To The Moon and Back

𝟐𝟖 | 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧

I don't answer her question. I think I'm just happy to see her for the first time in weeks. "Hey, love." I say and she smiles softly, my words acting as a delicate kiss as her entire body relaxes and she sighs. 

We stare at each other for a moment—maybe a few minutes, maybe ten, I don't know really but what I do know is that the entire concept of time collapses around us. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, even. It all becomes meaningless. And I find myself realizing how much I have missed her. I didn't know I was capable of missing someone, let alone like this.

"Are you okay?" she asks, looking terribly concerned as she takes in my busted lip, bruised jaw, and all-over tired appearance. I glance over my shoulder to make sure no impatient customers are waiting behind me, not that I would move anyway. When my eyes find hers again, I shrug. I'm not doing well, but I can't really discuss that in a restaurant that smells of oil and sweat. When I don't answer, she nods, seeming to understand. "Um, takeaway, is it?"

I nod. "Yeah."

She averts her gaze to my hands which rest on the edge of the counter, supporting my weight as I lean forward, then she follows the trail right up my exposed arms until they stop at the edge of my sleeves just above my elbows.

"I—uh," she murmurs, tearing her eyes away from my arms and moves them up to meet mine. "What would you like?"

The corners of my lips twitch. "You." I pull my bottom lip between my teeth to prevent a smile and she rolls her big brown eyes, but then I say, "I miss you." and her entire expression changes.

She exhales and her entire body sighs along with it. "I clock off in fifteen. Wait for me?"

I nod and she smiles before taking my order. I don't order much. I'm far beyond feeling actually hungry. I am starved of her touch, though. Not just her touch but her presence, the sound of her voice, the smell of her sweet sugary perfume, the way her eyes lighten when they see me. All of it.

It almost takes me five minutes just to spit my order out because she keeps looking at me so intensely and I just can't manage to speak when she looks so fucking pretty.

I think back to the last time I saw her and how she sat on my lap. How I kissed her so soft and slow. How she touched my skin. The shared glances, the longing stares, the obsessive need to close every ounce of space between us.

But then I also remember that she's dating someone and even if I want nothing but to lift her onto the counter right now and kiss her in front of everyone, I won't because I can see her girlfriend sweeping at the end of the diner, and though I don't like her and I would love nothing more than to rub it in her face that her girl wants me, I know it will piss Rory off.

Ophelia stops cleaning for a moment and blows out a breath, sweeping the blonde hair out of her eyes, then she looks over to me and then to Rory who is looking at me, and then she breaks her gaze, looking down at the ground.

Adjacent Ophelia, I notice a familiar group of people occupying the booth I always sit at. Solar, Rion, and Pandora. I inwardly groan as Rory says something along the lines of I'll be back in a moment with your food, or I'm not sure, but I sense her leave as the warmth drains from the room.

Pandora has her back to me, so does Rion, but I can see Solar perfectly considering he's the only one facing me. Solar has a friendly face—soft brown eyes, like a puppy. A button nose and soft features. His head of curls somehow adds to the innocent façade. And I say façade because he is fucking cruel.

I grind my teeth, clenching my jaw as my fingers dig into the hard, indestructible surface of the counter. 

I had just calmed down after the incident by calling with Rory and just the mere sight of his face drives me to insanity. I feel pure unbridled hatred rooting itself in my chest, burning as it grows all the way up my torso and down both of my arms, giving my fists the strength that they need to absolutely fucking destroy him.