chapter thirty three
florence thompson
song: like to be you - shawn mendes ft. julia michaels

"So, let me get this right," Ben began, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and turning to me all while keeping a grip on the strap of his bag, "you're going to go to some random event with this guy that is paying you to spend time with him, and you're going to get all dressed up in a nice dress and some heels, all for some guy that you aren't even dating?" He furrowed his brows, clearly feeling as if he was missing the point to the whole ordeal.

I can't lie, he pretty much hit the nail on the head but that's the last thing I want to tell him right now, especially with the judgy look I was receiving from him.

"Why are you so judgemental right now?" I groaned, grabbing my own bag and sliding it onto my back before grabbing my phone off of the table we had been sat at in the library before we both started heading towards the door, falling into step with one another. "He asked me to accompany him and I told him I would, what's the big deal, seriously?"

He sighed, rolling his head back to stare at the ceiling with a loud groan.

"The big deal, Florence, is that you're leaving yourself completely open for this McDouche Bag to hurt you. You're basically holding a sign above your head that says hey! I'm open for you to use me!" He exclaimed animatedly, pretending to hold a sign above his head and wave it around, causing me to roll my eyes at him.

"You're being ridiculous, Ben. I'm taking all the necessary precautions to keep myself safe. I'm just going as a friend, nothing more. I'm not going to pretend we're together or get pictured with him at all. I'm simply going to go to this charity event with him and then go home and catch up on Jane The Virgin. That's it," I sighed as we pushed through the large doors of the library, stepping out into the bright sunshine of Chicago.

Ben shook his head, his mop of brown hair shaking with the motion.

We had been debating this now for a solid ten minutes, becoming the exact reason we got kicked out of the library. We had been debating it so heatedly earlier that the librarian-after asking us many times to quiet down, bless her heart-politely asked us to leave to which we obliged and decided maybe it was best anyway.

We'd cooled down since, but I could still feel the tension in our conversation. Ben was obviously aggravated with me, and while I fully understand that it's coming from a caring and loving place, it's also being received as overbearing and controlling to an extent.

After last week, I am very obnoxiously aware of how hurt I can get. I understand that what I felt last week and still have the lingering feeling of today could just be the tip of the iceberg if I choose to push myself further into this game of unattached feelings, so I'm making sure I don't get myself in that sticky situation. I'm going as a friend, a friend that could get kicked out of her apartment if she doesn't oblige to his requests and he went back on his word.

That was the part that I didn't want to tell Ben at all, that I was mortified that Vincent would just drop our deal out of nowhere if I didn't do as he says. The thought that there is no contractual obligation here and he could abandon me as quickly as he picked me up was nerve-wracking, to say the least, and was the major motivating factor in the savings account I'd been doing my damndest to put money into recently

"I'm just trying to look out for you, Flo," Ben sighed as I peeked at him over top of the car that was now separating us as we stood on opposite sides, about to slide into the vehicle.

I released a similar sigh.

"I know, Ben." I smiled softly, knowing full well that he only had good intentions.

With that, we both climbed into his car before he started it up, the latest pop music flowing through the speakers as he put the car into reverse and pulled out of his parking spot.

"Coffee?" He asked, glancing over at me as we continued down the street, approaching a stop sign.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not."

The rest of the short drive there was filled with useless chatter about everything ranging from comments about our small argument to the newest music on the radio, or our favorite memes as of recent.

After a short ten minute drive, we'd arrived at our favorite little coffee shop right outside of Chicago. We liked to visit to grab a cup of coffee any time that we had the chance to visit Chicago, which of course for me had been quite often lately.

As soon as we entered the small coffee shop, the welcoming scent of coffee and pastries filled my senses. It felt like home, quite similar to the aroma of Glenn's Midnight Diner. Anytime the two scents were combined it was just as inviting feeling as Glenn's.

"Welcome guys, can I take your order?" A chirpy voice broke me out of my daze to find that Ben was already standing at the counter in front of a perky blonde who was sporting a grin that looked nearly to be the size of half her face.

"Hi, can I get a blueberry muffin and a small coffee, black?" He asked, glancing over the menu even though he knew what he was getting.

"Of course, is that all?" She chirped excitedly after punching the order into the screen in front of her.

"Flo, what do you want?" Ben asked, turning over his shoulder to glance at me with his hands in the pockets of his denim jeans.

I glanced over the menu quickly before settling on my regular. "A chocolate milkshake and blueberry muffin, please." I smiled softly, reciting my order, figuring that more caffeine was probably the last thing I needed today after drinking three coffee's last night to stay awake long enough to take a test for school.

After my dinner with Vincent, I rushed home after remembering I had a test which was due by midnight. After a quick study session, I was able to power through the test and all thanks to my ability to barely study and pass a test, I passed it just by the skin of my teeth. Lucky for me it didn't count as a large percentage of my grade.

"Thank you, sir. Your order will be out in just a few minutes." Blondie grinned before Ben thanked her with a warm smile.

We moved over towards the waiting area where the food would be placed when they called out our order number, standing next to one another in the bustling sound of the cafe.

"How's your mom doing?" Ben asked out of the blue, shocking me mildly as I turned to glance at him. Ben knew my mom well from when we went to school together, and my mom loved him as she did to all of my friends.

"She's doing really well. Her paintings are selling like no other out in New York," I chuckled as I remembered my mom telling me about her paintings selling two nights ago when we sat on FaceTime, catching up about everything, especially about how much we missed one another.

I had visited her in NY not that long ago, but I still missed her just the same when I had to leave. She's been talking about planning a trip out here to see me and all of her friends that she left behind when she decided to up and leave Genevieve Springs. We were hoping she'd be able to come within the next few months if our finances would allow that of us.

"That's awesome-,"

"Florence?" A deep, familiar voice called my name, making brows furrow.

I turned on my heel slightly to where the sound came from to the left of where Ben and I were stood to find none other than the ridiculously handsome Sebastian Vanderbilt. Not only was Sebastian standing there, but to his left was a grinning woman who looked ridiculously familiar.

I couldn't place my finger on where I recognized her long blonde hair and striking features from. She was fairly tall, her long legs only seeming that much longer thanks to a pair of heels that she was currently sporting. It was beginning to drive me absolutely nuts that I couldn't place where exactly I knew her from.

"Sebastian!" I greeted him, clearly surprised to see him here.

"We really need to stop running into each other, Miss Thompson," he chuckled deeply, the sound almost intoxicating as he looked.

I laughed along with him at our ongoing joke, shaking my head.

"Yes, we do. What does this make now? Four?" I teased, a grin on my lips as I watched him closely.

His curly hair was a little messier today but he was still sporting a fitted suit that put any other man in a five-mile radius to shame.

"I believe so, yes." He grinned back, watching me for a moment. "Oh! My apologies, this is Julia Kline, my dear friend who is helping me put together a charity event this Friday. Julia, this is Florence Thompson, she is a...friend," he said after a moment of hesitation.

Suddenly everything clicked.

Julia Kline.

The night of my twentieth birthday drifted into my mind as Aria and I sat on her couch, drinking mixed drinks and watching the TV together.

"You may have heard recently that Vincent De Bellis, the owner of the Ruby hotel chain was spotted with a younger lady. Our sources tell us that this blonde bombshell is 23 year old Julia Kline, an actress, and supermodel."

I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

"No," Vincent groaned aloud, his voice deep and gravelly. "Julia, that is not at all what I'm saying. Yes, I did enjoy the trip. I would love to go with you again, baby, trust me. But I have work that I need to get done."

As I stared at the tall, beautiful blonde, I felt the ache in my chest reignite. Here I stood, face to face with a girl who more than likely had no idea who I was or even that we are much more connected than she'd probably ever think.

It was like all my insecurities were highlighted as I stared at her. Her clear skin, and effortless beauty that I wished so desperately throughout my life that I could have. She had the guy that I liked calling her pet names and willing to clear his whole schedule for her.

A pain pinged in my chest at the realization that I'm a part of his schedule. He would call off our dinner for her.

As I stared at her, I couldn't blame him. She was clearly his safer, better option. After all, I'm just a measly girl from Genevieve Springs who makes six dollars an hour and struggles to find the money for groceries most weeks. Here is this girl who is obviously well off, and ridiculously gorgeous that he'd be stupid not to go for her.

"-right, Florence?" Ben's voice pulled me back to the present as I felt an elbow jab into my ribs.

My eyes widened as I noticed I'd spaced out for much longer than I'd intended to.

"Yes, exactly." I nodded feverishly. "Mhm, yes, that."

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head which only helped my cheeks to ignite further. I felt my heart pounding in my chest, a sure sign that I was five seconds away from having a mental breakdown.

"Well, we have to get going but it was nice to see you again, Miss Thompson," Sebastian spoke politely, the same knowing smile lining his lips.

"It was nice to meet you, Florence," Julia chimed in at the last second before they turned to leave.

My words seemed caught in my throat for a long moment before my brain could actually register what was happening.

"You too," I smiled tightly, trying my best to not hyperventilate and fall to the floor.

As they turned and walked towards the front door, I felt my chest began to rapidly rise and fall, my heart thudding so hard in my chest that I was worried for a moment.

"Act natural," Ben whisper yelled at me as he smiled and waved.

"I don't know if you know this, but the "natural" thing to do in this situation is to panic so I think I'm acting pretty damn natural," I hissed, a forced smile on my lips as I waved also while Sebastian held open the door for Julia to follow him through.

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q: most underrated movie in your opinion??