" his best friend. "
RAINER HAS BEEN distant lately. Mostly because of work, and I can't blame him, but I also can't help myself from feeling bad. Indeed, I see him every day but it's not the same.
And so I found myself seeking comfort in his childhood best friend, Saint.
"If you think Uno is rude now, you should've seen him in high school." Saint chuckles. I notice his eyes disappear, just like Rainer's, when he chuckles and he shakes his head every time. He's sitting across from me in his condo, eating a huge sandwich from Subway, which he has nearly choked on many times while telling old middle and high school stories of him and Rainer.
My favorite was when Saint told me he rejected every single girl that tried to ask him out or confessed they had a crush on him. The thought of twelve-year-old Rainer staring back at a desperately in love girls smile fading when the words 'I'm not interested' leave his mouth makes me happy.
Saint could only glare at me when I chuckled as he told me about each girl that admitted they had a crush on his best friend. Though, I can't help but wonder what's the meaning behind that 'Uno' nickname. From what I know, it's the Spanish word for 'one' or 'first' and it definitely has a deep meaning due to his reaction when Saint brought it up.
"Hey, Saint?" I ask, bringing my head up to look at him.
He hums in response, "Lia?" His nickname for me. Well, he certainly is a man of special nicknames, no one else calls me that.
"What's the meaning behind Uno?"
"Do you mean your asshole boss or the nickname?" He jokes while chuckling, though I glare at him which makes him stop.
"The nickname, of course." I say.
"I think it's best if you ask him yourself. It's a personal thing, to be honest." Saint explains and my heart nearly drops. All of the things it could possibly be. What kind of girl would get into a BDSM contract with a man she knows nothing about? Let alone her boss.
Me, I'm that kind of girl. Aurelia fucking Emberlyn who agreed to a sex contract with her asshole of a boss that's doing this because of his desperate parents. I'm just thankful I'm not that connected to Father anymore, or else I'd be caught dead floating in the sea.
As he's busy eating away his sandwich, I'm stuck here overthinking. Is it because he's the number one asshole? Number one student or valedictorian? Number one player? My mind is full of thoughts and I decide to just focus on my own meal before I puke it all over myself and this table due to all these possibilities.
I sigh heavily, taking another huge bite of my burger. "Fine. But I swear if it's some stupid thing, I will hit you!" I threaten him jokingly before laughing and I, too, cough up my sandwich.
I'll have to admit, Saint is one hell of a guy that's nice to be around. He's the complete opposite of Rainer, just like me, and our energies radiate to each other and the people around us perfectly. While Rainer is hard, calm, and collected, we're soft, loud, and crazy.
What can I say? Opposites attract, don't they?
I'm just hoping our friendship doesn't end with a familiar line most guy friends say like 'I have to tell you something' or a moment that shouldn't, and won't, happen.
"Don't overthink, Lia." Saint smiles at me, and I can't help but laugh at the small pieces of lettuce stuck in his teeth. He looks at me with furrowed eyebrows, and my stomach is starting to hurt from laughing.
Jokes aside, I understand his point, though it's quite impossible to not overthink when it comes to information like this. I have no choice but to just ask Rainer about it when I have the time. More like when he has the time. It's true we get to see each other in the office every day, and my desk is literally in his office, though he's been more distant. So much to the point that I'm getting worried.
"How am I supposed to not when we haven't even had a proper conversation within days? Friday is approaching and I don't know how that night is going to go if we haven't talked all week." I say, Saint doesn't know a single thing about what happens on Friday nights, and I don't think I'm the one that should inform him. "It's all just so random. We were fine one minute and then the next, gone!"
Saints lips are pressed together and he's nodding quietly, listening to my endless rants and I appreciate him for that. The topic is now my best friend, Salem, and how heavy a drinker she is for some reason. Saint is comparing him and Rainer to Salem and I, and I can't help but chuckle with the difference. Salem would be more than happy to announce that she's my best friend to the whole world, whereas Rainer would do anything, even empty out his black card, to avoid a scene like that.
My lips curve up into a smile at the thought of it and he pulls me out of my thoughts by saying, "You're lucky Salem's happy to have you. Rainer is as hard as a rock! Always backs away from me when I tell people he's my best friend." He sighs along with a fake frown then laughs. It's all shits and giggles with this man.
"Besides that, he's good at scaring people off!" I chuckle as he says that. Nothing but the truth.
"Though, enough about Rainer! How about you?" I curiously ask, wanting to know more about him.
"Me? There's really nothing to know about me." Saint rubs the back of his neck, awkwardly chuckling.
I scoff along with a laugh, "That's nonsense. You've barely told me anything about you which isn't fair at all considering the fact that I've told you my whole life story." I fake roll my eyes and see his smile has turned more genuine, which makes me smile too.
"Well, my childhood wasn't exactly the best. You might think my family is all sparkles and grins with how I act, but it's quite the opposite. That's why I found comfort in Rainer's protectiveness towards me ever since elementary. And it's also why I decided to come here, to New York, and find him." Saint chuckles softly, and my smile starts to die down.
It was a bit wrong for me to assume he lived a good childhood, though I'm guessing he took his family's behavior as motivation to be a better person, rather than someone like them. And it worked, Saint is amazing, and anyone who thinks otherwise and is planning on doing harm to him is an asshole.
My vision blurs and before I know it, my eyes are starting to get coated by a layer of tears as he tells me more.
His parents favoritism towards his younger brother, Malachi. Said brother always teasing him for being the worst, when in reality, he was doing his best. Being overall neglected. Long lectures. Always blamed for his mistakes. And of course, his birthday presents.
My eyes trace over the countless scars, which I'm assuming is from a dagger of some sort, he has on his lower back.
"Saint, I.."
"Don't. I'm okay now."
"I find that hard to believe." A tear falls from my eye.
I can't even imagine what it was like for him. Seven-year-old Saint waking up on his birthday, knowing it was just another scar on the day that is supposed to be celebrated. A day that is supposed to be cakes and balloons, not daggers and blood.
And screams of joy when your parents have a surprise party, not screams of pain when they hit you numerous times.
"I always thought something was wrong with me." Nothing is, I wish I could tell nine-year-old Saint. "Malachi's birthdays were always themed his current interest, they always got him twenty presents, and they tucked him in at night with thousands of kisses and bedtime stories."
"I wonder why I never got that. Was I not good enough? Did I do something wrong as an older brother? Or was my whole existence just a huge disappointment to them?" Saint sighs, and I notice he's on the verge of tears too.
"It's okay, Saint. What's important is that you're here now! And you're okay and safe." I say, leaning closer to him and wiping his tears away with my thumb as my palm rests on his cheek. "You're far from them. Now let's change the topic." I give him a smile which he returns, and my mind wanders for a second to make up a new topic to stir away from this conversation.
It's evidently hurting Saint and I hate that it is.
"What do you think about Gilmore Girls?" I try to brighten up the mood with the only topic I know that seems to change every conversation, well, with Salem, at least.
He chuckles and we start talking about our favorite things about each character and the seasons. I learn that he actually thinks Dean was a good boyfriend, though that's only because he hasn't finished the series. I just know if I introduce this man to my devil of a best friend, he's dead.
"Dean is out of the picture! He's just not it." I respond to his argument that's trying to justify all of Dean's actions. We've spent the last five minutes arguing over this, and each time Saint laughs whenever he has the upper hand, I feel glad that I'm the reason behind his smile.
"No, but you have to understand him too!" He argues, and at this point I have no choice but to give in and let him win. I sigh and bring both hands up to the sides of my head as a way to tell him I'm done, and he smiles in victory. I don't mind, I'll leave it up to Salem to destroy him and his poor mind.
Saint is a good friend. Much too good, to the point that I'm scared of doing something I can't.
He'll stay as a friend and only that. I'd beat myself up if I even thought for a second that he should become something more.
And I'm sure Rainer would too.
"I'm only letting you win cause I know someone else that can battle you better." I chuckle, starting to get my stuff together and fixing the plates I had used. I get a glance at Saint for a second, who looks absolutely betrayed and I have a feeling it's because of what I just said.
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite. Unless you want him to."
"He what?" Saint shrieks, mouth agape.
"I'm just joking, she's nice!"
Relief washes over his shocked expression and I can't help but laugh. The same laugh that I've been doing for the past two hours while talking to him.
I seeked comfort in Saint while Rainer was gone, and I got it. Now, I don't know how I'm going to go back. It's not something I should be debating myself about, because I have no choice, but for some reason it's different with him.
It's just comfort. I just need a friend. He's just a friend.
I signed a contract a week ago and it led me to this. There's no one else to blame besides myself, and now I have to deal with it and get rid of the feelings I shouldn't be experiencing.
My train of thoughts are cut off by my familiar ringtone of my favorite Ellie Goulding song's chorus and I look at Saint in embarrassment. My cheeks heat and I'm at a loss for words but thankfully, he only chuckles and lets me answer the phone call. It's only when I hear the voice on the other side that I realize who is calling me.
"Aura? Let's talk." My sister says.
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I apologize for any typos/grammar mistakes 😩 I wrote half of this half-asleep on a very bumpy car ride.
My goal for this chapter was kind of like a get-to-know Saint kinda vibe lol, so I hope you guys liked it :)
I can't wait for you guys' reaction to what I have for Aurelia and Saint heh.