This was his evening, as his mother proudly informed her only son. It was a momental step forward in his skyrocketing carer. Those were her precise words, not his. He was a humble man who didn’t really dwell too much on his work accomplishments for that matter. Though, his mother was the complete opposite of him. She lived on the fact of sharing word around town over how grateful for having such three talented kids on the end of the day. She boasted quite a bit. Not even caring if it annoyed anyone but living alone for years in the childhood Norwood household with a husband no-longer in the picture and knowing book club could only be so much, she lived off their success. Though, Rylan compared to his sisters, he allowed it to happen and he couldn’t imagine not having his mother tag along for the evening. If anything, he wouldn’t hear the end about it as she kindly, but subtly reminded him, over his choices. Nonetheless, he could spot the happiness of his mother’s expression for tonight and this was all he needed.
It was a stranger sight in front of him. It was something he figured was bond to happen soon or later, which it happened later, but nonetheless, here he was standing across from his ex-girlfriend on the evening of his grand evening. In another life, if things did work out and his seer abilities didn’t ruin the possibility of their potential happiness, they could’ve been here alongside one another as a couple. It was a time when Rylan wanted everything for her and would’ve laid his life down for her like an obsessed young boy he once was. Of course, the things he had for Vera simply didn’t fade away into the abyss. After all, she was his first love and the one person who managed to put him in his place when everything was chaos on his life. But some things needed to end for growth. Word traveled quick for him over the new, startling changes in her life and even though, in the beginning, he wished it was him. It was his own heartbreak and his own fault for how things ended with them. It was also him knowing if he got too involved with Vera, things like his Seer abilities would’ve caught up to him in a matter of time and he lied. He stayed lying in their relationship ever since he found out at thirteen. He still loved and cared about her like anyone ex-boyfriend would. But, he wanted the best for her. If it was another, then so be it. Rylan was content with that happy ending for her. Even though, truthfully, after he learned about her engagement and pregnancy, he stopped on wanting to know about anything and everything related to her. It was his moving forward period.
But, she looked incredible. Even if he didn’t dare to share those words with her or ever allow them to slip off his tongue, she still knew how to make his speechless. There was something different about her hair and she aged beautifully. Though, everyone knew Vera would grow up to be a beautiful young woman from the discussion in their teen years. Clearing his throat, snapping out of his once former heart eyes at the woman Rylan used to think about on the daily, he breathed out before focusing on the crowd swarming around as people further invested in conversations. Cynthia, his mother, was a personal ping pong around the room, thanking everyone for appearing long before Rylan even had a chance to make his rounds that way. Though, her next words caused his gun metal hues to immediately tuck into a roll, lips pressing into a fine line. It was something he knew Vera would’ve called him out on even though, he didn’t need the proper clarification over his work. It was a simple manor of him attempting to make small talk with the woman whom he hadn’t seen in ages, though, it felt like ages. She was the only person Rylan ever allowed to put him back in his place. “I was making small talk,” he informed after a moment of silence. The hues, who were avoiding the female, fell on her gaze and he could feel as his heart thumped for her. It was insane to imagine how much time passed over between them. “After all, what has it been? Ten or so years? Something along those lines? A lot has changed so the sight of us remembering each other quirks and whatnot has easily become a blurry sight.” A lie, but it was but it wasn’t any intention to rile either one of them up. He didn’t forget about her. It didn’t mean she remembered him. Not from what he heard. “Figured it was nice to ask someone who wasn’t an old man, who has the slightest idea, or even, my mother, for that matter, literally tells me everything is perfect every two seconds.” The explanation probably wasn’t worthy but nonetheless, he exposed it right off the tip of his tongue. Attempting a weak smile toward her direction but it flattened moments later, just like the state of his expression.
“Anyway,” he mumbled to himself, gun metal hues glazing around the room. This felt surreal. He wasn’t the type of person to feel in these settings. Everything about it just felt really weird and unreal. Like this was a dream, in which he could predict with his abilities, but they always changed. A lot changed from the first moment when he first visioned it. “How are you?” He finally found it in him to find out. To show an ounce he cared. He wasn’t the type of guy to fully hide his emotions. He wore them quite in the open but he was quiet as well. Minding his business and further getting himself invested in work because it took a lot out of him.
“And I was providing it. What, did my opinion offend you?” Her chin jutted outwards him, a hard frown forming on her brows as she drove the attack home. Her words were quick, agile, and already fully formed before he’d even gotten his statement out it seemed. But that was Vera, always on the defense, always the quick thinker. “Eight years,” She clarified precisely, then suddenly dropped her gaze away and allowed her stiff posture to melt a little. Vera didn’t want to appear as if she’d been crossing every day off on the calendar, but she found it hard to forget things. Dates, details, names, people... Perhaps it was why she was so good at her job. A job Rylan would have known nothing about, she reminded herself, since he’d decided to totally uproot himself from her life eight years ago.
When he mentioned his mother, Vera felt a pang of something in her gut which turned into guilt. She’d seen the woman not five minutes ago, but had taken to ducking behind a planter vase to avoid any source of social contact. Vera just didn’t feel like it. She felt like being at home with her movies and her wine bottle or strewn among someone else's expensive linen until she’d creep out the next morning without even so much as a phone number trail. Initially, she’d been excited for this event. Now... she just wanted to go home.
His Anyway made her look back up at him involuntarily. A knee-jerk reaction she hadn’t anticipated and regretted the moment their eyes met again. There was still something there. She couldn’t describe it, in any language or conceptual way, just that she felt it when she looked at him. A dead-weight inside her, the kind a person might buy a plane ticket for or say something they might regret, or regret worse if they don’t. It was a confusing feeling. And so... Vera did what she did best, and tried to drive it to the far back of her mind and into the vault.
“Really? We are going to do it like this?” She asked, tone dry as she looked at him in disappointment. On the contrary, Vera didn’t know what other way she would have it. A part of her wanted to be kind to him because she knew that truly, deep down, he surely deserved it from her. But another part was still hurt. Another part of her held a grudge so fierce and so habitual that by now, it only burdened her with resentment. “I’m fine. I work hard, I keep myself busy and honestly, I don’t think I owe you any more details on the matter. If you actually cared then maybe you wouldn’t have completely disappeared from my life out of the blue. However,” She said curtly, bravely looking back at him now. “Seeing as this is a chance meeting, and you can barely even look me in the eye for more than four seconds, I am willing to make the judgment that you don’t care and this is equally as uncomfortable for you as it is for me. So shall we do ourselves a favor and not pretend as if we’re happy for one another in a crowded room full of strangers?”
