rose-harmon:
If there was one thing that was reliable about Peach Hollows it was the impressive rumor mill that circled around town. One could be sure that one way or another, the latest gossip would always come around. Juicy or inconsequential alike. It’s how Rose had found out that Lark Sullivan was back in town. When that new hit her, Rose felt a chill go down her body. She wasn’t frozen because she didn’t want to see him but rather because for the last two years, it was the one thing she had most longed for. Even more than a line of cocaine or a shot of tequila during her recovery period. Though Rose had been the one to end their relationship, she had never ended it because it wasn’t what she wanted or because she didn’t love him. Rose had ended things for the exact opposite, something she had tried to convey to Lark when they broke up but she was sure that it wasn’t received that way. In fact, that moment haunted her every day. Her hear broke anew every time she remember the hurt in Lark’s eyes.
Lark Sullivan was the first person she truly and fully had loved since Finley and she loved him so much that Rose didn’t want to drag him through the messy road of her recovery. And messy it had been. The first year of her recovery had been done in Atlanta and it had been hard. As much as she missed Lark, she was happy he wasn’t around for it. Her confirmation that she had made the right decision came when she learned he had gone off on a mini-tour. She couldn’t imagine having tied him down during her recovery and being the reason why he didn’t peruse his next move in his music career. That’s exactly what would have happened. Lark wouldn’t have left her alone during that time and Rose would have never forgiven herself if she had been the reason why he was held back. After all, Lark never gave up on the ones he loved so Rose became someone he didn’t have to love anymore.
But that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him and despite the time apart, Rose still loved Lark. She swore that she always would. How could Rose not? But after two weeks of not running into Lark since his return, Rose was convince they were completely destined to part ways. Maybe it was better that way. Better for him. With a sigh, Rose finished locking up Leo’s Garage. She had stay late but there was only so much she could stare at her computer. Once the door was secured, Rose turned around, head down as she stuffed her keys into her pockets and answered her texts with the other. Lifting her eyes, Rose felt the breath get knocked out of her. A million thoughts raced through her as she stood frozen in her place, eyes taking in Lark Sullivan and trying to catch every similarity and difference about him. He stood a few feet away, walking and blissfully unaware of her presence around him. At least, it seemed like he hadn’t spotted her yet. Rose didn’t know how long she stood there until eventually, she sucked a breath in. Her feet carried her before she could process what she was doing. “Lark!” She called out, wincing as she did so. Part of her wanted to talk to him and see him and hug him but the other part was acutely aware of the hurt she had caused him and the very real reality that Lark may want nothing to do with her. As she neared him, the red head was able to give him a soft smile, unsure and uneasy. “Hi.” She breathed, wrapping and around herself as a sort of protection because she wasn’t sure how he would react to seeing her again. @larksullivan
It was strange being back in Peach Hollows, he hadn’t been gone that long but it felt like a lifetime ago. Shortly after Rose dumped him and left for rehab, Lark threw himself into his music and band, deciding that he needed a distraction from it all, the heartbreak and what better way to deal with heartache than music. He would call home frequently enough when he was on tour, and his sister even joined him on the road for a little while but he did his best to avoid the town, it was all too much of a reminder of Rose.
With the tour finally wrapped up Lark had no real excuse not to come home, not with his parents always asking when he was going to come home. He did stay with a friend in New York for awhile but eventually the time came to return to Peach Hollows. Thanks to his family he knew Rose had come back sometime ago, working at Leo’s place so normally that had been an area he’d come to avoid during work hours, as well as any other places his sister mentioned that Rose went to often. He didn’t exactly harbor a grudge against his ex but the idea of seeing her again, it just wasn’t something he was ready to face quite yet, despite that it had been two years. So when he heard an all too familiar voice call out his name he didn’t have to look up to know whose it was.
Lark froze at the sound of Rose’s voice, his gaze going in the direction of where it had come from, finally laying his eyes on Rose after all this time. It was a bittersweet feeling, seeing the woman he loved again but it also brought back all those feelings he’d been avoiding - just like he’d been avoiding her. He took a deep breath as she approached, taking a second to collect himself. It wasn’t like he could avoid this forever. “Hey.” He replied, giving her a half smile back, it wasn’t genuine but he was doing his best to be polite and make this as painless as possible. What was he suppose to say to her? It felt wrong, she’d been his girlfriend and best friend and now he didn’t even know how to talk to her.

















