#lightshcwer

[decadentscribe]

LUNA‘S AUDACITY KNEW NO BOUNDS. She ought to apologize and show remorse after sabotaging his date and ruining his chances to move forward, but she did otherwise. Instead, she brazenly rubbed her success in his face. She remained unfazed under his piercing gaze. Her words denied his accusation, but the glint in her eyes hinting her smugness spoke volumes. ❝Me? Clinically insane?❞ Luna scoffed. ❝Don‘t go throwing that word around. It‘s offensive.❞ She noted how he called her by his designated nickname towards her. One that he used to address her with affection, but now sounded otherwise. ❝You make it sound like I have no life. I actually do. I just happened to have a free time, and you were in the area.❞

continued from here // @lightshcwer

[sunliights]

a closed starter for @lightshcwer continued from here.

jack knows it’s a pretty odd request to make but he figures you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take and the worst he can really do is make things awkward with his neighbour. it’s not as if they see one another enough for him to feel put off by it, though. “you might not have something in mind now but if you ever do, i’d be happy to help. y’know, a lightbulb that needs replaced or something,” he suggests with a little wave of his hand, since he isn’t actually sure what he can offer. he hadn’t considered much about what this sort of a transaction might look like in practice, only in theory. “if you’re sure it wouldn’t be any trouble though, i’d be grateful.”

[lovepctions]

flora watched him through the quiet intimacy of streetlight shadows as he moved around to load her bags, double-checking each one. that same old careful liam, still looking out for her, still making sure she was okay even after she'd run off to chase her dreams and left him behind. she knew she shouldn't be taking solace in that; it was unfair, a little selfish. but seeing him like this, she couldn't help herself.

she settled into the passenger seat, her hand still tingling from the way he'd stepped away from her touch just moments ago. that tiny rejection—probably unintentional, yet so unlike the devoted friend she'd left behind—pinched at her pride. she swallowed it, determined not to let it show. if there was one thing she'd learned from la, it was how to mask the bruises to her ego. but with liam, it stung more.

"it's funny," she murmured, forcing a lightness into her voice as she glanced around, "i haven't been in a car that wasn't surrounded by flashing cameras or packed with people fussing over my schedule in… forever. it's kind of nice to just be… here." she tried for a smile, but it came out softer, almost fragile.

when liam turned the key and fiddled with the heat, she placed her hand over his—steady this time with an instinct to prove something to herself, that maybe this time he won't pull away. "so thank you for this. and thank you for trying to wait for me to eat dinner. thank you for grabbing my bags. thank you for welcoming me. i don't want what you do for me to go unnoticed."

her brown eyes traced over his features, taking in the subtle, unfamiliar details. he wasn’t exactly the same as she remembered; he’d grown into his frame, standing a bit taller than her now. the softness of his boyish face had been replaced by a more rugged, defined look—handsome, she thought, though not in the polished, curated way of hollywood stars. no, his was a different kind of appeal, one that felt genuine, almost grounding. endearing, she finally decided. comforting.

the silence between them shifted slightly from the awkward to something familiar. "to the diner?"

liam nodded in response, now feeling sheepish about his acquisition. not that he ever hadn't, but everything seemed sillier now when flora was involved. driving gloves... she probably hadn't touch a steering wheel in ages, with chauffeurs and whatnot. "yeah, uh... my dad, he suggested i get some. then when i didn't, guess what i got for christmas?" he shrugged, trying to downplay the anecdote the moment he'd shared it. "handy in a pinch, though". he remembered the whole thing being funnier. how insignificant it felt now that flora was here. he cleared his throat quietly. "i'd be kind of a jackass to have you fly out here and not at least look out for you."

it all felt surreal. if flora wasn't standing so close, liam would've checked his pulse— or pinched himself— to make sure he wasn't dreaming. a silent discomfort hung between them, but he attributed it to his friend's current unspoken situation. at least, he wished that's all it was. that flitter of a thought was enough for liam to start questioning this entire thing. he blinked in rapid succession. his eyes darted around for a short moment while he tried to once again regain his composure. liam had a feeling he'd be doing a lot of that with flora around for... however long she'd be around this time. calm down, lee; it's fine.

"sounds good to me. i mean, i tried waiting for you to eat, have a proper meal together, y'know? but i figured you'd eat on the plane and... i was starving. so no matter how badly my heart wants to have an entire plate allll to myself... stomach can only handle half." he emphasized his words by giving his belly a firm pat. he stopped in his tracks when flora's hand extended towards him. instinctively, his body wanted to lean away from it. but he froze, eyes wide. he shook off the stupor by moving out of the way, his hand clasped around the handle of her bag. "i- i know! you- you had a long flight and it's late, flora. so just... let me be a gentleman tonight, yeah? besides, i'm basically hosting the hometown hero: i'm not the one doing you a favor, here", liam prayed that last bit would smooth over the awkwardness. he popped open the door to the backseat and made sure to load in flora's luggage carefully. even going as far as to double-check that everything was secure. lord knows he couldn't afford shattering one of her expensive makeup products... or whatever.

after shutting the door, he slipped back over to the passenger side to make sure flora was ready to go. he forced the warmest smile he could manage: this was salvageable. "still good?" hopefully she wouldn't regret coming here. was he ruining this? he was ruining this. his smile faltered for a second. "uhh... i mean some change would be good, no?" did flora really still see him as that dorky kid with braces? no... no, of course she didn't. it's flora. they were friends! she made time out of her busy schedule to come and see him— that had to mean something. maybe she was jetlagged. liam forced out a chuckle and hoped that would be enough to reset the mood. he made his way to the driver's side and hopped in, a shiver running through him as he sat down. "i'll get the heat on, gimme a sec-" he fumbled with his keys, grateful for the excuse to change the subject.

[fadinglights]

continued from here, @lightshcwer

“you’re  so  mean  to  me.  so  mean!  do  our  promises  mean  nothing  to  you?”  glossed  lips  curve  into  a  pout  and  she  gives  her  best  friend  the  puppy  eyes  in  hopes  that  the  woman  will  cave  in.  “but  the  whole  point  is  that  we  go  to  the  premiere  and  the  after  party!  everyone  will  be  there  and  we  can  even  take  pictures  with  the  actors.  it’ll  be  so  much  fun.”  working  as  a  makeup  artist  might  have  many  downsides  like  the  hectic  schedule  and  silly  rules  when  working  with  idols,  but  getting  tickets  to  exciting  events  is  one  of  the  few  perks  she  loves.  “you’re  not  going  to  die  alone  —  i’m  not  going  to  let  you.”  she  thought  nellie  is  her  friend  too,  now  she  is  more  of  an  enemy  in  jules’  eyes  for  stealing  her  best  friend  away.  that  must  be  it,  right?  just  unwillingness  to  share  a  person  that’s  so  dear  to  her.  it’s  nothing  out  of  ordinary  for  the  pair  of  best  friends  that  are  attached  to  the  hip.  perfectly  justifiable.  “then  don’t  go!”  she  takes  her  friend’s  arm  and  shakes  it  with  just  as  much  theatrics.  “you’re  going  to  have  a  much  better  night  with  me  than  some  random  person  who  will  bore  you  with  small  talk.”

[chvmpcgnerps]

continued from here with @lightshcwer

her head still facing the sky, she rests her eyes shut as the downpour gradually moved to cover the area. with a soft sigh pushed passed her duo, she took in reality for what it was and scanned the area for an nearby shelter to take cover from the rain that she knew would only pick up in downpour. out of mere desperation, winona yanked on the door handle as if it would magically open this time. maybe a part of her wanted it to open because she knew she would have to face august. and oh how much easier it would be to shoot a quick nevermind text and drive off home. with the area having low traffic, winona shielded her eyes with her hand as as a vehicle approached her slow. as it drew closer, she quickly recognized the make and model to be august's. part of her was shocked at how quick he managed to reach her and she didn't quite even recall seeing a text back. looking at him with squinted eyes, winona made out what he said through the rain and shook her head. "i just need you to help me get into my car!" she shouted back to ensure he could hear her. "did you bring something to get into the car?" winona quizzed with a puzzled expression quilting her face.

[moonrvier]

spell out your url using song titles. then, tag as many people as there are letters in your url:

m - midnight rain by taylor swift

o - ocean eyes by billie eilish

o - only if for a night by florence & the machine

n - nothing's gonna hurt you baby by cigarettes after sex

r - run to you by seventeen

v - valium by lisa mitchell

i - i saw you in a dream by the japanese house

e - evermore by taylor swift ft. bon iver

r - radio by lana del rey

tagged by: the amazing @suchaehwas

tagging: @eunoiac @lcvescsweet @lightshcwer @mccntower @seolinah @lostintra @theforsakvn @lilacwiine @emeraldhazes if u guys haven't done it yet and want to, +++ anyone else on my dash who wants to do it ily all

[blcssom]

"time is relative, ray." and she was relatively drunk enough to believe her own ramblings, so no iota of rationale could convince her otherwise. the way the other woman eyed her, regardless of the thoughts running through raven's head, seemed to please her, head tilting as full lips curled into a grin. "i need it for emergencies! i mean, you never pick up your phone anymore.... what if i need to come check that you haven't slipped and fallen unconscious?" her obsessive tendencies were always masked by a need to take care of people, the way she'd never been taken care of herself, and even with the rational voice in the back of her mind telling her that what she was doing was not normal ris couldn't shake the feeling that if she deviated from her path she would end up entirely alone. "..... whore-se?" wide eyes squint, trying to make out the meaning before it came to her with a giddy laugh. "oh horse! wow, that was.... awful." but a relief, none the less. "and yet you gave me one. maybe you wanted to reassure me: it's okay to admit you're still carrying a torch for me after all this time, ya know?"

"not here it isn't, darling", raven deadpanned. she eyed marisa from head to toe and silently wondered what kind of horrendous shit she must've done in a past life to have marisa serpico as her walking, talking, breathing karma in this one. did she drive her up the walls most times? absolutely. and yet here marisa was, with a key raven herself had given her, and purposely not taken back. what was she doing? it was a mystery even to herself. "god, you still have that? i guess you can leave it on the counter on your way out, mhm?" she sighed, nonchalant. raven focused on the task at hand instead. as her ex-lover's tantrum ramped up, however, she couldn't help but throw a glance at her over her shoulder. "try whorse", she scoffed before turning back around. "not that i owe you an explanation."

[blindspct]

cozy thing tag game 🧸

comfort food(s): uncrustables, mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets, & sweet heat pickles

comfort drink(s): diet coke & pomegranate vitamin water

comfort movie(s): Any 90s lifetime movie, Midsommar, The Wedding Date, Stephen King's IT (the original)

comfort show(s): unsolved mysteries, your worst nightmare, deadly women, the heartstopper series, parks & rec

comfort clothing: bicycle shorts, big t shirts, & sweatshirts

comfort song(s): anything maddie zahm, one direction, or khalid

comfort book(s): i don't read anything more than once tbh

comfort game(s): monopoly, animal crossing

tagged by @aquamanandfriends

tagging @pryoria @h3rtzoom @mccntower @lightshcwer @seolinah @ofmymanymuses

[saudadexmses]

Holly glances down at her elbow." Oh crap!" They chuckle, of course she wouldn't notice that she had ruined her blouse and it was one of her favorites, that was what they got for getting distracted.

" Thanks, I'm not sure that I can save it but-" Quickly she reaches into her pocket taking out a a sharpie, one of three she kept on herself, she pulls on the cap and draws a flower to cover up the stain." There that will do it for now." They glance back at the other with a grin." I'm Holly by the way, thank you for the heads up Nathan."

nathan   almost   startled   when   holly   finally   took   notice   of   him,   blinking   in   rapid   succession.   he'd   tried   to   keep   his   approach   low-key,   didn't   want   them   to   feel   uncomfortable   because   of   him.   but   he   hadn't   accounted   for   the   music   booming...   maybe   he   should've   spoken   louder.   "uhh,   it's   just-"   he   vaguely   pointed   at   her   blouse.   "you   leaned   your   elbow   on   some...   mysterious   substance   there.   bar   counters   aren't   notorious   for   their   cleanliness,   i'm   afraid.   and   it's-   well,   it's   a   pretty   blouse.   'thought   you'd   like   a   heads   up",   he   explained   himself   matter-of-factly.   but   the   only   fact   he   came   to   in   the   end   is   that   he   was   not   drunk   enough   to   have   this   conversation.   and   yeah,   he   probably   shouldn't   rely   on   alcohol   to   be   able   to   have   a   normal   chat   with   a   normal   human   being.   but   it   wasn't   a   problem   if   no   one   knew   about   it...   right?   and   with   those   thoughts   swirling   in   his   mind,   nathan   brought   his   own   glass   to   his   lips   and   took   a   long   swig.   "i'm   nathan,   by   the   way...   i   hope   your   blouse   is   salvageable."

[lovepctions]

jared's head tilted, feigning hurt at the other's dismay to his idiom. "ray, you mean to tell me you didn't like my punny pun? i need them to get through this god awful day. please spare some mercy; i feel i need to at least get four more puns out of me or else i will die." he knew if he was talking to his ex that it would have been a nonnegotiable no to his whining, no matter how much he was kidding. at least raven put up with him. he began to make his way tot he checkout line. "pizza sounds bomb, i'm not gonna lie, but what were you going to cook?"

raven scoffed, trying to hide her amusement; she couldn't let him have this one. or worse, know that she cared for him. it had always been her thing, acting detached. however, if someone stuck around long enough, they found out that couldn't be further from the truth. much to raven's dismay. "if it'll get you to never say that to me again, we can leave now. i wanted to cook something tonight, but we might as well go all in and eat out, mmm? pizza, maybe? that's a good sloppy... heartbreak-ish food, right?" she teased him.

[blindspct]

hannah paused for a moment, thinking about what he said, before letting out a fit of giggles at the thought. "god, you're probably right. i didn't even think about that. anyways, i still think he's unnecessarily ripped." she pointed out with a small shake of her head, a smile resting over her lips. this was how she imagined things would go between the two of them. she wanted to believed that, given the chance, something could potentially happen between the two of them. "you're totally welcome." she replied and then watched as he moved closer to her. she was curious to see what he was doing or what he was going to ask from her. she took his phone in her hand, glancing between him and the device. "well, first thing's first. you definitely need a contact picture for me." she announced and pulled up his camera, wasting no time smiling and taking a picture of herself. she hoped he wouldn't mind. ultimately, she didn't think that he would. after assigning the picture to her contact, she leaned toward him and navigated through his phone. "this is how you'll contact me any time you want." she announced and then looked back at him with a small smile, probably standing closer than she should before a blush covered her cheeks and she shyly handed him his phone back. "anyways, i'll totally show you how kick ass i am at yoshi whenever you're free."

"hannah, even if he wasn't ripped... if you were a fish, he'd look huge anyway, no?" liam tried – unsuccessfully – to suppress a smile. god, she was adorable. he could hardly stand it. all he could hope is that it wasn't too obvious. he felt like he was about to burst. they'd never talked this long before, and this could've been a total disaster, mostly on his part. and yet here they were, bantering. he didn't want to jinx it, but things were going well... suspiciously well. he flexed his fingers around the cart handle; his excitement was begging to be let out. "i'm not huge on greek mythology. i watched the percy jackson movies as a kid and that's about it. so don't look to me, either", he chuckled. "of course, thank you so much, super-hannah", he curtsied briefly. "actually, now that you mention it, i'm not sure that i know how to operate a phone at all. i don't even know how or why i have one. d'you mind?" liam handed hannah his phone again, a smug grin playing against his lips. "can you show me, really slowly, how i can contact you with this?" he raised a brow to really sell his act as best he could. "i think with books, it's like... i need it to tase my brain, for lack of a better word. mind-boggling gore usually does the trick. i want to be horrified, but also in the way of like... i can't wait to see what happens next. so maybe i lean more towards thrillers after all", he conceded with a shrug. liam tilted his head at her answer, eyes narrowed playfully. "now, see... i'd kick your ass, pardon my french. me and morton, any day. yoshi is a rookie mistake."

[myriadxofxmuses]

"That's sure what it feels like," she pointed out with a huff once Safiyah spoke finally faced her.

When their eyes met she felt her body start to go limp. Her heart practically stopped from the anguish over losing her all over again. Sydney didn't know if she could handle this. She forced her gaze away and harshly grabbed up her pants. She slid them on as irrational plans to move away and start completely fresh ran through her mind. How she would create a whole new identity. That she would just forget Safiyah and everything about her - a naive justification to get through this.

"What makes you think I'm putting anything on hold for you," she started countering, stopping I'm her tracks when she asked about Brent's failed matchmaking.

It had indeed been because of her that Sydney bailed on the date - their spontaneous plans to meet up the deciding factor. "Fuck sake," she said in disbelief, a soft chuckle escaping her. Saf still seemed to be ten steps ahead of her. "I didn't ghost her because of you," she lied. "I ghosted her because I was tired of Brent pestering me about it. "This is nothing anyway, right? Why should it matter to you if I ditch some no name for any reason?," she lied further.

Half way anyway. Brent had indeed been harassing her, in a good way, about moving on from Safiyah. While a mutual friend, he'd pointed out very early on that she was just going to get hurt again and he just wanted the group to be normal again. Syd forgetting about the relationship with her ex was a huge proponent of that and Brent thought Elise could have helped with that. Except that she couldn't ever replace Safiyah. No one could. And when she'd called to meet up that night, Syd had been more than happy to cancel the date. Now here they were

"And don't try and deflect this on me," she continued frustratedly as she finished trying to gather her things. "You wanted this just as much as I did otherwise we wouldn't be here," she told her pointedly, dropping to the bed with a small groan. "Why can't you just admit that we are actually good for each other and quit trying to shut me out?" she asked finally letting her gaze find Safiyah again.

She smiled softly over at her as she dressed. Sydney still couldn't believe they'd managed to get back to this. Somewhat anyway. It was a full on back together, but it seemed like things were on the right track for her to once again call Safiyah hers.

Until she dropped her bomb.

"What?" Syd asked as she sat up, covering her self with the sheet. "Are you serious right now?" she asked through a huff of disbelief. "Wow. Ok," she added mostly to herself as she slid from the bed and grabbed her clothes. "So what was this exactly? Some kind of time filler until you're done with me...again?" she asked almost rhetorically as she pulled her own shirt on. "You know, the least you could do is look me in the eye when you discard me."

[pinksopaque]

" i've seen adults trick or treat , lucy . so - i feel like my argument wins over yours . are you calling me a serial killer ? that's kind of hurtful , i meant it as like .. i'm a nice guy , definitely would do anything for my future girlfriend , " he goes , a scowl appearing on his face as he glances at her , a small scoff comes out , keeping his eyes on hers for a moment . " i was talking about costumes ! although , younger me wouldn't have said costumes . "

"they get candy by stealing it from their children. they don't trick or treat themselves, so your point is null! and yes you're approachable, but every successful serial killer also is, soooo..." lucy's brows shot up to emphasize her point. she eyed him up and down, played up the silence for comedic effect. "a costume, whatever yeah. but you were talking straight up, actual crayons. and if you weren't, you need to be clearer going forward", she chuckled.

[czrsed]

menekşe’s smile was there, as always, but asher noticed, in that moment, that she wasn’t entirely at ease. he knew how good she was at hiding what she felt, and the way she tried to mask that small discomfort only made it stand out more to him. but instead of finding it amusing, as he usually did, a sharp pang of something deeper stirred in him. he wanted to be enough for her. he wanted more than just to be the friend she felt the need to care for. but he didn’t know how to say that without risking it all.

"you don’t have to keep looking after me like this, you know," he began, his smile genuine but his eyes revealing something deeper. "i mean, it’s more than just being a good friend, isn’t it?" he paused, heart pounding in his chest, the words slipping out before he could think them through.

he leaned against the table, his body tense, heart racing. his words were right there on the tip of his tongue, but something held him back. he didn’t want to do anything that would make her feel pressured, but there was something in her, some vulnerability, that made him want to protect her more than he already did.

asher shifted slightly, his gaze not leaving hers. "i know we’re just friends, and maybe that’s all i should expect, but... god, i can’t ignore how i feel about you. if you ever saw me as more than just a friend, i wouldn’t hesitate. not for a second." he swallowed, realizing how vulnerable he sounded, but somehow it felt like a relief, like a weight had been lifted.

menekşe tried to control her expression, to rein in her smile, but that seemed an impossible feat whenever asher was around. she wasn't even sure why she bothered to protect herself: asher had never looked at her that way. he never noticed her lingering gaze or how she beamed when he entered a room. menekşe was a romantic at heart. she saw the world through rose-colored glasses. and yes, in her perfect fantasy, asher felt the same way. but this wasn't some romance novel and he wasn't her prince charming. his next words were a perfect reminder of that.

friends.

she didn't know why it stung so much— it was true. they were friends. the best of friends, even. menekşe was grateful to have him in her life, even if not in the way she yearned for. but that didn't make being friendzoned hurt any less. she forced a smile, trying to act like everything was fine. the irony wasn't lost on her: she was an actress, yet she'd never been good at lying. especially not to herself. and with her hovering over him, so close, keeping up the act felt impossible.

"you're too stubborn for your own good, ash. an ice pack is an ice pack, whether i'm the one holding it or not", she said, hoping to keep things light. menekşe shrugged off his gratitude, even though his honeyed words and their closeness were making her face flush. she felt that familiar heat creeping up her neck. it was when she felt it prickling her cheeks that she knew she was visibly blushing. to spare herself the embarrassment, she glanced away. "don't mention it. uhh... why don't you take over and i'll get you something to drink? or a snack? like a granola bar or something small. you might have a concussion, ash... you need to take it easy."

she quickly latched onto the excuse of getting him a snack, eyes darting around. only when she was sure that he had a good grip on the ice pack did she let go. “i’ll just… be right back,” she murmured, stepping away and hoping the distance would calm her racing heart.

[springbreezc]

at least when they were fighting, bow could convince herself that lucy cared in some way. to her, fighting equated to passion, but then, after awhile, the fighting became too much, and was less about compromise and more of a sign to bow that they were both unhappy in their relationship. and it all got too tiring to try and pry lucy open. bow couldn't take down whatever demons lucy faced. and it was all a damn shame, because she had really loved the woman. loved her like she had never cared about another human being before. now it all felt like such a waste, and she felt foolish for trying, reapplying her powder with the compact in her clutch after lucy walked away. frowning at her reflection, she hated how blotchy her skin was, and attempted to cover it with another layer of makeup. the breakup had weighed on her, and she did hate what crying did to her complexion. by the time that lucy was handing her the glass, a smile was perched on her face and she murmured a word of gratitude. the rim was brought up to her mouth for a delicate sip. it tasted the same as it always had. "the wine is good, yes. there's a reason this collection is my favorite." and why she had been so tickled that lucy had remembered her favorite enough to have it served at their anniversary dinner. the quiet was more uncomfortable than them talking, so she welcomed the deflection, clicking her tongue to the top of her palette and squinting her eyes at her ex. "you are barely tolerable, but ask me again once i've consumed at least half the glass." she scoffed, eyes falling to the blank screen of the television in front of them. "and you aren't nearly as cute when you are being annoying." her gaze moved to one of the walls. "you'll have to find something to put up there." now that she had removed the decor that she had brought over to 'brighten up the place.'

bow's immediate retort only served to confirm lucy's fears; she seemed detached. again. her brows furrowed together, helplessness clear across her features. regardless of how things had transpired between them, lucy had truly loved bow. she wasn't sure she'd ever stopped. but what use would it be now to express those feelings, knowing she couldn't give bow what she needed? what she deserved? she sighed, defeated. "no one likes fighting, bow", she tried to appeal to the other. she could never pinpoint what it was about bow that left her so defenseless. she had half a mind to feel embarrassed that this was the best she could come up with in the moment... she wasn't ready. inviting bow over had been a mistake. insisting she stay, a bigger one. her head and her heart refused to work in sync, stuck in a conflict of interest that lead her here. she couldn't help but notice that, even with her icy stare and cutting remarks, she was as beautiful as ever — the most beautiful woman she'd ever met, inside and out. without meaning to, lucy found herself smiling, lightly dazed. "alright... drink, it is", she relented before sauntering off to the kitchen. lucy made quick work of grabbing them two glasses, then the bottle, and made her way back to the living room where bow sulked on what used to be their couch. she put their glasses down and poured out bow's first. "here you go", she spoke softly, serving herself next. hesitantly, she settled down on the couch next to her ex-lover. she brought her own glass to her lips and took a few small sips. she used that 'cover' to steal a few glances at bow while she was distracted, admiring her from up close for what would probably be the last time. "so... how's the wine? i'm assuming good, since it's your favorite. am i cuter now that you've had a sip? more tolerable?"

[decadentscribe]

❝YOU SHOULD CALL IT AN honor. You know, to be in the same room as me. And again, it‘s not stalking if it‘s a coincidence.❞ Luna persisted with her denial, masking her insecurities with cockiness. Her usual antics had involved keeping everything in social media; creating a fake account and messaging his potential dates something crazy to dissuade them from seeing them. Showing up here to see him was an elevated move. ❝I was just passing by. I‘m not taking you for a fool, but you are quite arrogant for assuming I‘d chase you here,❞ she scoffed.

❝I do have a life, and yes, there are definitely lots of them in my roster. They‘re just one call away.❞ She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him pointedly. ❝I could call one of them right now, but I think you‘d hate it.❞ Him being affected by this threat was just her wild guess. She wasn‘t sure if it still had an impact on him. ❝What‘s the endgame? There‘s no endgame,❞ she riposted.

"so what else am i supposed to call the woman stalking me? lurking in the dark and shit." if luna had only slid into his date's dms, curtis wouldn't have even blinked; it wasn't the first time, and if he knew her, it wouldn't be the last. but showing up in person, right as he walked out the bar? that was new. he scoffed. "oh, don't say you were just passing by 'cause you know what's really offensive, moon? taking me for a fucking fool", he punctuated the end of his sentence by taking another drag and pointedly blowing the smoke in luna's face once again.

"you're making it look like you have no life. don't you have a guy in your roster who could keep you busy and off my fucking dick?" the words barely left his mouth before he regretted them. his jaw clenched at the thought of her with someone else— something he realized bothered him as much as his dates clearly bothered her. he took a deep breath and looked away for a brief moment, trying to compose himself. "what are we doing? seriously luna... what's your endgame, here?"