see him, I wanted to figure things out you know? he never clarified with me...and he just told me to leave"

My lips parted, horrified and upset at her situation, and feeling immensely guilty at the middle of it.

"He said he enjoyed our time together but that was... all that was for him. He's here for a reason now and told me to not to get in his way, he told me that I should leave, and this is over"

My heart sank at her croaking voice, she was struggling to hold in her tears and it was breaking my heart.

"I'm so sorry Hollis, this is fucking terrible I-"

"It's not your fault"... "No I think it is, it is" I reaffirmed.

Shaking my head, my hand snaked over to grip hers as means to comfort her. "I'm putting a fucking stop to this, I'm with Adam and It'll always be that way, I don't know how else I could've made that clear but this has gone way too far" I added sternly, my brows furrowed.

"Thank you" she smiled, her other hand caging both our palms together. "For being here right now" she sniffled.

"My flights in like two hours I better get going"

"Let me take you-"

"No please it's okay, it's so-"

"Hollis it's fine, I'm not letting you go the airport on your fucking own"

                                       .•° ✿ °•.

And just like that we spent a little more time in the museum before I actually went over to her little hotel room to help her check out.

We took a cab together and I dropped her off at the airport, spending the little time she left before she headed towards the boarding area, catching a small drink.

"Of all the ways I thought this could've gone, this is definitely not what I expected" she chuckled, her fiery hair swaying behind her as she moved animatedly.

I playfully bowed, resulting in us giggling together with our almost finished cocktails on our hands.

"Thank you for making this worthwhile" a warm smile plastered across her face, "I see what he sees, and although I wished we met in different circumstances, I'm glad I found a friend at the end of this" she reached out to engulf me in a very warm embrace.

"I'm glad too, and Come back to see me again, or actually, I'll come over and we can check out that cave together" I excitedly announced, feeling bittersweet that we only had a few hours within the day to enjoy each other's company. Within these few hours I found out we both equally love horror movies, and like the two dumbasses that we are, we planned to ghost hunt together someday.

"I'll call you!" She frantically waved, continuously turning back to see if I was there until she disappeared behind the boarding area. And of course I waited, equally waving like a mad person until she was out of sight.

I can already feel a tug at my heart, maybe it's the guilt or the bittersweet feeling of having only spent so little with each other. I'm sure the girls would've loved her, if only we all met. Better yet, I can't wait to tell the girls about today, oh how they're gonna collectively lose their shit.

I could a sense of vibrating within my palm breaking me from my thoughts, looking down, my eyes widened.

Adam.

Ooh

"Hey where are you?" His voice was gentle, laced with concern.

"I'm at the airport right no-"

"WHAT? WHY- ANTHEIA- BABE LISTEN- please don't do this, whatever I did please talk to me don't go- wait okay w-"

"Babe-babe- Adam- ADAM" I screamed onto the phone, desperately trying to get his attention from his nonsensical rambling, "I came to drop off a friend"

An extended silence over the phone, and what I assume was a heavy relieved sigh, "oh okay, who?" He awkwardly chuckled.

What a fucking goof

"Long story"

"Okay stay there, I'll come get you"

"Also, did you seriously think I'd just up and leave for no reason? And YOU think I have trust issues?"

"Well-" he stuttered.

"We have a lot to unpack baby" I sighed, the two of us chuckling on the phone.