[center]
[url=https://fontmeme.com/fonts/great-vibes-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240329/84481ce1e9322bbbd2ee69adc32fdfb6.png[/img][/url]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/vz3gTHR.png[/img]
[center]
[sub][url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/43/9a/d8/439ad879e60493ed1d8687503eaa4206.jpg][i][sub][color=9e5e6f] dress  ♖[/color][/sub][/i][/url][/sub]
[/center]
[sub][color=7F6B5D]E D W A R D S   E S T A T E  |  M O R N I N G[/color][/sub]
[sub][color=gray]I n t e r a c t i o n s :
Fritz [@JJ Doe]
M e n t i o n s :[/color][/sub]
[/center]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CaVsNWr.png[/img][/center]

[indent][indent][color=gray]


Zarai’s pulse quickened the moment Fritz’s hand brushed her shoulder. It was such a light touch—barely there—but it was enough to make her entire body tense. She wished, desperately, for the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her whole. How could he see through her so easily? It was unbearable. 

Her instinct was to pull away, to retreat into herself as Fritz guided her toward a soft patch of grass, his grip firm but never forceful. She followed, feeling the knot in her stomach tighten as they sat down. She hesitated when he motioned to her shoes before finally pulling them off. A brief sigh of relief passed her lips as her mangled feet were freed.

[color=93a477]“I may have lied about being enough competition,”[/color] Zarai replied as a blush that crept up her neck and bloomed on her cheeks. Fritz’s hands moved to her feet, his touch warm and sure, and she nearly flinched again. She wasn’t used to this kind of tenderness. 

The way he looked at her—understanding, almost too understanding—tugged at something deep inside her, something she didn’t want to face. Shame. Why did she feel ashamed? Why did his gentle care make her want to shrink away instead of lean into it?

She listened in silence as he spoke, his hands working methodically over her aching feet. Occasionally, she’d wince, a quiet gasp escaping her when he found a particularly tender spot. It was a relief, sure, but it didn’t erase the discomfort gnawing at her insides. 

[color=93a477]“I think he’ll be angry for a long time,”[/color] Zarai offered in response to Fritz’s words about Peter, her voice steadier than she felt. One hand gripped the fabric of her skirts, the other pulled at blades of grass one by one, a distraction from the raw ache in her feet and the weight of Fritz’s attention. [color=93a477]“Have you told him that you’re worried? Maybe he needs it—the anger. Sometimes it’s the only thing that makes you feel in control.”[/color] She understood that feeling all too well.

When Fritz said he wanted to help, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. The sincerity in his voice was too much. Instead, she withdrew her feet from his lap, tucking her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, her gaze locked on his hands. Her fingers traced idle circles over her knee, the words she wanted to say lodging themselves in her throat.

[color=93a477]“I know you want to help,”[/color] she finally managed, though her voice had grown softer. She opened her mouth to say more, but the words wouldn’t come. What could she tell him? That she didn’t know what she wanted anymore? That the more time passed, the more she feared the answer? Her lips moved, but no sound came out. So, she closed her mouth again.

[color=93a477]“I’ll tell you,”[/color] she said after a long pause, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. [color=93a477]“I just... need time. I thought I knew, but…”[/color] Her voice trailed off as a lump formed in her throat. What if he hated her for it? What if he saw her for what she really was? A mess. A disappointment. Not so different from her mother after all. [color=93a477]“I need more time to figure it out. To see if it’s really what I want and not just something I’m chasing because I’m angry. So please don't demand an answer from me now. I don't want to disappoint you."[/color]





[/color][/indent][/indent]