Let Me Go

Chapter Six

I sat in a booth, my hands shaking as they grasped the hot chocolate that remained warm in my hold. Every time the door opened, I lifted my head just in hope to catch her gaze. I had been waiting for 15 minutes and still, no sign of her. Was this another one of her tricks? Was she trying to play a joke on me to show that it would always be a game with us?

Another 10 minutes passed and I was beginning to lose faith. The hot chocolate was warm, but the heat was disappearing fast, as was the hope in my heart. I took a deep sigh, trying to resist the urge to call up someone in order to get something. I had plenty of people who supplied for cheap, but most of them knew someone who would rat me out to my mom. I've purposely ignored it for today just for Briar. I can't be drugged up when she sees me because that will turn her completely against me in a second. I closed my eyes as I was sure 5 minutes had just passed by just from me contemplating the drugs, I began to stand up when I heard her vulnerable voice.

"Sorry I'm late" I heard her mutter as her signature converse stood in front of me.

My eyes travelled up her well-clothed body until they fell on her eyes which met with mine in an instance. I could tell she was genuinely sorry about her lateness, and her eyes seemed red-raw which led me to believe that this meeting wasn't for our benefit, she genuinely needed someone who understood her to talk with her. And I respected that.

"I, uh, I got you a hot chocolate, though it's not really hot anymore.." I choked out, noting that this was the first time in 5 months that I had managed to hold a short conversation with her.

"You did?" She replied in shock, making me smile slightly as her eyes seemed to brighten up.

"With extra whip-cream and strawberry sauce, just how you like it" I whispered, looking back down at my hands.

She didn't say anything back as she slid into the opposite seat, a weak smile across her face which I could only guess would be because of my actions. I slid the cup over to her, watching as she took a mouthful, a pleasant smile across her face as she placed in back onto the table.

"Rough day?" I asked quietly, raising my eyebrows as she leaned back and shrugged. Of course, I have no right to know what has been going on in her life. "I uh, I need to ask a few questions"

Briar raised her eyebrows in curiosity, a smirk across her face as I turned red. I felt incredibly nervous since she had put '3 strikes and you're out', I mean, what counted as a strike anyway?

"Ask away" She muttered, taking another sip of the hot chocolate.

I licked my dry lips, taking a moment to compose myself as Briar seemed to divert her attention to the outside world. I took this chance to look over her, her brown eyes no longer held any life to them, they seemed dull and almost, pained. Her hair seemed flat, almost as if she couldn't be bothered with her appearance. But yet, her beauty still struck out like no other's.

Her eyes scanned the outside, almost fascinated in how everything continued while she sat still. Her lips would twitch every so often as if she had seen something that was remotely worth smiling at.

"Why did you give me another chance?" I finally spat out, shaking my head in disbelief in myself. Great, I sounded like a selfish brat. "I didn't mean for that to sound rude-"

"It's fine, you deserve to know" She whispered, looking down at her hands as they gripped the almost-empty hot chocolate. "I gave you a chance because I was wrong to do what I did. After all, I knew the pain you felt, I knew how much it hurt, so I was wrong to inflict it on you-"

"You wanted revenge" I cut in, shaking my head as she squeezed her eyes shut. "No one can blame you for that-"

"I can blame myself. I was such a bad person that night, and although revenge sounded great, I didn't think I'd ever do it" She sighed, finally looking back at me with a one shoulder shrug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing the very thing I despised you for. It was wrong and I am truly sorry"