The Heart Wants What It Wants

♡ CHAPTER NINE ♡

❝ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡʜᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ
ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ɪs ᴀ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ɪɴsᴀɴɪᴛʏ ❞

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🇬 🇦 🇧 🇷 🇮 🇪 🇱 🇱 🇦 :

Perhaps the universe wants me to have a nervous breakdown. Because, not only did my day start shitty with the very bane of my existence ruining my art project and making me get an immediate F in the class, but when lunch rolled around, I'd gone to search for shelters near me only for me to trip and bust my lip on the tiled floor and crack my phone to the point of it being an utter dut.

The rest of the day, however, seemed to run smoothly, until I'd gotten home to… you guessed it, an eviction notice. And to top it all off, my car, that worked yesterday, suddenly decided to die when I needed it most.

So, now, I walk down Ventura Blvd. with three roller suitcases, one regular one, and my sling bag and book bag on my person. I probably look like a total nutcase, because, on this very busy street, people can't help but stare in my direction.

I'd tried asking around for some directions, but no one stopped to help. I'm starting to think it's my busted lip scaring people away. They don't want to stop to help, but they don't mind staring either. Weird.

My hearing zeros in on a surprisingly familiar sound. A car engine. More specifically, Hunter's. Why I know the sound of his engine is beyond me. My mood dips when his car starts rolling slowly beside me. The sound of the window rolling down is heard, and his outline stares at me in my periphery.

"Need a lift?"

"No, thanks." I say blankly, picking up speed. My ankle had healed up, mostly. Me trying to run away from him is definitely going to fuck it up further. I ignore the surge of pain that shoots through my foot when I step too hard against the tar sidewalk.

I've been through worse. A sprained ankle is mere child's play.

"You sure?" He's persistent, I've got to give him that.

"I wouldn't have said no if I wasn't." A sudden crackle sounds above us. My heart sinks when a droplet falls onto my cheek.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" The words come as some form of a growl, as I stop and drop the suitcases onto the sidewalk.

Raindrops splatter onto it like paint droplets. If I wasn't mad at the world right now, I would watch it wet the ground and turn the light grey of the sidewalk into a stunning deep grey.

Maybe if I stand here long enough, the rain will wash away all the bad of today.

The echo of a door opening rings in my ears over the calming sound of water pounding against tar. Suddenly, I'm being dragged out of the falling chaos and into a warm, dry car seat. A towel is placed on my lap, and I find myself absent-mindedly drying myself.

"Any specific destination?"

My mind wanders back to the ruined painting of Kaz, and memories flood me like a tidal wave. To the time when it had suddenly started raining cats and dogs in Manhattan. We'd been sitting on his rooftop, watching the sunset. The ends of my lips tug up unconsciously, because that was the first time we'd kissed. In the rain.

"Rain brings new beginnings." He'd said, with that dreamy smile of his. "Maybe, this can be our new beginning."

"If you need a place to stay, there's over enough at my place." I blink rapidly, to get the blurriness out of my eyes. Disappointment settles on my chest when I realise I'm in the present, and not in the place I wish I was. With the person I wish I could be with right now.

He'd hug me, and tell me everything would be alright.

He'd hug me, and never let go again.

I flinch against a hand that's placed on my shoulder. I look up at pretty boy, into those dangerously beautiful grey eyes that remind me of Kaz with a sombre expression when he pulls his hand back as fast as light.

I want to deny his offer, but I know for one; he's persistent, and two; the mansion he lives in probably has really comfortable beds. More comfortable than a shelter mattress.

"Yeah, sure." I finally say, which makes him smile. A dimple forming in one cheek.

Even though I want to hate him, he might not be so bad, after all.