stolen smile - a mason mount story

n i n e

The shock hit and the facade came tumbling down. She stared at him, tears streaming down her face. Florence slowly backed away from the spot she was stood in and rushed away from the room, finding herself in the garden, knees at her chest with her back to the trunk of the tree. The sob she had been holding back in escaped. She rested her chin atop her knees for extra comfort. The air was cold and she felt the hair rise on her skin, vision blurry from the tears that didn't stop coming.

"Are you okay, Floss?" She looked up. It was Declan. "Jack told me you rushed past him in tears and that I would probably be better than him to deal with this situation."

He sat down next to her, pulling her into his side as tears still streamed down her face.

"I can't handle it, it's torture."

"What is love if not self inflicted pain?"

She let out a laugh at his words. "I think I want to quit, Dec. I've loved the past year, working with you has been amazing. You've given me so many great opportunities but I need my space away from all of this."

Dec looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. The pair sat in silence, neither of them saying a word. He just wanted her to be alone with her thoughts and allow her to speak when she was ready to. "I don't love him, I think. I hate him."

Declan nodded but didn't say a word. "I just...it's hurting me. I can't pretend to just be okay with it. It's a constant back and forth. This, this is my breaking point." The girl continued. "He doesn't get to say that about me. He doesn't get to look down on me. I support him and defend him with all my might. God knows I've tried!"

"You have every right to be mad. I am too but please don't quit because my dickhead of a best friend can't see what he has right in front of him. You never have to see him again."

Silence. She didn't know how to respond rationally. Maybe, she would kick herself in the future for doing this. Her dad always told her "Regret comes in the end not at the beginning." Declan turned to face her, his eyes pleading.

"Nah, Florence. You've gotta stay, man!"

"I have to, Dec! I should've never even started seeing him. I knew better than to mix work with pleasure. I'll talk to Camille in the morning, make sure she assigns the best person she can to you. Someone who'll still laugh at your jokes. Do me a favour, please, Dec."

He nodded, not saying a word.

"Give Sasha and Jack a hug goodbye for me." She pushed herself up from the ground. "Thanks for everything, Declan! Come see me whenever!"

"Sounds like a deal, Floss."

Florence had reached the end of the driveway, footsteps running behind her caught her attention. "Where the fuck do you think you're going without saying goodbye to me?"

"Sasha, I just needed to leave discreetly! I didn't want to see him."

"Okay but that's irrelevant, you don't get to pack up your life and not tell me. You're being stupid. Come back here and talk to me instead of running away!"

"Sash, you're being unfair."

"No, Florence, you're being selfish. I actually can't with you. Why are you quitting your job because some tosser said he didn't think you were good enough? Can't you see your own worth? Bitch, you are worth a thousand of him."

Florence kept her gaze fixed on the ground. She stayed still as Sasha approached her. The older girl engulfed her into a hug as she continued to sob. Sasha shushing her and reassuring her that it'd be okay.