Okay, so I know how late this is, and I think we can declare that I suck at getting chapters out on time lol. I'm just always so busy with life that it gets hard to prioritize writing. But this chapter is very long, but it's mostly dialogue and VERY important for the plot so read it.

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Nova

I got my first good night of sleep.

I woke up early to eat something before going back to sleep because my empty stomach made it nearly impossible for me to rest. I lazily make toast and eat it on a napkin because I don't have any clean plates. Then, I sprawl on the floor of my living room, staring at the white ceiling as I chew.

I have my lunch with Theo today. I don't know what time to meet him, so I decide to text him about it. I want to wake up exactly 30-minutes before I have to meet him, go to lunch, and come back to sleep until dinner.

Normally, I wouldn't be able to sleep so much. But these past two weeks have killed me, and I feel drained just thinking about doing it all over again.

I find the only unnamed contact I have on my phone and text to ask him to give me the details about lunch. I take two more bites before my phone buzzes, signaling his response: 30 mins. Send me your address.

I skim through the text, rereading it to ensure I'm not delirious. When I'm certain he actually told me to meet him in 30 minutes, I panic. 30 minutes?!

It's 9:45- too fucking early to get lunch. What the fuck is he trying to do? I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this. I'm too tired to have any form of human interaction this early. Panic tightens in my chest. I call him, and It rings exactly 4 times before he picks up.

"Why the hell are you picking me up so early?" I ask harshly.

"I have a few errands to run," he answers cooly. Only a psychopath sounds that alive this early.

"Why the fuck do you need me to run errands?" I ask.

I can hear his irritated sigh. "I was supposed to have a free day, but shit happened."

Oh wow, that sounds very familiar!

"And why do I have to be dragged into it?" I ask.

"Because I'm using you as an excuse to get out of spending the day with people I dislike," he answers.

Using me as an excuse? What the hell does that even mean? And does that mean he doesn't dislike me? 

"I don't give a shit," I hiss. "Go be with the people you don't like. I don't care. I need sleep."

"Send your address. I'll wait outside," he ignores me.

"What if I was sleeping?" I ask, irritated.

"You can sleep in the car," he answers. 

I hang up and groan. I stare at the ceiling for a bit contemplating when my life reached this point. Can you say you're not excited to see him though? Shut up. Please. Great now I'm talking to myself.

I text him the address of a cafe that's 5-minutes away from my apartment. I want an excuse to get coffee and I want to annoy him as much as possible today.

I finish my toast, throw on black leggings that are probably dirty, and a tan zip-up hoodie. Spray cheap perfume and put on deoderant because I'm scared of smelling bad. Then, I quickly braid my hair to one side and brush my teeth before putting on black converse. I grab my wallet, and before I walk out, I take a small piece of amethyst with me because I'll need the calming energy.

I walk the five minutes to the cafe, admiring the nearly empty streets. When I'm at the cafe, I order two iced coffees because, in high school, he would say my coffee was gross but would end up stealing it for himself.

I'm not doing it out of kindness- he doesn't deserve it. I'm doing it because if he stole my coffee, I would most likely strangle him.

Then I sit down, going on my phone while sipping my coffee. I want to text Tony to tell her about what's going on, but I'm wary of getting my friends involved. I don't want to enlist permanence on something that's more than likely temporary. The moment he gets bored, he'll leave again.

10 minutes later, a sleek black car that doesn't belong on the streets of my neighborhood parks. The car door opens and out steps the imbecile who makes me wish I had died in my sleep.

He's in worn blue jeans and a grey crew neck with white sneakers. It's one of the first times I've seen him dress casually. It's also the first time that I've realized how much he's grown. He's taller, his wavy hair is somewhat tamed- still not styled in any way, and his features have sharpened.

Made from pieces of Athena's shrine- his stone features not only carry her beauty; but also her violence. Goddess of war who graces her children with violent beauty.

His hair is messy and fluffy from the wind, his green eyes lock with mine, and he smirks. I glare at him. I get up and aggressively hand him the iced coffee.

He takes it from my hand, his cold rings sliding across my fingers, "Thank you, darling."

I hate that stupid fucking nickname.

"I'll choke you," I warn.

"Kinky," he smirks.

I roll my eyes, "I hope you die in a ditch."

"Are you always this violent in the mornings?" he asks, sounding amused.

"Only for you," I give him a sweet smile.

"I feel so special," he says. He walks ahead, opening the passenger's seat door for me before walking around the car to the driver's side.

I slide in, immediately hating how cold it is. It's already freezing outside- what kind of psycho makes their car just as cold?

Him. He does. Maybe to play the role of the cold-hearted-son-of-a-bitch he is. I hope he freezes to death.

His car is black inside with sleek black leather seats that are cold against the exposed parts of my skin. His car smells like an amplified version of him.

Mint, wood, spice.

He shuts his door gently and turns towards me. "You didn't spit in the coffee, right?"

I glare at him, "I forgot. I'll remember next time."

He suppresses a smile and starts backing out of the parking space. He turns around, putting a hand behind the headrest of my seat as he reverses. I ignore the way warmth radiates from him onto me.

I stare at the one hand he's using to drive. His pretty rings sit layered on his slender fingers. When he's done reversing, he continues to drive with one hand, resting his other hand on the armrest. He occasionally picks up the iced coffee from the cup holder and sips.

I turn towards the window, staring at the little stores we're passing. The streets aren't empty, but they're calmer than during the afternoon.

I turn towards him. The air conditioning in his car gently blows his hair, his long lashes fan against his high cheekbones when he blinks. His green eyes look darker than they are from the side.

His jawline is actually a jawline. It's not fair that all of those pretty features are wasted on someone like him. But he wears them so well.

At a red light, he turns towards me, "Are you staring at me because you're planning my murder?"

I shake my head, feeling embarrassed that he caught me. "I did that the first time we met."

He furrows his brows, "You really are violent if you planned my murder while we were dancing."

I roll my eyes, turning to the front. "You're taking advantage of the restart."

"It's the only thing I've got," he mutters.

I don't know what he means, and I don't ask. I feel aware of every movement I make. It feels like one wrong breath holds the capability to ruin the peace between us.

We don't talk, listening to music I don't recognize on the radio. The city is already up and running- which makes me feel miles behind the pace of the world. We're driving through an area I don't recognize, and my eyes unintentionally fall closed as I feel my exhaustion draw me closer to sleep.

I was scared Theo's driving would be scary, but he drives so smoothly, and the seats in his car are so comfortable. I can't fully fall asleep because of how cold it is, and I feel awkward asking him to change the temperature.

My eyes only open when I feel the car stop moving. I sit up straight to look at where we are.

"What kind of errands do you need to run at a cafe?" I ask. There are two ways he can answer. I really hope he chooses the one that doesn't involve me eating breakfast with him. Mainly because of how awkward that would be.

"I'm hoping feeding you will reduce some of your hostility," he grins.

"No." I don't want to eat with him. I don't want to spend my day with him. I want to be in my comfortable bed.

He rolls his eyes, "I'm offering to feed you."

"And I'm declining your offer," I answer.

He ignores me and takes the last few sips of his iced coffee. Then, he gets out of the car, and I watch as he walks up to my side. I open my door before he can, taking my purse with me. We walk to the door, and he throws away his empty coffee.

We walk in, and I'm in awe of how gorgeous the inside is. There are unique light fixtures above each table, there is a wall where chalk writings are scattered, and there is an amazing smell of fresh pastries and coffee.

"Go get us a table, yeah?" he asks. "I'll get the menus."

Thank fuck. I walk away from him, deciding I want to sit outside. The outside part of the cafe is small with flowers everywhere. I sit at a table and go on my phone while I wait for Theo.

It's cloudy outside, and I hope it rains. I hope Theo likes the rain. If he doesn't, I'll find a way to leave him in the rain.

He comes outside with two menus in his hands.

"Do you like the rain?" I ask.

He sets a menu in front of me and slides out a seat. "Yeah."

Damn it. "Do you know if it's going to rain today?"

He looks confused, "No-?"

I guess I'll just have to torture him some other way.

I open the menu and scan through everything. I immediately realize how out-of-price-range the cafe is. And as fun as making Theo pay for everything seems, I always feel so guilty when people pay for my things.

I've never been to this cafe before, and I hate going to new restaurants- especially ones that I don't know anything about. I read through everything that sounds interesting and has a reasonable price. I'm already full from my toast, and I don't want to feel nauseous because I ate too much.

"What's good here?" I ask.

"The crepe," he answers.

So he's been here before.

I look for the crepe, feeling relieved that it's a reasonable price. "What are you getting?" I ask.

"A sandwich," he says, looking down at his phone again.

Why would you suggest the crepe if you're not getting it? "I'm gonna get the crepe," I announce.

I continue to read through the menu, looking at the drinks. "I'm also getting an iced coffee."

He looks at me. "You sure? The crepe is small."

I nod, "I had toast." And I don't get a paycheck this month.

He nods, turning towards the waiter who's approaching us. He orders for us both, which makes me hate him a little less. When the waiter is gone, he turns towards me and studies my face. "You look different."

Wow, What a gentlemanly thing to say.

"What?" I ask, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"You look tired." The slight concern in his voice makes something shift inside of me.

"I've been busy." Maybe I wouldn't look this tired if he had let me sleep for another hour.

He nods, "With work?"

I shake my head, "Mostly school."

"You should be taking care of yourself, Scott," he says. 

I frown, "I am." 

His lips almost curve into a smile, "You make it very easy to tell when you're lying." 

I bite the side of my cheek, slumping into my seat slightly, "I just need to get past this next week. Until then, I have to put everything into these classes." 

He doesn't disagree but he also doesn't look like he agrees.

"What about you?" I ask clumsily because I don't want to only talk about myself. "How's work?"

He shrugs. "Stressful."

"What about your family?"

He almost grimaces. "They're alright."

"Don't you have an assistant who could help you with errands?" I ask.

He bites the inside of his cheek, not looking up from the fork he's fiddling with. "Yeah, but you're just so entertaining. How could I not ask you?"

I roll my eyes, "Can't you also pay someone to do it for you?"

"Some of us like doing shit we're capable of," he remarks. 

"Well I'm normal and I'd rather not do boring things if I don't have to," I say.

"I don't know, Scott," he says with a grin. "Normal people don't get breakfast with strangers."

"Normal people don't ask strangers to breakfast," I say. "And stop calling me that."

"I've always found normal people too boring and annoying, anyways," he states. "And calling you what?" He looks smug.

I try to frown but I see the look in his eyes and it takes me back to when we used to do this as kids and I use my hand to hide my smile.

Our food comes. The portions are too tiny for the price. Eating a crepe so fancy feels illegal, so I just stare at it. There's chocolate, cream, and strawberries garnishing it.

"You can take a picture, you know?" he says. "You don't have to stare at it."

"Why does it look so fancy?" I ask.

I can tell he bites back a smile because he bites his lip. "What? You can't eat fancy food."

"Of course I can! It just feels wrong," I realize how dumb I sound.

He makes a weird face, "It's food. It was made to be eaten."

I look at Theo's plate. He has an egg and cheese sandwich.

I take a bite of it. The food is most definitely worth the price. I could eat like 30 of these crepes. I could finish it in like 5-seconds, but I take little bites because I don't want to finish my food first.

He looks at my plate. "I assume you like it?"

I look at my plate too, shrugging jokingly, "It's decent."

He rolls his eyes, "Do you want another one?"

I shake my head. I don't plan on going broke today, and I don't see Oprah handing out stacks of cash on the streets.

"Who are you avoiding?" I ask, trying to make small talk.

His eyes flash with confusion before flooding with understanding. When I don't change the subject, he sighs, "My family."

Oh. "Why?"

He plays with the rings on his middle finger, and my eyes catch the pretty one that looks like a band of twigs, "It's suffocating being around them, and my mother is having a gathering at the house, so I lied and said I was busy."

"And you can't just lie?" I ask. "You have to fulfill it?"

He almost laughs, "I would've still gotten dragged to the gathering if I was at my place."

"Who's going to be at the gathering?" I ask.

I watch him chew his food. I've never seen anyone chew so elegantly. His whole being moves with such grace at all times that it's nearly startling. It makes you wonder how he was raised to be so refined at all times.

He shrugs, "Probably a few of my parents' friends, Allie, and a few of my sister's friends."

I understand why he wouldn't want to spend time with his family. I would do anything to get out of spending the day with my own family too, so I have no room for judgment.

"What's the deal with you and Allie?" I ask out of curiosity. I regret it as soon as it leaves my mouth. What if he thinks I'm being too nosy?

I don't know anything about his current life. It feels like we're from two different lifetimes; The versions of us in our past lives have died, and now, we're strangers who vaguely remember the outline of who we used to be. Fragments of the same broken mirror. Part of something that can never be put back together.

His jaw clenches. "It's complicated."

"You're such a guy," I scoff.

He rolls his eyes, "I just see her as a friend. My father wants me to see her as something more."

I catch the way his tone changes when he says the word, father. As if it's a word that chokes him.

"Your dad shouldn't get a say in who you date," I say because I can't think of anything else.

He doesn't say anything, finishing his sandwich. Finally, he says, "What about you?"

"What about me?" I ask.

"Any relationships?" he changes how he sits. Leaning back in the chair and pushing his hips forward while spreading his legs.

"Committing has never been my thing." I almost laugh, "Believe it or not, I'm calling it off with someone tomorrow."

"Quite a busy woman," he says, his lips twitching with humor, "How do you feel about that?"

I shrug, pushing down the anxiousness I feel with telling him something so personal, "I've found my peace with the situation."

He nods, a faint smile playing at his lips, "Was it anything serious?"

"No," I sigh. "It just kind of happened, and now... it's not happening."

He shrugs. "Just the way some things go."

I nod, almost smiling. "Just the way some things go."

"Are you going to miss him?" he asks.

I bite my cheek, letting the silence settle between us. I have no idea how people will react, but if we're going to be friends, he'll have to know. "I might miss spending time with her."

He blinks a few times, looking at me like I'm a completely different person before grinning. "My bad."

I let out a laugh, more out of relief than humor. 

"I always knew," he adds after a few seconds, taking a sip of my iced coffee.

I meet his eyes, feeling surprised, "How?"

"You were too excited about every girl I got with," he laughs.

I laugh too, "That's just because you were lonely!"

He rolls his eyes, "I'm proud of you. I'm glad you have that." He pauses, "Are you-?" I can tell he's making himself uncomfortable.

"I'm bi," I answer. "Two years."

"How'd you know?" he asks.

I shrug, "I always had a feeling. Then, in college, I got very high for the first time and ended up hooking up with a girl."

He smiles again, "Good for you, Scott."

The waiter comes by, and Theo refuses to let me even argue about paying, saying that he gets to pay since he forced me to go out with him.

We walk back to the car, "So where are we going next?" I ask. "And since you're a little dick who's dragging me around town, we have run some of my errands too."

He meets my eyes over the top of his car, "A bookstore."

"That's good," I say. "I actually have to get a few things myself."

I slide in, feeling the cold seats again. I put on my seatbelt, and he starts to drive. I look at him, "Theo?"

He hums in acknowledgment.

"Are you in another relationship though?" I ask.

He looks towards me, "Why?"

I shrug, "I was just asking." I think it's sad if the only reason he can't have a true relationship is because of his image.

"No," he sighs. "I'm not in one."

"Have you ever been in one?" I ask. I'm scared I'm being annoying.

He nods. "A little while ago."

"Was it anything serious?" I ask.

"We dated for two years. And broke up about a year ago," he says.

I widen my eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"What about you?" he asks. "Ever had a serious relationship?"

I look out the window, "I mean, nothing where we lived together. My definition of serious is when a relationship lasts more than 4 months, but yeah."

"What happened?" He asks.

"He was just very toxic, and I only stayed because he became my emotional dependency," I say. "I've had a few months to think about it, and now, I know that even from the start- we were too different to work," I play with the sleeve of my jacket. "I was just so desperate to have someone give me something