𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬| 𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗄𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗇

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱

( 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝖽𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗌𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗆𝖾 )

MARY HAD BEEN IN HER room that night. Her mind kept replaying her walking in on Ricky and Nini. How they looked so perfect for one another, how they were so flustered, how if her and Big Red hadn't walked in on them, they would have kissed.

Mary doesn't even know why she's sad. It's not like they were dating, it's not like they were marked for one another. They were free, single people. But why did it hurt so much? Why did Ricky Bowen turn her into a godforsaken mess. An idiotic fool he made her. How was it possible?

The moon was going down, her curtains blowing because of her ceiling fan, her bedsheets smelling of her perfume as she laid on it, watching the fan go round and round. Her peace was interrupted by a knocking she knew too well. He knocked again and again. Then he resorted to words.

"Mary, please, just let me in" He begged as he knocked again.

Mary shouldn't. She shouldn't let him in, she shouldn't stand up and go over to her window to let him in. She should have never let him in in the first place. She would have saved herself from so much if she told him it was late and he should go home.

But she made her choice like she made this one. She decided to let him in, but this time, she would talk. Not him.

So as he stood there, looking as perfect as ever, Mary had to speak other wise she would burst. "Before you say anything" Mary began. "You and Nini, you two belong together and I should have realized that sooner before I ever felt anything more than friendship towards you"

Ricky remained silent. She felt something more for him? And she admitted to it? He felt like he was dreaming, like this was all a dream and he was going to wake up. He held to that hope that she was going to make her move.

"You have feelings for me?" He asked. It was all he got out of her words, the only thing that mattered, the only words that could ever matter to him. But it was all wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen, not like this.

"Had" But like all hope in romance, it dies. It dies and it dies so many times. Had. Past tense. "Not anymore—"

"Mary" His voice. Oh, god, his voice. The mere crack made a bigger crack in Mary's heart. She had to do this. This wasn't their time, and it will probably never be their time.

"Let me finish" She said with a weary smile. Ricky nodded but what he wanted to do, what he should do, is just kiss her. Actions speak louder than words right? So the mere action of almost kissing Nini was enough words said to Mary. She got the memo.

"We're better off as friends and I think that you were right, we should have been over the second school started, or maybe even way before that"

Ricky didn't understand. Ricky went back to all his memories with her, summer, homecoming, late summer nights, mid July, June, August. August. Stupid August.

"What are you saying?" He asked.

"It was a mistake" Four words that ran deep into the wound that was their hearts. "It was a mistake to let you inside my window, it was a mistake to let you kiss me, this summer never happened"