Florence Thompson is the poster child for your average 'good girl'. Working at Glenn's Midnight Diner in the heart of her hometown and spending all her downtime with her best friends, she doesn't have time to get into trouble and even if she did she...
I found Rico's gaze again, to see that he looked quite confused if we're going to be completely honest. His thick brows were pulled together, his brown eyes dancing over my face as if he was waiting for me to explain more.
"Vincent and I kissed for the second time, but it felt more like the first than the first did and then he left me at the motel and told me it was for work but I saw Julia on his phone, asking him if he was coming," I finished the story, my tone light and brittle as I stared at Rico, waiting for him to laugh in my face and tell me how completely ridiculous I was. At least it would confirm my suspicions about myself.
His eyes widened slightly with realization, his gaze completely softening.
"You thought I was going to tease you about that?" He asked, his face holding an emotion that seemed something like pity but I chose to push it away. "I would never make fun of you for that, Flo."
I sighed heavily. "I just feel ridiculous," I admitted, shaking my head, gnawing on the skin inside of my lip.
"You shouldn't, Florence. It isn't your fault. He kissed you and then left to go see another woman, don't feel like that makes you ridiculous," he uttered, moving closer to me before wrapping me into a soft hug.
I sighed, releasing all the tension in my body in that moment and wrapping my arms around him, falling into the hug.
"Maybe that doesn't, but the fact that I knew what I was getting into if I wanted to have this financial relationship. I knew that he would be out with other women, and yet here I am, still heartbroken over him being with other women," I mumbled into his shirt, looking at the flyers posted against the wall in the locker room.
"It doesn't negate the fact that he literally kissed you and left, lying to you about where he was going," Rico pointed out, having a point slightly. I'll admit.
"I guess," I sighed.
We stood like that, hugging, for a few more fleeting moments before I pulled away and decided that we needed to get to work before I had my third breakdown of the day. Honestly, I can't handle another one. Especially when it comes with a side of the internal debate of whether or not I'm right for feeling this way.
Rico and I immediately got back into work, joining Ben out in the diner, helping to serve the customers. We were on the night shift so thankfully after a few hours the traffic lulled, leaving us to the silence as we cleaned and listened to the radio.
After a while of us all cleaning up in silence, Ben finally spoke up, breaking the lack of noise.
"Are you okay, Flo?" He asked, completely unprompted and honestly a little random.
I looked up at him from where I was stood with the mop, smiling softly at him.
"I'm good," I answered, and as my chest sagged in my chest, I wished I was telling the truth. I wanted nothing more than to be okay tonight.
Whatever rules this universe seemed to have it out for me though, and apparently the thought of letting me be alright was just too much to handle since I when I finally made it home sometime after one in the morning and all but threw myself onto my couch, ready to just flip on my TV and watch some good old Jane The Virgin, I was instead met with the familiar face that was the root of my current misery.
I flipped on my television and immediately it was on a media channel that often gave the low-down on the latest drama in the celebrity world. Well, at least the local celebrity-world.
I watched as they talked about a local business owner, Jackson Morales, who was spotted out with a young woman despite his marital status. I was about to switch the channel when a familiar mismatched gaze and angular, handsome face came onto the screen.
The girl's voice faded out as she spoke of Vincent, and all I could focus on was the picture that they put up in the right-hand corner of Vincent. Not only Vincent but some young blonde who was neither myself or Julia, clinging to his arm as they laughed together, walking down the sidewalk of some town.
My stomach churned, my heart immediately dropping. My mouth was dry as ever, the same burning behind my eyes that I'd been trying to push away all day was back in full force.
With much more force than needed, I held up the remote and slammed my finger down on the power button before throwing it into the chair to the right of my couch. I flopped down, groaning loudly and throwing my arm over my eyes.
Jesus Christ, will this ever end?
• • •
q: most recent book you finished??
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