[Seeing Diego lean towards her seemed to be a good sign. It meant he was listening and engaged. He wasn't having a conversation to merely reply, but trying to understand her and the background she had. A rather colorful, and sad background that left parts of her feeling broken and shattered. Time and poor coping skills helped to ease those wounds, but she was trying to unlearn a lot of those bad habits.
There was a soft chuckle from Rey, biting the inside of her cheek.]
Am I that easy to read? [She teased in return, trying to hide her nervousness and formulate the best path forward. Her baggage....fuck, that would take a long while. More than a coffee date would allow--and probably more than what her therapist would recommend.
Before she could devise that plan, Diego opened up about himself. He drew her in, being vulnerable with her when they had only known each other for a few hours.
Rey didn't press on when he paused. That look in his eyes, the way his words came to a slow halt as though he was trying to figure out a way around the sadness hanging in the air. She could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
Fuck, the single word ran through her mind. They had more in common than she thought. Either the relationship ended in a bad note (clearly, it left a scar on his heart), or he was part of the dead lover's club.
A club she never wanted to be in, and yet, here she was.
Truly, Rey should have paid more attention to the fact that Diego got kicked out of the Police Academy and "helped" in his own way. But that was the furthest from her mind. Do you feel as broken as I feel at times? The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. One hand on her knee, the other near her coffee cup.
Rey bowed her head, biting the inside of her cheek again as her hair fell in front of her face. Taking in a deep breath to steady herself, she looked up at Diego. The hand at her knee coming up to sweep back her hair.]
I can't even say he was an "ex" in the traditional sense. We were always 'on' again, and 'off' again. He was a jerk, a... [Another slow in take of breath.] A jackass. [She had to laugh at that part, recounting the many times she called Ben that.] Always grouchy, and hard to read. We were equally stubborn and were hyper independent of one another. I can say he....got me out of my shell more. Showed me I could have a future that was beyond work and staying home reading book after book.
[A future where they could actually be together if she wasn't so stubborn. So afraid to take that next step and be open with him and her feelings.
Rey paused, bringing her hand up to her face again, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.]
It sucks having abandonment issues from your parents, but to have Ben die...that really added to crappy pile.
[So, maybe their baggage mixed well? She wasn't sure. It was the first time she was able to talk about Ben outside of her therapy sessions, and not having a break down. Maybe she was getting better?
Or maybe she was saving that break down for when she was alone in her apartment with BB snuggled up next to her.]
no subject
There was a soft chuckle from Rey, biting the inside of her cheek.]
Am I that easy to read? [She teased in return, trying to hide her nervousness and formulate the best path forward. Her baggage....fuck, that would take a long while. More than a coffee date would allow--and probably more than what her therapist would recommend.
Before she could devise that plan, Diego opened up about himself. He drew her in, being vulnerable with her when they had only known each other for a few hours.
Rey didn't press on when he paused. That look in his eyes, the way his words came to a slow halt as though he was trying to figure out a way around the sadness hanging in the air. She could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
Fuck, the single word ran through her mind. They had more in common than she thought. Either the relationship ended in a bad note (clearly, it left a scar on his heart), or he was part of the dead lover's club.
A club she never wanted to be in, and yet, here she was.
Truly, Rey should have paid more attention to the fact that Diego got kicked out of the Police Academy and "helped" in his own way. But that was the furthest from her mind. Do you feel as broken as I feel at times? The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. One hand on her knee, the other near her coffee cup.
Rey bowed her head, biting the inside of her cheek again as her hair fell in front of her face. Taking in a deep breath to steady herself, she looked up at Diego. The hand at her knee coming up to sweep back her hair.]
I can't even say he was an "ex" in the traditional sense. We were always 'on' again, and 'off' again. He was a jerk, a... [Another slow in take of breath.] A jackass. [She had to laugh at that part, recounting the many times she called Ben that.] Always grouchy, and hard to read. We were equally stubborn and were hyper independent of one another. I can say he....got me out of my shell more. Showed me I could have a future that was beyond work and staying home reading book after book.
[A future where they could actually be together if she wasn't so stubborn. So afraid to take that next step and be open with him and her feelings.
Rey paused, bringing her hand up to her face again, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.]
It sucks having abandonment issues from your parents, but to have Ben die...that really added to crappy pile.
[So, maybe their baggage mixed well? She wasn't sure. It was the first time she was able to talk about Ben outside of her therapy sessions, and not having a break down. Maybe she was getting better?
Or maybe she was saving that break down for when she was alone in her apartment with BB snuggled up next to her.]