Her eyes fell across him, traveling abroad every detail his face carried, every detail she'd memorized as they walked towards each other.
All the way from his sterling eyes, the dark penetrating irises, to the tick layers of inky lashes trapping it all in.
His skin was still as ashen as it always had been. His nose was straight, pointy. His jaws were sharp, gritted. Two strands of stray hair fell from his hairline. The rest was tied up in a sloppy bun.
He never cut his hair.
She told him not to, and he didn't.
His chest was firmly hugged by the black suit he was wearing, his shoulders tensed, strained.
He didn't even blink. He couldn't spare a second where he didn't look at her. He didn't breathe. He didn't know how to anymore. It looked to her as if he was holding his breath.
Someone was calling for him from the stage. He didn't care. He shut it out. He couldn't hear it. Didn't want to hear it.
Draco kept walking towards her. People moved out of his way. Navy stopped. She didn't move. Didn't know how to.
Because there he was, marching towards her.
All eyes in that ballroom slaved after him, staring as he made his way to her.
Draco stopped too, inches away from her. People backed up, holding in half a circle around them, quiet. It was so quiet. Even the orchestra had hushed. Not a sound mirrored in that mansion. His mansion.
He was there.
She couldn't think.
Draco swallowed hard, his lips parting to speak, but he didn't know how to.
Two and a half years.
It had been exactly two and a half years since he last saw her.
After Draco left her, his family fled overseas, and they didn't look back. He couldn't look back. He'd run directly to her if he did. He couldn't afford it. He couldn't risk her. He didn't want to risk her. He had made a promise to protect her.
That she'd be safe.
Navy blinked. Her lashes battled the threatening tears. She wanted to cry, but not a drop fell from her broad eyes.
Towering her, he stared down at the girl he'd lost. The girl he once loved. The girl he promised the world to. The girl he left behind.
A silent gasp fled her numb lips as she saw how Draco was slowly, unconsciously reaching a hand towards her. It felt like he needed to touch her, to make sure she was real, that this wasn't a wicked joke, a nightmare.
''There you are—''
He withdrew, quicker than lightning. Draco stepped back, his eyes snapping to the hand slithering around her waist.
Asher.
''I was looking all over for you,'' Asher mumbled close to her ear, two glasses of champagne in his other hand, ''And I couldn't— Malfoy?''
Asher looked up at the blond that had his eyes glued on the fingers gripping Navy by the waist, ''You good there, mate?''
Draco swallowed, so hard that it pained his throat, still with his sight bored at his touch on her waist, ''Dalton,'' He greeted, so coldly that it shook Navy before his eyes finally found Asher's, ''This is the girl?''
Navy stared down at the floor, wishing for it to swallow her whole. Her skin drained of all its color. Her knees weakening.
''Yeah,'' Asher said proudly. His hand tightened around her waist, digging into the silky material, ''I was going to introduce you, later on, didn't want to ruin the big day.''
''The big day?'' Navy's head snapped, looking up at her boyfriend with a puzzled cloak.
Draco's jaws locked in anger, his insides burning from hearing her voice again. He hadn't heard it in so long, ''Don't—'' He tried to warn but to no use.
''Yeah,'' Asher placed a kiss on her forehead, ''Malfoy is getting engaged today.''
She shut her eyes. Pain scored through her so wildly that she felt nauseous.
''And I was going to tell him about us—''
''What?'' Draco fired, callously, ''About what?''
Asher let go of her waist, still having his arm around her as he reached for her hand, snatching it even if she tried to yank it back, and he held it up for Malfoy to see.
The ring. Draco wanted to rip Asher's insides out.
''We had our big day yesterday, but I didn't want to ruin yours—''
''You're engaged?'' Draco spat, gritting his jaws not to lose it completely.
Navy didn't dare to speak. She didn't dare to look at him, even if she felt his stare burning into her skin.
''We are...'' Asher gazed to behind Malfoy, where his father stood with arms crossed, looking more than furious on the stage, ''But you won't be if you don't get yourself up there....''
Draco didn't speak a word to her, but he didn't stop looking at her. Clearing his throat, he backed away, ''Enjoy your night then.'' He said lowly before he turned around, marching his way back to the stage.
Asher looked down at her, frowning, ''What's wrong—''
''I need to—'' Navy shook her head, pushing herself back from him, ''Can you find Pansy? Ask her to meet me in the bathroom? I feel sick—''
''Of course, but Navy—'' Asher couldn't complete his sentence before she had vanished into the sea of people around them.
She ran through the corridors, panting. Her hands shook around every doorknob she yanked at, trying to find the bathroom. She couldn't remember what door led into it. She couldn't even remember going through these halls. She was so lost. Panicking.
Stopping at the twentieth door she tried, her eyes snapped to the stairs leading up to his room. That she remembered. The bathroom connected to his old room.
Rushing her way up, she slammed his bedroom door shut behind her. She didn't stop until she repeated the action with his bathroom door.
She didn't want to be in his room. She didn't want to see it. Not wishing to relive all the memories from the night that started all of this, she flipped the lights on, leaning her spine against the wood.
Her chest was heaving as she grasped at her own throat, clawing her fingers down the tender skin. She couldn't breathe.
Bolting forwards, her palms struck the sink, peering up at her own reflection. Her eyes pooled in haunting pearls, but not a drop fell. She couldn't cry. Trying to blink didn't help. The tears didn't roll.
''Darling—''
Navy flung around. Her lips parted, an empty sob cleared her throat as Pansy's arms wrapped around her, catching her right before her legs caved from underneath her.
''I'm so sorry....'' Pansy whispered into her head, holding her up, ''If I would've known that this was the gathering, I would've stopped it. I wouldn't have let you come, Naves....''
''I'm—'' Navy's whole body shook, the shock of seeing Draco after two and a half years finally rubbed off, and she was left in pieces. Her words were unutterable. She didn't even know what to make of it, ''He's—''
''I know,'' Pansy pressed her lips against her ear, ''I know he is, and he's a fucking idiot. We don't need him. You don't need him, Naves. You have us. Me, Asher, Will, Blaise. You don't need him.''
She nodded, her breaths shaking, ''I want to go home. I don't—''
Navy flinched as the door was slammed open.
His frame took up the entire doorway, staring right at her. She'd forgotten just how tall he was.
''Pansy,'' Draco growled, cocking his head, ''Get out.''
The brunette scowled, clenching her teeth as she spat through them, ''Hello to you too, Malfoy. Kind of you to warn us that you're getting fucking married. I guess congratulations are in order.''
Draco hissed at that, rolling his tongue across the inside of his cheek, ''Still, a fucking brat, I see, now, get the fuck out.''
Pansy let go of Navy, standing between the two and blocking Draco's every chance of seeing her, ''If you think I'm leaving you alone with her, you're out of your damn mind. You don't get to speak to her after what you did.'' Her words were harsh, her tone threatening, ''Why don't you move out of the fucking way so we can't leave.''
''She's not going anywhere.''
''The hell she is.'' Pansy bored her stare at him, balling her fists at her sides as Navy shut her eyes behind the furious girl, ''What don't you understand? Did all that partying across Europe get to your head? I'm not—''
Before he had the patience to let Pansy finish her sentence, Draco reached forward, settling his hands across her body and lifting her outside the door, slamming it shut and locking her out of the bathroom.
''You bloody bastard!'' Pansy yelled out, her fists collided violently with the wood, ''You know what? I'm getting Asher.''
Navy's head shot up, staring blankly at the blond. His eyes burned through her.
Taking quick steps up to the door, she tried to pass him, but he blocked the way, ''Not so fucking fast.'' His hand reached out towards her again as she yanked back, avoiding it at all cost.
''Don't touch me.'' She whispered, backing up to the sink again as she figured he wouldn't let her out.
''So she speaks.'' Draco scoffed, leaning his spine against the door. He crossed his arms, ''Almost had me thinking you lost that ability along with your damn sanity, White. What the hell are you playing at?''
''Me?'' She gritted her teeth, ''What am I playing at? What are you—''
''I'm not the one showing up at your fucking house—'' He stopped, coming to the realization of what had happened a few days prior, ''That was you?''
Navy scowled, dragging her brows together and folding her own arms across her chest, ''What was me?''
''In Dalton's apartment? The girl he fucked. That was you?''
''I don't know what you're—''
His words were burning, so much spite crowded the room as he arched his back off the door, taking dangerous steps up to her. Her spine crashed against the sink, spacing herself from him, but he didn't falter. Draco placed both of his hands onto the sink, his arms trapping her in.
''I heard the fucking moans, White. Don't you dare lie to me right now.'' His note turned lower, ''That was you? He fucked you when I was there?''
Shaking her head, she still tried to distance herself, ''I don't know what you're talking about.''
Draco chuckled out darkly, his head falling to between his shoulders. His hair brushed against her chest, ''I'm so fucking stupid. Of course, that was you. Should've known at the way he was bragging about it afterwards.''
Navy scoffed, pushing her hands against his shoulders to make him step back, ''He wouldn't—''
Draco didn't budge. Instead, he looked at her again, ''Oh, he did. I've fucked you, darling. Plenty of times. I know exactly how much there's to brag about afterwards. You're one of a kind, White.''
Anger flashed inside her, making her push him back harder, ''You're sick. You're fucking sick, Malfoy.''
''Malfoy?'' Draco bit down his lower lip as he stepped back, giving her the space she wished for, ''So we're back to that, yeah?''
''We're back to nothing.'' She stated, her fingers shaking against her palms, ''So if you'll excuse me, I'll—''
She tried to reach the door again, but his arm stretched out, stopping her completely, ''You don't get to walk out on me.''
''You did,'' She snapped, holding inches away as she looked up at him, ''You walked out on me. So let me return the favor.''
''It's—'' Draco swallowed, huffing out a weak breath, ''It wasn't like that. I didn't have a choice—''
''Bet you didn't.'' Navy stood her ground, the red dress still smeared to her body, ''And honestly, I don't care. So if that's all—''
''Don't you dare give me that fucking attitude,'' Not finding any pleasure in how she showed him no mercy. He was in the wrong, he knew he was, and it simply made it harder for him, ''You didn't seem to waste a bloody second when I was away. Engaged? To fucking Asher Dalton? I don't understand—''
Navy's lips fell apart, her face shone in betrayal, ''I waited for over a year.'' She said, lowly, their eyes still locked in each other, ''I don't owe you an explanation to anything. You left, and I moved on.''
His hard gaze quickly softened. His shoulders slightly sunk, ''I asked you to wait.''
Navy threw her arms out, giving him a grimace, ''Wait for what? Wait for you to come back engaged? Wait for the invitation to your wedding? Excuse me for passing on that—''
''For me.'' He said, his tone calmer, ''I asked you to wait for me.''
She did. Oh, how she waited.
Not a day the first one and a half year after he'd left passed where she didn't wait, where she didn't hope that he'd come back for her. She spent month after month locked up in her childhood room, traveling back and forth between her parent's home and the safe house he'd taken her to, wishing that he'd be there.
He never was.
He didn't come back for her.
Navy felt so much ache as it ripped through her whole body. Her insides screamed in pain as she looked away. Feeling terrible for what she meant to do. But she didn't see a way out of this tense situation except this.
''Wait for you?'' She rose a brow, ''For what? For us to sleep together? For us to fuck? For us to pretend we were something more? For us to pretend that we were more than two people using each other for sex? Because that was all we were, Draco. We fucked, and then you fucked me over. So I don't know what the hell you want from me.''
His face fell. His eyes strained in pain. She hated herself for doing this.
''I'm happy now. You look happy with your fiancé, so why don't we just leave it at that. I found someone who would never hurt me. I found something real, someone, real. Not someone who used me for my body—''
''Don't you fucking say that,'' He cut her off with a growl, spitting his words at her, ''You're mine. You're fucking mine—''
''Was.'' She corrected him. Navy tried too hard to stay solid, not letting him ruin her again. But by the look of it, she was the one ruining him now, ''I was yours, and you gave me up. You promised me that you'd stay, and you left. You don't get to call me yours anymore. I'm not yours, and after everything you put me through — I'm starting to wonder if I even was yours to begin with.''
Draco's chest began to heave, rising and falling heavily, ''You don't mean that.''
Navy stayed hushed, and it caused his sight to flicker, landing on the silver on her neck as the tension thickened even more around them. The room was filled with everything.
''You're still wearing it.'' He sounded shocked, running a hand across his hair, gripping the bun in the back of it, ''You're with him, and you're still wearing it.''
Still not speaking, she floored her gaze, refusing to give into him.
''White—''
''Navy—'' Asher yelled, knocking on the door, ''Are you okay?''
''She's not okay,'' Pansy spoke, ''She just locked herself in there—''
Navy's eyes widened, her breathing ragged as every scenario this could end up in rushed through her head, ''Just go, Malfoy.'' She said, feeling the panic of Asher catching them together, ''Go, get married, live your life, and I'll live mine.''
He shut his eyes closed for a second, rolling his neck, before he took steps up to her, stopping only inches away, ''So that's how it is, yeah? You just—'' He breathed, holding back from touching her. He just wanted to touch her, so conflicted within his right mind. ''So that's just it?''
Navy felt the pain. The longing for him as she strived against it, ''You chose this.''
He held a look so filled with treachery as he nodded, bringing his wand out to make himself disappear, ''Fine.'' He snapped, coldly as the pounding on the door increased, ''Live your God damn life in denial. I refuse to feel bad about that. I couldn't fucking care less.''
And then, just as she meant to speak against him, he twitched his wrist. He was gone.
Draco Malfoy was gone again, and Navy slammed her hand over her lips, bursting out in tears.
—