"You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess." -- from "Today Was A Fairytale
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Defeat loomed over me, a lonely girl in the relentless summer heat, teetering on the edge of another breakdown. The weight of my failures pressed down on me, threatening to crush my spirit completely. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, determined not to think of it…
'Trying so hard makes you look lonely,'
His words echoed in my brain as if wanting to fry my restless cells into submission. In the dimly lit bar, I had steeled myself to confront him. He was no arbiter of my actions; he had no right to cast judgment, yet he simply gestured to the writing on the wall.
"Why did he say that?" I whispered, a surge of frustration welling within me..
The words were there, boldly inscribed on the bar's wall—so stark, so candid, so achingly true. Denial was futile. The realization struck with the force of revelation—loneliness, vulnerability. The stranger had merely voiced them, yet I felt exposed, my inner chaos laid bare, compelling me to escape.
Was I really trying too hard?
He seemed like he wanted to start a conversation, but I felt exposed by the words to the point of flaring and storming out.
I was not trying hard!
I had kicked another stone but ended up with a bruise on my toe. The pain still lingers as proof of how life has turned on me. Everything was just as cruel as this summer.
Why did it have to be me?
Why hurt so much and try so hard?
But mostly, why was the heat unbearable?
Exhaling sharply, I stepped outside, gazing up at the clear summer night sky. The heat, the beach—they offered no comfort to my restless soul. Yet there it was—a lone star twinkling, a solitary beacon amidst the void.
"At least I'm as beautiful as that star," though lonely. I mused, a whisper in the solitude. Some truths remained better unspoken.
"You are beautiful," a deep voice affirmed from behind, jolting me from my thoughts. Whirling around with a gasp, I found him—the stranger from the beach, from the bar, now on the balcony adjacent to mine.
Clad in a summer vest that clung to his sculpted form, he stood there, a vision that stirred an unfamiliar flutter within me. My gaze lingered, imagining the feel of his skin beneath my fingertips… Flustered, I averted my eyes, blaming the heat of the summer.
"Why you again?" I murmured, half to myself, yet he chuckled—a sound that resonated with a rich melody. Was his voice always this captivating?
"The heat's getting to you," he observed, breaking the silence. "I know a place to cool off. Care to join me?" His offer was unexpected, his voice smooth, igniting a spark of curiosity within me.
I faced him, our eyes locking, his dark gaze pulling me into an unfathomable depth.
"Why the sudden offer?" I asked.
"To make amends for the beach incident," he replied, his hand outstretched. "I promise, it'll be an experience to remember," he assured, his voice a siren's call.
Like a sweet dream, he promised, "You'll have the time of your life."
I hesitated…