"Free," Rebecca mutters to herself, as she pulls the lighter out of her pocket and lights the cigarette in between her fingers.
It's cold, but she doesn't really mind. The smoke warms her lungs as she inhales. As long as she's lived in this apartment building, the roof has always been her favorite place. Sure it was a decent place for an occasional cigarette to calm her nerves, but more importantly it was a perfect place to come to think and reflect on things – the past, Lilah, her trial, Wes. Somehow staring out over the city seemed to put everything in perspective.
She takes a drag, and hears the footsteps approaching from behind her. Her heart skips a beat.
"Hey." A voice calls out, and almost instantly, Rebecca is overcome with relief. She can hear that goofy smile in Wes' voice even before she turns around to find him standing there, hands in his jean pockets.
"You scared me."
"Sorry," he smiles. His smile always kills her inside, but in a weird, good way.
Without saying anything, Wes approaches her. He tucks a loose strand of her wavy dark hair behind her ear, and without saying anything, grabs the cigarette out from between her fingers.
"Hey..." she half-heartedly protests as he drops it on the ground and puts it out with his sneaker.
"It's a bad habit," he says. "You're better than that."
"In case you haven't heard," she fires back, "I'm acquitted. I'm free now to do whatever I want."
Wes shrugs. "I guess you're right. Who am I to stop you from inhaling like a million chemicals and getting cancer?"
His eyes are so warm and genuine when he looks at her that she almost can't take it. She knows she'll never deserve someone like him.
Instead of responding, Rebecca just turns away, looking back over the edge of the roof. She tries to seem unaffected, but they both silently acknowledge the fraction of a smile she's trying too hard to hide with indifference. She'll never say it with words, but she loves the feeling that someone truly cares about her, that she matters to someone. She never really had that feeling before him.
He stands behind her, so close that she can feel his chest gently brush against her back when he exhales. They stare out at the skyline for several minutes in silence.
"You know," Rebecca breaks the quiet because she can't help herself. "There's nothing stopping me from just lighting up another one when you leave."
"I know, Rebecca. You're completely free now. Do whatever the hell you want."
This was not at all the response she was expecting from him. She turns to stare at him, trying to hide her surprise. But then Wes gets that goofy smile again, as he gently wraps his arms around her waist.
"Just don't think I'm going anywhere so soon, okay?"
They continue to stare out at the skyscrapers in the horizon.
"Good," Rebecca whispers, leaning her head on his shoulder. She finally lets out that smile that she's tried to hide for too long.