*sigh*
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"Lera?" A gently knock came on the door to her room. Lera didn't move. She felt used. Stu pushed open the door that joined their rooms. His finger were pressed on his temples and Lera could only imagine the hangover he had. "You okay?"
Lera nodded, unconvincingly, standing to get dressed.
"Agh!" Stu grunted, covering his eyes.
Lera quickly pulled a blanket over her naked body. "Sorry about that." She said calmly. She wondered if he could see Joel's mark on her.
"Listen, Lera. I saw Joel leaving. Is everything okay?" Stu asked, stepped closer to her. Lera didn't pull away. She didn't move. She nodded, her eyes not welling with tears like she had thought they would.
"I'm fine. Just great. Just Fucking dandy. Everything is all fucking right." Lera said, her voice not changing tones at all.
Stu stared at her for a moment, completely perplexed then he nodded nervously. "So.. I'm going to go kick Joel's ass. Be right back." He tipped his hat to her and stepped out of her room.
"No!" Lera lunged after him, and collided with him on the other side of the door. He grabbed onto her as she fell and steadied her. He pulled her against him, hugging her tightly.
Suddenly it hit her. Suddenly it didn't matter about Joel. He didn't mean anything. And he hadn't hurt her. She was her own person and it had been her choice.
"Stu." She whispered.
He didn't let go of her, but kept rubbing her back, hugging her.
"After all this. Through all this. It was you who stayed by my side. Through all of it." She whispered.
Stu ducked his head and kissed her forehead.
"That's what friends are for." He said.
Lera nodded against his chest as Carlyn walked in.
"Jesus Fucking Christ." He swore. Lera suddenly saw it how he must. Her standing naked, wrapped in a thin blanket, and Stu in his loincloth, embracing.
"Stu!" He screamed. Lera felt her heart wrench. Carlyn sounded completely distressed. "You asshole! You fucking Prick!" He cursed, turning on his heel and walking away, his whole body shaking with anger, or something.
Stu cursed under his breath. "Carlyn! This isn't what it looks like!" He called.
Lera could faintly hear Carlyn's reply as he turned another corner, becoming further away "It never is."
Stu looked at Lera. She was peering at him curiously.
"Damnit Lera. Why are you so blind. Carlyn loves you. The kind of love that lasts forever. The kind of love that rips you apart from the inside out. You're the only one who cant see it. He loves you in a way that will change him forever. I knew that. Now he sees this. Damnit." Stu yelled the last curse.
Lera didn't breathe. She didn't know if it was possible to realise how much you love someone after being friends with them for eight years.
"Carlyn!" She yelled, sprinting from Stu's dorm, donning only a blanket.
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"Lera?" A gently knock came on the door to her room. Lera didn't move. She felt used. Stu pushed open the door that joined their rooms. His finger were pressed on his temples and Lera could only imagine the hangover he had. "You okay?"
Lera nodded, unconvincingly, standing to get dressed.
"Agh!" Stu grunted, covering his eyes.
Lera quickly pulled a blanket over her naked body. "Sorry about that." She said calmly. She wondered if he could see Joel's mark on her.
"Listen, Lera. I saw Joel leaving. Is everything okay?" Stu asked, stepped closer to her. Lera didn't pull away. She didn't move. She nodded, her eyes not welling with tears like she had thought they would.
"I'm fine. Just great. Just Fucking dandy. Everything is all fucking right." Lera said, her voice not changing tones at all.
Stu stared at her for a moment, completely perplexed then he nodded nervously. "So.. I'm going to go kick Joel's ass. Be right back." He tipped his hat to her and stepped out of her room.
"No!" Lera lunged after him, and collided with him on the other side of the door. He grabbed onto her as she fell and steadied her. He pulled her against him, hugging her tightly.
Suddenly it hit her. Suddenly it didn't matter about Joel. He didn't mean anything. And he hadn't hurt her. She was her own person and it had been her choice.
"Stu." She whispered.
He didn't let go of her, but kept rubbing her back, hugging her.
"After all this. Through all this. It was you who stayed by my side. Through all of it." She whispered.
Stu ducked his head and kissed her forehead.
"That's what friends are for." He said.
Lera nodded against his chest as Carlyn walked in.
"Jesus Fucking Christ." He swore. Lera suddenly saw it how he must. Her standing naked, wrapped in a thin blanket, and Stu in his loincloth, embracing.
"Stu!" He screamed. Lera felt her heart wrench. Carlyn sounded completely distressed. "You asshole! You fucking Prick!" He cursed, turning on his heel and walking away, his whole body shaking with anger, or something.
Stu cursed under his breath. "Carlyn! This isn't what it looks like!" He called.
Lera could faintly hear Carlyn's reply as he turned another corner, becoming further away "It never is."
Stu looked at Lera. She was peering at him curiously.
"Damnit Lera. Why are you so blind. Carlyn loves you. The kind of love that lasts forever. The kind of love that rips you apart from the inside out. You're the only one who cant see it. He loves you in a way that will change him forever. I knew that. Now he sees this. Damnit." Stu yelled the last curse.
Lera didn't breathe. She didn't know if it was possible to realise how much you love someone after being friends with them for eight years.
"Carlyn!" She yelled, sprinting from Stu's dorm, donning only a blanket.
