Right Into Place

Twelve

"Leaving you alone is a mistake," I answered.

"That's what he did, though," she replied and I reckon we're talking about her ex.

"He's not here now, is he? Don't bloody mind the guy," I said. I don't even know who she is talking about but I do know I don't like talking about him. "Why did you want me to be here, again?"

"Figured you didn't like me and I didn't like the place. Would've been a pretty awkward hate triangle."

"Yes, but for that hate triangle to be complete, Paris should hate me. Yet, for all I know, it probably hates you."

I never really liked talking about nonsense and unfunny jokes but here I am.

"Alright, so if you don't want to go out, what are you planning to do in this grand hotel room?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Usually, I like going out in places. But, not like this." I nodded along because I don't exactly have a reply. "I want to go back to my old self."

I sniggered and she had a face that is asking why so I said, "Nothing it's just -- even given a chance, I wouldn't go back to who I used to be."

"Why?" She asked.

I smirked, "Unpleasantness."

"Which means?"

I don't believe it. She can't be that innocent, in fact, that smile is too mischievous that I think I know she knows what I'm talking about.

"Do you want a straight answer?" I asked. I usually say things direct to the point when I need to but this is a different manner.

"Kind of. Yeah?"

I chuckled quietly, "If I were my old self, we'd both be under the sheets by now."

She sat up. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Disbelief had already risen to the air between us and I knew I had to break it somehow.

"What, Cara didn't tell you?" I asked, partly laughing at her reaction. "That's new."

"Sh-She told me. I just -- I didn't think it was real."

"It's not something I like to go back to," I replied and my nose wrinkled a bit. "Haven't been entirely a good lad." I laid back, letting myself bounce a bit on her bed and I smiled at her.

She stared at me for quite a while until I asked her why.

"Just wondering," she mumbled. "If I met you a bit earlier, like your young self --"

"You would hate me," I said and smiled, "Every girl does because believe me, I don't remember every single one of them."

"No one special?"

"No one." And then I sighed, "Past is past."

"Yeah."

For the next few hours, we didn't talk. Mostly, it's just her trying to get ideas what she wants to write and well, me, sometimes looking out to the balcony she never ever glanced at.

I don't know what her ex did to her but if that made her appreciation for beauty disappear in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, then it must have been an awful break up.

Even I, who had been shut off from society knows that this place is beautiful. Just the classic vibe itself gives you a fresh historical atmosphere, you'd feel like you're in another time. That and because there are so many restaurants and bakeries below, the smell is amazing whenever the wind blows in the right direction.

I walked out from the balcony.

"Can you please put the curtains down? Thank you," she said, barely looking up from her mess of papers that, with the many writings on them, still seemed so empty for her.