First of all I just wanted to say, holy moly you guys! Where did all of these reviews come from?! I didn't know that last chapter would get so much reception! Oh my gosh, I read through every review with a huge smile on my face, and I'm very happy I'm drawing these emotions from you all *heheh*
Chapter 11
A Rift of Some Sort
'Dont plan on doing anything tomorrow night ok?'
The text flashed up on her screen by the time she got to the library, and it took her a moment to respond.
'Just tell me when'
When she left Prompto's place, she felt like she got ran over by a truck. Majoring in mental exhaustion, Evie couldn't help but look back on her previous actions. Could she have made it more obvious that she was uncomfortable? Not to mention she blatantly lied to him while keeping a straight face. She could still see his hurt expression, but he masked it with his smile she became all-too familiar with. She felt like shit.
Evie knew she couldn't avoid him forever, so she figured that she would be carrying huge red flags if she declined one of Prompto's last minute outings. But what would they be doing tomorrow? She wasn't in the mood to go to the chocobo post at the brink of winter if that was the case.
Regardless, she already sent her response so all she had to do was wait until tomorrow to see what in the world her boyfriend was planning. And so, the rest of her day went as followed: study at the library and meet up with Lyra and Iris for dinner at the cafeteria.
Lyra flagged down Iris with a wave of her hand when the young girl started wandering through the dining hall to find a table to sit at. Almost all of the tables had been claimed with stacks of textbooks, study guides, and laptops of students cramming for the upcoming week of fate. Luckily Lyra snagged a booth just before the dinner rush hit.
"Oh hey!" Iris' voice had kept its natural chirp, though she looked like she just rolled out of bed with her shirt and U of I sweatpants. Lyra moved her stuff and shoved it against the wall so Iris could sit down. From what Evie heard, Lyra had claimed Iris as her designated freshman and the two would occasionally meet up whenever they were free. She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy for the newly formed friendship, but it made sense since Evie found herself hanging out with Prompto and the guys for the most part. "Helloooo, earth to Evie!" Iris waved her hand in front of the girl's face.
Evie blinked out of her daydream. "Oh, sorry."
"Studying that bad, huh?" The younger girl inquired with a sympathetic gaze.
"Guy trouble actually." Lyra commented innocently, which Evie shot her a look.
Iris had already shoveled in a forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth, so she just widened her eyes and leaned forward. She swallowed. "You and Prompto are fighting? I can't believe it! You guys always look so happy!"
"Not fighting," Evie corrected with a roll of her eyes. She didn't let on any more than she wanted and just continued eating her meal while Lyra took the conversation to different topics. Throughout all of dinner she hadn't received a text or a picture of a pun from Prompto. Right. What was I expecting?
The next day couldn't have arrived any slower. Evie slept for most of the morning, which was baffling even for her, and proceeded to continue her hermit lifestyle as finals approached day by day.
Prompto had asked her to meet him at the campus' main entrance, and sure enough when it was time to rendezvous, she found him leaning against the small clock tower, phone in hand. He looked tired, but it didn't stop him from smiling when he spotted her walking up to him. He had his camera laced around his neck, and he wore a hat and gloves to shield them from the bitter winter wind. Evie was smart enough to wear a scarf, earmuffs, and gloves this time.
"Another impromptu photoshoot?" She offered, getting a chuckle from the blonde.
"Yep! C'mon, it's getting dark fast." He said and skipped on ahead through the gates. It was already 5 and the sun was making its way to dipping into the horizon.
He still didn't tell her where he was taking her, but when he hailed a taxi cab, she knew that it wasn't going to be at a café.
Evie picked nervously at the hem of her gloves during the quiet drive to their mystery destination. "So where are we going?" She asked the boy.
"It's a surprise," he sang, and the alarmingly cheeriness in his tone was like a huge blaring sign that said: Evie, you goofed up.
She stared at him, brows furrowed. "Is it chocobo related?"
Instead of answering, he leaned over to the driver's seat. "This is our stop." He said. The driver nodded and pulled over to a bustling sidewalk, and Evie slid out of the car, waiting for Prompto to hand the taxi driver the required gil. He exited the car and pointed to a set of revolving doors at the base of a skyscraper that had glass covering all sides of it. It glistened under the growing city lights as night approached.
They walked up to the doors and Prompto exclaimed, "One, two, three!" Without giving Evie a moment's notice, he pushed both of them into one of the small pockets in the revolving door and she squeaked in surprise. He laughed at how squished they were before they bounded out of the door. "I always wonder if the doors would lock when you're halfway through the door."
"I'd freak out." She said, tugging her earmuffs down so they hung around her neck. "And then I'd blame you."
"Blame me?!" He pulled a face. Well it was good to know that her awkward actions in the past didn't deter them from poking fun at each other. "Once again, you have offended me greatly." He said, still holding his pout but this time putting his hands on his hips.
Evie looked around the rather grandiose lobby. The granite floors were glistening, and it seemed to reflect light off the magnificent chandelier that hung from the vaulted ceilings. There was a reception desk but with no receptionist. It appeared that everyone was getting off of work since people in nice dress pants and suits were exiting elevators and pouring out onto the sidewalk. They stuck out like sore thumbs with their jeans and heavy winter jackets, but Prompto didn't seem to mind.
"So you want to have a photoshoot in a random business firm?" She asked, looking around. "Who runs this building anyways?"
"It's the headquarters of some health insurance company," he said with memorized ease as he dug through his pocket to find something, "it also has a few financial institutions―ah! Found it!" He took out a card, but Evie didn't have time to inspect it as he was pointing to the elevators. "C'mon, this way!"
Evie followed after him, afraid of potentially getting separated in the streams of people. They snagged the nearest available elevator and Prompto pressed the 60th floor button. "Prompto, just what are you planning?" She asked just as the elevators dinged close.
"I'm not tellin'," he wiggled his eyebrows.
Evie leaned back against the wall and watched as the numbers on the display monitor increase. By the time they passed the 12th floor, the quietness between them was starting to get to her. Prompto hummed to himself and shifted his weight from one foot to the other before finally straightening up and brushing his arm against hers. Whether it was accidental or on purpose, Evie shifted uneasily regardless. The elevator didn't stop for any floor, so she guess the building for the most part had been cleared out. Her heart started to thrum as she watched the numbers keep on crawling.
By the time they got to their floor, Evie mentally let out a sigh of relief when the doors slid open. They stepped into another lobby, albeit smaller than the main one, and half of the lights had been switched off. A security officer looked like he was finishing his rounds by the time the two stepped foot onto the 60th floor, and he gave them a questioning look. Prompto flashed the guard the card he had been digging for and the man glanced at the pass and then at the blonde, momentarily regarding Evie. "We're just going to be on the balcony for an hour or two." Prompto explained.
The guard shot them a confused look. "Do you know how cold it is out there?" He shook his head. "I don't know what you college kids are thinking, but go ahead, freeze yourself out there. Door to the balcony is down the hall." He said, pointing them in the right direction.
The two thanked the guard and quickly scurried down the eerily empty hall filled with walled off office spaces and cubicles. As they walked, Evie could see the cityscape of Insomnia through the glass. Gosh, it looked so beautiful out there. "Photo shoot on the balcony? Really?" She said after processing what the security guard said.
He nodded with a grin. "But wait til you see it, Eve!" They reached the door and Prompto gave a light push on the door. Cold air barrelled inside and she was quick to put her earmuffs back on as they stepped outside.
The balcony was rather large. It had a small patch of grass and various flora with a few benches and picnic tables scattered around. The balcony was fenced in with tall walls of glass, but it did little to ward off the wind that went howling past the skyscrapers. Luckily there was a heat lamp near the tables that was still running. It also provided a generous amount of light.
Evie stuffed her gloved hands in her pockets as she approached the glass fence. Down below she could see lights from the lamp posts, headlights of cars, and digital billboards over the tangled line of streets. "Wow." She breathed.
Click! Click!
The all-too familiar shutter from the camera sounded from the left of her. She knew better than to protest, but she wouldn't get used to the feeling of him sneakily taking pictures of her. "Is this for an assignment?" She asked, glancing over at him as he flipped through the preview screen on his camera.
He shook his head. "Nope. I just," he shrugged and said slowly, "wanted to spend time with you. Besides, we haven't seen the skyline together yet so why not now?" He backed away from her slightly as he peered through the lense. "Hey, could you tilt your head this way and put your hand on the glass?"
"Are you photo directing me? What about your love for candids?" She teased.
Prompto in return poked her in the sides, making her jump. "I have a love for photography. Okay, but can you please do this for me?" He wheedled.
"Fine," she drawled out, doing her best to follow his instructions.
He chewed his lip in thought, studying Evie. His eyes glimmered when an idea struck him and he said in a gentle voice, "Could you lean against the glass and put your hands in your pocket? Oh―could you take off your earmuffs for juuust a sec?"
"My ears are gonna freeze off!"
"Just for a little bit!" He insisted with a smile.
"Alright Mr. Photographer." She conceded and took off her sole ear protection and placed it on a nearby table before skipping over to her original spot.
"Okay, look up for me―perfect! Tilt your head a bit...a little higher...okay!"
The camera shutter went off in a series of trills as it mixed in with the sound of the bustling city down below. She couldn't see it, but she could hear the revs from the engines of cars as it bounced up the walls of the buildings and into the sky. She always loved the sound of the city life, not to mention seeing the views of the glistening city, which made Evie wonder: how did Prompto find this balcony? And how in the world did he get access to it?
Her thoughts were tossed out the window just like her hair when a gust of wind swept it up. She gasped and quickly tucked a section of her hair behind her ear as Prompto's camera went off a few more times.
"Oh man! That was perfect timing!" He exclaimed with a toothy grin plastered on his face. "Here." He walked over to her and showed the shots he captured on the preview screen.
Evie will never understand the magical eye of a photographer. He captured it perfectly. She had her face cast downwards to the side with her eyes closed as she tucked in her hair. The light coming off the heat lamp and the fleeting sunset cast a blanket of warm oranges and yellows to stream through the image. That was a picture she wouldn't mind to have a copy of, and she wasn't being narcissistic about it either. It could've been a different subject and she would still consider getting a copy. "That's...oh wow…" she murmured, entranced by the image.
"You like it too?"
"Like is an understatement."
"Well now I know what's going to be my new wallpaper!" He mused. "You can shield your ears now. I just wanna take a few shots of the cityscape."
Evie rushed to put her earmuffs on only to shiver when the chilled muffs made contact with her skin. She inched closer under the heat lamp to warm up her winter-battered face while she watched the photographer at work.
He looked so serious, adjusting the lens' focus while the shutter went off over and over again. No one spoke, and despite the noise from the bustling streets it felt like Evie could hear a pin drop. Did he ever listen to music while he did this? Or did he just take in the surrounding noises all the time? Nevertheless, his work always turned out beautifully from what Evie has seen, and she admitted that she was always impressed with the photos he captured on his camera.
The shutter didn't stop sounding off until there was no more light from the sun. The sky had settled into a dark blueish purple without a cloud to be seen. Evie took a seat at a table underneath the heat lamp and she looked up from her phone when Prompto finally took a seat beside her. He went through the shots he took, deleting ones he didn't like.
"Hey Prompto?" Her voice broke the silence.
"Hmm? What's up?"
"What was that card you showed the security guy? How did you get permission to come up here?"
He hummed innocently. "What can I say? Being friends with the Crown Prince has its perks."
"Prompto!"
"Relax, Eve." Prompto let out a breathy laugh and set the camera down. "It's not like I do this all the time. It's not any trouble for Noct to get me a pass just for one night. Besides, I really liked the view this balcony gives."
Evie lifted her brows and looked up at the night sky. The lights from the city prevented her from seeing the stars. "Do you have pictures of the stars?"
"A few. I got them during the summer with the guys out in the country―there's no way to get a decent shot of the stars in Insomnia." He rubbed his hands together to warm them up. "You should tag along with us this summer! Most likely Noct's gonna get married after this summer so it might be the last one we'll have for a while." Prompto said with a sad smile.
She noted the change in his tone and she brought her eyes down to him. "How does he feel about that? Does he actually like Lady Lunafreya?"
Prompto snorted. "He tries not to show it, but he definitely has a thing for her no matter how depressed he looks about it. I bet you Luna likes him just as much, so it's not like it's gonna be a miserable marriage for them."
"Well as long as the feeling is mutual then by all means―good for him."
"Yeah…" his voice trailed off. A heartbeat of silence pulsed through the air before he let his gloved hand brush up against hers. Evie's heart hiked up into her throat as she let his fingers weave through hers. "Eve?" His sombre-like tone startled her.
"Hmm?"
He gently squeezed her hand, taking a moment before replying. "Do you like me?"
Immediately Evie knew what was going on. For those short moments on the balcony she forgot about how she was acting towards him and now her memories resurfaced once again. She froze over despite the heat lamp standing a few feet from the table. "Of course I do!" She affirmed, but the involuntary crack in her voice contradicted her.
Prompto lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Then...I don't know―why do I get this feeling that―"
"I've been avoiding you?" She murmured, easily finishing his sentence.
He tilted his head, the corner of his mouth slightly trembling. "So I'm not imagining things…"
Evie finally looked away, unable to see his crestfallen face. "No." The back of her neck heated up while the knot in her throat got bigger.
"Did I...did I upset you somehow?"
She shook her head, slowly realizing that she couldn't hold up to her personal promise to tell Prompto after finals. It was like life gave her a shortcut and lo and behold, here she was with her boyfriend who looked like he was about to shut down. Gods, how could she be so...selfish? Evie took in a breath. "You never did anything wrong."
It was apparent that Prompto understood her punctuation on 'you' because he immediately dropped his teary smile with an imploring gaze, eyes no longer holding sadness and fear. "What happened, Eve?" He asked softly but firmly.
She laughed, but it was derisive. "It's so dumb. I thought I would be over it by now, but I guess not."
Prompto squeezed her hand again, turning in his seat to properly face her. "It's not dumb." He assured. "If it's bothering you this much, it's obviously very serious for you." She was dumbfounded at how gravely Prompto was taking this. It was so unsettling to see him besides the happy-go-lucky person he usually was.
She sighed. "Do you really want to hear it?"
"Eve." That's all he had to say.
She stared off at the lights from the distant skyscrapers. "It was an ex...two of them actually." She finally said. "The first one was fine in the beginning, but he wanted more. Dumb me thought it would help further our relationship so...I slept with him. I didn't like it, but he kept on insisting and insisting so I just went along with it." Evie sighed. "After a while I couldn't help but notice that he really wanted to move this relationship along and I was pretty sure he was using me to get back at his ex because he always texted whenever we were together. We didn't go out on 'normal' dates, and we would just hang out in his room.
"I broke up with him eventually and then I dated some other guy the next year. He almost had the same mindset with the first one because after the first date, we kissed and he was very clear with what he wanted. I told him to stop, but he kept on asking every single day and it was literally a week into the relationship.
"I told him about my first ex and about how I felt about rushing a relationship and that I wasn't interested in taking it further until I actually felt invested in the relationship, but he didn't listen to me. He just laughed and called me a prude, so I dumped his ass the next day. I didn't date anyone else until...well, you came along and I thought I would be over it. I know for sure you're not one of those guys but…" Evie gathered enough strength to look him in the eye and boy, Prompto was livid. There was this anger that burned in his eyes, mixed with hurt, and several powerful emotions. His eyes were an angry crystal blue and his mouth was set in a frown.
"Holy hell. Those bastards need to get run over and eaten by a behemoth."
"Prompto it's fine―"
"Bullshit!" He spat, startling Evie. "No one should ever do that in a relationship. Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Because for some damn reason I thought you would have the same reaction as my exes. I should've known better, but the memories keep on coming back." She laughed angrily at herself.
"So whenever I tried to kiss you or if we were ever alone together..."
Evie just nodded, not even on letting him finish the sentence. At this point they were on the same wavelength.
"You thought that about me." That sounded harsher than what Prompto intended, but it was too late now. Evie pulled her hand away from his, but it was still resting on the table. Her phone was long forgotten, probably now frozen.
There was nothing for her to say. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. All she knew was that she brought a sudden weight onto their conversation. Her heart felt heavy and her eyes stung from the wind and threatening tears.
A deafening silence engulfed the two. She couldn't even hear the sound of the never-stopping traffic down in the streets or the helicopters that whirred over their heads. Despite the warmth from the heat lamp, a chill had settled in between them.
Prompto's sigh made her flinch. At this rate she was sure her heart would explode out of anxiety. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Eve." He finally said with utmost sincerity. There was another pause. "But…you thought I'm just another copy of those guys?" His face was now neutral but his tone was sad and pained.
She swallowed thickly. Maybe she could've worded things differently. At this point she was mentally kicking herself for being so stupid.
"No!" She shook her head. "No." Evie couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I just…bad relationships always mess you up." Her other hand was balled into a fist and after what felt like a millennia she unclenched her hand. "I shouldn't have assumed."
Evie didn't have to see his face to sense how disappointed he sounded. "Y'know, I have never asked anything more from you than to just hang out with me. I didn't know if you were comfortable to…I dunno, 'take it further' and I wasn't going to ask until you brought it up." He pulled in a heavy sigh. A low voice followed. "But I see where you stand now."
"Well it's not like I knew how to bring it up."
"You could've told me what was wrong the first time instead of avoiding me."
There was no excuse. Prompto was 100% right and Evie understood why he felt so upset. She left him in the dark and she felt like shit. From the beginning, even before they started dating, Prompto had always been friendly and polite with her. Never did she sense that he had any 'ulterior motive' or a fake personality, and what did she do? She just focused on the negative aspects of him that never existed. And after all these years she never felt like giving others chances and assumed all guys were like that. Evie agreed with Lyra, she did have a right to be wary, but she didn't have the right to judge and straight up assume Prompto's personality and mindset.
"I'm sorry." Her eyes became glassy with tears but she furiously blinked them away. "Clearly I was wrong. You're not like that at all. You're patient, goofy..." her voice trailed off in fears of making things worse.
What she didn't expect was a hand to be on top of hers once again. Evie didn't move. She just took in his warmth and comfort. "I can't believe something like that would actually happen to you. You're so nice."
Evie cracked a small smile, staring out into the horizon where the sky the cityscape. "Prompto, you are nice not me...guess there's a few things we still don't know about each other." She said slowly.
Prompto paused. "We'll work on it." He promised with a crack in his voice.
Eventually they decided to head back to campus, no longer able to withstand the cold air and frost that had settled in between them. They hailed a taxi quickly and the ride was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. Edith's fears weren't bottled up anymore but it now introduced a series of new questions: would they just continue where they left off as if nothing happened? Were they gonna be awkward for a while? Were they both on the same page now?
Evie's thoughts swirled around in her head at a steady pace. It seemed like her world was going in slow motion as the skyscrapers and city goers slowly went by her window.
The taxi pulled up to the campus' main entrance and they got out. They stood there for a while before Evie finally strung together what she wanted to say. "You don't have to walk me back if you don't want to."
Prompto merely nodded, and it felt like a stab to her heart. She really hurt him.
Damnit all… "Prompto," she said softly. Her arm moved on its own and her hand took a hold of his, making him look up at her. She closed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes to place a chaste yet gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner…" she murmured, sinking back onto her feet.
His expression didn't change, but his cheeks brightened to an alarming tomato-red. "It's okay. I understand―kinda." She had a feeling it wasn't 'okay', but she was proven wrong when Prompto stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Despite herself, she leaned into him, hugging him back as she rested her cheek on his chest. Her heart swelled, realizing that he wasn't going to completely ostracize her after all of this. "We'll take it slow." He said before they both pulled away from the hug. Both parties seemed reluctant.
She simply nodded and quietly exchanged their goodbyes before parting ways. It felt like she could breathe now, but she couldn't avoid this bitter taste that had been left in her mouth the second she blatantly told him that she didn't trust him. But yet again, Prompto had astonished her. He was literally the embodiment of the sun. His light never dimmed or faltered, he stayed constant: he never changed. When "we'll work on it" not "I can't do this" escaped his lips it was like her eyes were finally opened.
To quote Lyra, Evie "wouldn't mind him sticking around."
Drama, sappy feels, and fluff all wrapped up in one chapter! I hope it wasn't overdone―I was trying to establish that both of them to have their reasons of feeling a certain way. Like, I'd be kinda pissed off and offended if my s/o kept on ignoring me instead of telling me what they actually felt, but having that fear of rejection that Evie had is real so there ya go. Not to mention there are certain memories you can't control.
So anywho, I'm working on my buffer and I'll take a crack at uploading twice a week (please bear with me) Thanks for reading!
-Jen
