DRIVE WEST

TWO - Truth or Croissants

"But I can see it in this light. If you look close enough, you can see the lips of a girl who wants to be kissed."
-

Soundtrack for the chapter
Nervous by The Neighbourhood

-

"A man just rang the doorbell." She said. The rain was thick so she had to speak loudly to be understood, even though he was sitting just across from her.

He looked up at the waitress, "I'll have an espresso, please. Oh, and uh— March, water?"

"A bald man just answered the door. They're shaking hands." She affirmed, ignoring his question.

"Yeah, she'll have a water."

The waitress left the table after taking their orders.

She sighed, took off her glasses and took her eyes away from the building a couple of miles away from across the street. She looked down at her watch and then wrote something down on her black marble-like note-pad.

Apollo watched her carefully, without letting her know he noticed the bags under her eyes were particularly deep that day.

The waitress arrived and placed down the coffee and her water.

Monday looked up from her notes and at the glass in front of her. "What is this?"

Apollo blinked and then looked at the water that stood in front of her.

She rolled her eyes and looked to the waitress. "I'll have a double espresso and a croissant." The woman nodded and left.

"Your friend said you were cutting back on caffeine."

Monday shook her head, "No, she wants me to cut back on caffeine. I haven't agreed to anything." Apollo nodded, understanding. Monday looked up at him. "You asked Feyre what I like to drink? That's kind of creepy, don't you think?"

He chuckled and lifted his shoulders in a half shrug, "I do my homework."

She adjusted her posture and paid attention to him, "Then you must have questions."

She watched him run his hand through his hair and then suggested, "Let's play a game. I tell you whatever you want to know and you do the same."

Her order arrived, and the steamy coffee was placed in front of her gently.

Apollo looked away into the distance, considering the offer, then turned back to her shaking his head slightly, "Alright."

"Alright."

"How's your relationship with your mom, March?"

"My mom died when I was little." Their competitively vicious attitude turned the innocent party game into a power move. Whoever flinched first lost; and they both knew that.

"Is that why you push people away? For them not to have the chance to hurt or leave you?"

She didn't even blink, "I push people away because I'm a narcissist who thinks everyone else is a waste of my time."

Apollo locked his jaw and tried not to smile.

Monday sipped her coffee and took her turn, "Why are you afraid of commitment?"

He looked up at her, "I'm not afraid of commitment. I'm just not ready for it right now."

She reacted, "Yes. Because using women just for sex is so hard. God forbid you humanize a woman and, oh, I don't know, care for their personalities? See them as complex human beings instead of tits and ass?" She smiled ironically, making her eyes look small, and the waitress cautiously approached her to place down her plate with the warm croissant.