Why did I agree to go on a date with Rhys?

Because I want to know the truth behind those scars. While it seems like a good motivation I didn't necessarily think ahead of what a date entails. Now I'm over thinking it.

Where are we going? What do I wear? Do I need a jacket? Am I going to need to look casual or classy? What if it rains? Do I bother with makeup? Hair up or down?

When I got home I sent Rhys a text asking where we were going and he sent me a cliche response of it's a surprise. Instead of wasting hours on deciding how I would look I distracted myself with homework.

It worked until I finished at five.

By the time it got to six and I was still trying to piece together clothes. An hour - I've spent worrying and stressing over it - and I'm about to press send on the essay length questionnaire for Rhys.

Backspacing I look back at the mess that is my room and shake my head. Why are you thinking so much? Rhys wouldn't know the effort I've gone to unless he saw the state of my room which looks like a bomb has gone off.

"Hey I brought a few tops that I think-" Taylor stops in the door frame, scanning the state of my room. "You really needed help. Wow. Okay."

She steps inside kicking the door shut. "I'm over thinking it. I know I am but I can't help it, it's like an instinct to worry. All I can think about is what could go wrong and I hate it."

Taylor dumps the dressbag onto the bed and I take note of the several hangers. She starts picking up the clothes on my floor while I pull and tug at the strings attached to the pillow I'm clutching. It feels like I'm having a mental breakdown, almost like a panic attack without the hyperventilation.

"Alright you put these back in your wardrobe and I'm going to call Rhys," She takes my phone after throwing the clothes at me. "Brush your hair out as well, I'll be back."

I pull the clothes away from my face. "You don't know my pin."

"It's your mother's birthday," She calls back as she exits the bedroom. "Hey Rhys it's Taylor-"

She moves out of hearing range and I purse my lips, moving to clean up my room. I don't know why she's calling Rhys especially considering he's meant to be here in half an hour. I don't want him to know that I've been like this because it's pathetic.

As I brush through my hair I try to listen in but all I hear is mumbling. I hope she hasn't told him about my meltdown. When I hear her heels clicking on the floor I manage to catch the last of it.

"She's fine. She will be fine I mean," Taylor walks back in and points to the dress bag. I unzip it for her as she listens to Rhys. "I won't tell her. But for future preference don't say it's a surprise to someone who over thinks the way she does."

"You told him?" I yelp, eyes wide and she rolls hers.

"Yes I told him because he wouldn't tell me the plans otherwise," She explains and taps the top in the middle. "Alright see you soon."

Taylor hangs up, discarding my phone on the bed and helps me pull the top off the hanger. She doesn't give me time to react as she holds the dark blue top up, the material having a netted layer over the top. The sheer material seems a bit too extravagant to wear out.

"Where is he taking me? "

She snorts and throws the top at me to catch, moving to my dresser.  "I'm not allowed to say but it's somewhere you'll enjoy yourself."

"This seems a bit too pretty to wear," I state fiddling with the top. Taylor pulls out shorts, throwing them my way with a look of annoyance. "What if he thinks I'm trying too hard to impress him?"

She grabs a pair of socks while moving to my wardrobe. "He told me to tell you to remember the staircase, whatever that means but he said he'll appreciate it."

Before I can ask further I shut my mouth remembering exactly what he's referring to. Or more so how we talked about making an effort for a guy. Well if this guy did reject you then he's a tool. Hopefully you won't ever have to experience it. I exhale with a small smile, snapping back to reality when shoes clunk to the ground beside me.

"This is what I'm wearing?" I ask, scanning the ankle boots with a practically flat heel.

She nods and hands me socks. "Yes. Go get dressed and then I'll do your hair, hurry up."

Once dressed into the designated outfit I feel mildly ridiculous as Taylor does my hair. I feel like a child being groomed by their mother. She's pulled my hair over into making a cross braid, every once in a while she pulls strands out to frame my face.

I grit my teeth with a particularly hard tug but hand her the tie regardless. My face feels like it's had a lift from the consistent pulling but Taylor seems happy as she gets me to do a spin for her. I feel ridiculous because of what I'm wearing.

She pulls out a jacket from my wardrobe, once again throwing it in my face except this time I manage to catch it. Pulling on the leather jacket, she walks closer with my jewellery box forcing a necklace over my head and handing me a  singular banded ring.

"You haven't told Blair about your date with Rhys have you?" Taylor finally speaks, eyeing me with suspicion. I shake my head as she puts the box back down on the dresser. "She'll be upset when she finds out."

"She hates Rhys and I can almost guarantee she wouldn't let me go," I can see a smile appear on her lips. "As in, I would be locked in her basement for the rest of my life. She hates him that much."

Taylor snorts but gathers her things. "Well she's going to have to get over it," A knock echoes from downstairs and I almost jump from surprise. "I don't see you and Rhys magically steering away from each other any time soon. Try to stay calm, just because it's a date doesn't make it any different from you guys hanging out. Okay?"

"Easier said than done,"

We head downstairs and I keep a tight grip on my phone, stopping midway down the stairs as I see dad talking to Rhys. They stand just inside the door although it's still open but an alarming detail is the beer bottle in my father's hand.

"Dad?"

"Hey Kira - Rhys is here," His speech is slurred slightly and my eyes drift to the living room where several are laying on the table. "Taylor's here as well."

I force a smile onto my lips with a nod. "Thanks. I can tell that," I bite the inside of my cheek and take a risk in removing the bottle from his hand. "Just give us a minute. . ."

I pull Dad into the living room sending Taylor a pleading look. She thankfully gets the message and leads Rhys outside while I force Dad to sit down. He rubs his face looking exhausted as I count the bottles that add up to thirteen, it's shocking he can barely stand up.

"It's nearly been three years," He leans forward with his elbows on his knee. "I just, it still hurts."

Maybe I should cancel the date with Rhys.

"Of course it's still going to hurt Dad," I put the bottle onto the table and he looks to me. "You're allowed to miss her. She was your wife, your first love-"

"Your mother," He exhales and his eyes look in the direction of outside. "Usually you're in a worse condition then I am this time of the year. . . that boy. . .he's troubled but he's giving you something else to think about."

I lick my lips nervously and shrug. "He's a good-"

"Boyfriend?" He questions and chuckles. "I know that you're going on a date with him tonight. That's why you were so nervous all afternoon. Have fun. Just be home by eleven at the latest."

Against my better judgement I nod, watching him turn the volume back up on the TV and pick up his beer. He's usually not this intoxicated and I'm concerned that he could have a relapse of alcohol poisoning. He did last year, he had to file for temporary leave to go to rehab because that was the forth time in a year he'd been admitted.

He uses alcohol as a coping mechanism while I don't have one. I shut down, become unapproachable and spiral down into a pit of nothing. But this year I've been preoccupied with other things to realise it's her birthday coming up.

I close the door with my keys in hand, approaching them as they talk. "Hey. Is everything good now?"

"Yeah everything's fine," I nod to Taylor and finally turn my attention to Rhys. "Hi."

His lips tweak into a smile. "Hey," I see him exhale while his eyes do a once over. "You look gorgeous as usual."

"And that's my cue to leave," Taylor chuckles and starts towards her car. "Have fun guys!"

Waving to her I can feel a pit forming in my stomach as I'm left alone with Rhys. "You ready?"

Rhys smiles and reaches for the door handle for me. I smile slightly and nod, taking the open door to get in. He closes the door while I try not to freak out although I feel nauseous. It's the good kind though, I jusy don't want to stuff this up.

Don't say anything stupid. Don't make it awkward. Be normal. Relax.

His car door closing snaps me from my thoughts as he starts the engine. I buckle in while crossing my legs over one another. He unlocks his phone and I notice it attached to the axillary cord before he offers it to me.

"You can pick something you like," He starts to pull away while I scroll through the music pressing play on the first song I know. "I don't get why you were so nervous about tonight. . ."

I rest his phone on my thigh while Bad Habbit by The Kooks plays through the car. "Maybe because I stress too much? It might seem silly but I instantly think of various scenarios."

"It's not silly but you should trust me to take you somewhere you'll like," He gives a chuckle while I try not to roll my eyes. "But next time we will keep it simple to avoid you having a nervous breakdown."

I raise an eyebrow while trying not to smile. "Who said there will be a next time?"

"Well if things go good then there will be. If they don't," He smiles at my sarcastic remark. "I'll have to make it up to you then. Either way there's a guaranteed second date."

"I think you're just over confident," Rhys nods slowly while trying not to grin. "Not that it's a bad thing. I like your confidence because I don't have much myself, it's kind of admirable."

When we come to a stop his eyes fall on me and I try not to squirm underneath them. "I've noticed that whenever I look at you,  you either hunch down or avoid eye contact. I don't necessarily think it's because you're intimidated - you don't like attention."

"Well you wouldn't be wrong on that."

"Why don't you like attention?"

I chuckle humorously and shake my head. "How about we don't go down-"

"One secret a week," Rhys reminds and I huff as he nods. "I'm not going to make a joke out of it. I'm just trying to understand you more."

I hesitate in answering because I know it will either sound really bad or make things extremely awkward. "I don't like attention because I don't want people to pry into my life. When they pry, they're finding information that could be used against you."

"I don't think anyone likes people prying in their lives," The light turns green and his eyes go back to the road. "What about your friends or father?"

I cluck my tongue, biting on my lip  because I know this is going to sound horrible. "They tag team in order to find out what's wrong with me. I don't want them to worry which is why I just keep everything to myself."

"Wouldn't they be more worried that you aren't saying anything?" My eyes close momentarily and sensing my tension he continues. "Sometimes you need to let people in so they know what's going on in your head, no matter how bad it is."

I open my eyes in order to change the song as it starts to repeat itself. "I hate attention because it makes me feel vulnerable and that if someone looks long enough they'll see that I'm actually not okay."

Pressing play on Flawless by The Neighborhood I lean back into the seat feeling like a hand is slowly constricting my air flow. I can't believe I just told him that. I can feel my chest rising and falling faster, wanting to scream at myself for being so stupid.

"What about the attention I give you?" Rhys asks, his hands adjusting on the wheel. "I don't look at you and assume you're weak, vulnerable or broken. I don't see that when I look at you. To me you're strong, kind and absolutely gorgeous."

To me you're strong, kind and absolutely gorgeous. I try not to show how affected I am by his words but they're enough to send my heart racing with emotions. He knows all the right things to say and that would have me concerned if I didn't know better.

I know Rhys and he isn't as capable of being that sweet to girls he doesn't like. The failed date is an example of that. You could see the cheesiness in his words.

"You're such a kiss ass it isn't funny," I try to joke to lighten the mood. Rhys glances to me as he pulls into a parking lot that I recognize to be the mall's. "Um. We're here why exactly?"

Rhys winds down his window in order to get a ticket while I look around the parking lot. There's a few cars which isn't out of the normal but I'm kind of shocked considering it's past 7. Then again, most of these probably belong to teenagers or employees.

"Because we are going to timezone," He drives through the empty parking spots until he stops across the elevators that lead upstairs. "I remember seeing a photo of you and Blair in your locker on one of the computerised bikes so I figured that you liked this place."

I look at Rhys is disbelief that he actually paid attention to that kind of detail. "I feel like I should be concerned by how much you pay attention to me."

"Well I didn't want to take you to the movies considering how that went for you last time," He snorts at it and I slap his arm before getting out of the car. Rhys' laugh echoes through the lot while I slam the car door harder than necessary. "Oh come on! You know that was funny."

"At my expense which is rude," I mumble, pressing the button of the elevator before spinning to face Rhys. Something flickers in his eyes and I furrow my eyebrows at it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He answers quickly, the elevator dings as it opens and I notice him swallow.

I step backwards and hold out my hand while standing in the door frame of the metal box. "Come on. You can hold my hand if you're afraid."

Rhys narrows his eyes at me but steps inside by his own will. I slip in as well and he presses the button before his hands curl around the railing. He's trying to remain calm and I pull out my phone, pulling up a camera as he closes his eyes which open when he hears a shutter.

"Did you just take a photo of me?" I take another one with a smile, lowering it I shrug.

"Maybe I did because you looked absolutely terrified," I show him the first photo hearing him groan. "It's fine if you don't like elevators. I wouldn't step into one after I watched Devil for two months."

"Just delete the photos," I shake my head and he huffs. "Kira."

I flash a grin and he lunges for the phone while I spin around exiting the gallery. Shortly his arms wrap around my waist and he manages to grab my phone, holding it above my head while deleting them.

"That's unfair you have a height advantage."

He lowers my phone and turns the camera onto selfie. "Now I'll take a photo with you. Smile."

I try to wriggle out of his grip as the camera shutters. "I'm not as photogenic as you are, that's unfair."

"Would you please take one with me?" He locks my phone and I look over my shoulder, taking my phone back. Before I can put my phone up for a selfie he's pulling his out. "It would be good to have a wanted photo of us on my phone rather than the ones Derek sent."

I lean back into him as he holds it out at arms length. Smiling softly he drops his head to rest on my shoulder, at the last minute I turn my head slightly to look at him. He's pouting and he looks absolutely adorable.

The shutter goes off and the pout falls from his lips. I notice the flicker in his eyes down to my lips, he moves closer in the slightest and I feel my heart pick up pace. That's when the elevator dings and he abruptly returns back to his normal height while clearing his throat.

I shoot a nervous smile to the old couple looking at us with disgusted looks. Slipping out with Rhys following I spare a glance at him, watching him observe the photo of us but not before setting it as his homescreen.

I loved this chapter. Rocky start but still pretty good ending tbh. I love their relationship so much even though it's in the early stages.

Also I did plan on publishing the first official chapter for Aperture this week but my stupid ass deleted it. So next week I will be starting fornightly updates for that because I've nearly completed this story.

Question: any songs that come to mind when you think of this story? << kinda making a playlist and have a few songs already.

Thoughts? Predictions? Feelings?

-inspiredrlh 💕