Flint Digard, Elizabeth C. James
Elizabeth watched as Flint stormed past. She flashed Emiliah an exasperated look, mouthing a sorry before rushing off after Flint. He was walking, but he definitely wasn't taking his time. She jogged to catch up to him, her eyes apologetic.
"Flint, wait, please. I'm so sorry about what happened, I can't believe myself. I know that I caused this, I'm the one that made myself look like a damsel." She ran to get in front of him, placing her hands on his chest to stop him.
"I'm sorry Flint."Flint only glanced at her, not hesitating in his walk. She started to apologize for what she did, and that she was the cause of this for looking like the damsel. He didn't understand what she was saying, as she got ahead of him and placed her hands on his chest. He stopped reluctantly as she said she was sorry.
He raised an eyebrow.
"So your sorry that you made it looked like you were a damsel? or that Emiliano got hurt?" "I'm sorry, because of what I did. I made him look like a bad guy, and then when you defended me I...I hit you." Elizabeth bit her lip, slowly retracting her arms. She looked up to him, breathing deeply.
"Are you okay? I swear I'll tell them all Flint, I'll tell them that I caused this. That I exaggerated. I don't want them to see you as a villain, when I'm the one at fault." she cast her gaze downwards, fiddling with the burnt ends of her braid. She felt disgusting, even more so then when she had woken up from her night of drinking.
"I apologize, and I understand if you're upset with me."Flint looked at Elizabeth He was lost at words. He wanted to be mad at her, Yet she appologized for hitting him, and making him out to be a villian.
"Elizabeth....Why do you not like the fact of me defending your honor? Also the fact that I may have just killed an innocent man? What happened that day? Really?" "I already told you what happened, Flint. He kissed me, I kissed back, and then he took it too far too fast and I left. I shouldn't have told you, I should have kept it to myself. If I had just stayed quiet and handled things on my own, none of this would have happened." Elizabeth felt the tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't let them make it past there. She knew that if she had kept quiet, everything would have been more calm, but it also would have made her feel a thousand times worse. She was on the fence, unsure if she had made the right choice.
"Do you need me to go, Flint?" her voice cracked, and she mentally cursed herself. voice cracked, and she mentally cursed herself. So much for being strong.
He looked at her and said,
"Well when you wrote it down you said he almost raped you Elizabeth." He kicked himself mentally. She then went on to explained if she handled things on her own this wouldn't have happened. He thought of what to say, as he did though her voice cracked, asking if he wanted her to go. part of him screamed yes, the other made him think otherwise. Despite her throat punching him, he didn't want her to be hurt any more from his actions.
Flint shook his head, She had to be crying...
"Elizabeth..." He didn't know what to say, He shook his head.
"If you didn't tell me, you would probably be drunk still upstairs, or worse. dead." He rubbed the back of his head as he turned away.
"Guuuuah!" he yelled at himself. He didn't even know what he was mad at any more.
" Why did you hit me?"Elizabeth glared at her knuckle, it was still red from when she had punched him.
"Because I'm an idiot, Flint. I'm an idiot that exaggerated everything. I pushed you to help me, then I didn't except your help." her voice wasn't as sad anymore, instead it was fierce. She was angry, but the anger was directed at herself. Everything was in shambles, because she had exaggerated her silly little adventure with Emiliano. She held out a hand to support Flint, but her fingers only brushed his back before she pulled them away.
"I'm the cause of this, all of it.""Why? Why did you exaggerate about what happened?" He turned back to look at her, after feeling her fingers on his back. He looked at her. Wanting to just leave the woman there and walk away. He could have Killed an innocent man.
Elizabeth's lip quivered, and she almost laughed at how desperate she must have looked. Like a child who was given his candy, or a dog who wasn't allowed table scraps. A sudden realization appeared in her mind, and she flew back as if someone had hit her.
"Do you think I did it to...to attract you? To get your attention? Do you really think that low of me?" her eyes became hard, and her face emotionless. She squared her shoulders to look more dignified.
"If you think that's the reason, then good for you. It's not. The note was for myself, I shouldn't have exposed you to it, it was childish of me. Indecent." Elizabeth pulled the remaining string of confidence she had inside her, and used it to point at him.
"However, if you think I did it to get you on my side, I didn't. I'm not that idiotic, I wouldn't manipulate you. I am no whore, I am-was-a lady, and I got in over my head. Thinking I could be different, a hunter. How foolish am I?" she laughed at her own expense, it was hysterical, and bitter.
Flint looked at her with a confused look on his face, not knowing where she was pulling these accusassions from. He never even meant those things, he was really wondering why she exaggerated it. As her rant continued he stood straight up with a blank expression of his own, waiting for her to finish. Once she was, and it looked like she was about to leave him. He grabbed her arm gently but firmly enough to show that he did not want her to leave, but soft enough to show that he didn't mean harm. He looked at her with calm eyes as he said,
"I never, ever thought those things Elizabeth...I was just asking why you said that... that is all. I do not think you are a whore... nor did I think you did it to get my attention. I never thought that low of you." His anger flooded away despite her word.
He hesitated and reached up with his hand to brush her cheek. He then leaned forward slowly and kissed her on the lips gently, and for only a second. As he pulled back he said,
"If you never became a hunter, I would have never have met you. I don't care that this happened, I would have done it again if given the chance. I never like Emiliano anyways." He said with a smile. He dropped his hands from her shoulder and cheek and took a few steps as to leave.
Elizabeth kept a stern face as he looked at her with eyes that were far too calm for her liking. She was about to storm off to prove a point, when he grabbed her arm and held her there. Her anger dispersed, as he explained that he had never thought that way to begin with. She was about to apologize, when he moved suddenly, brushing her cheek and leaning in to kiss her. She had no time to react, or do anything, because as soon as his lips were against hers, they were gone again. She furrowed her brow, her brain working hard to come up with a response.
"Uh...yes." She said, as if that single reply was enough to make up for everything.
Liz punched him in the shoulder playfully, deciding on whether or not she should smile or frown.
"Flint, you know that we can't ever...never mind." Liz thought back to their previous interactions, how they had both admitted to not wanting to settle. That conversation had seemed to drift away, but it came back with a force that crushed her. She trailed her fingers across his cheek, and forced a smile.
"Do you even remember that talk? I wish it had never happened." She seemed to be far away as she said this, her voice plain and emotionless. They would never work, not if those words remained true.
Flint looked away and closed his eyes when she said they could never, He didn't need to hear her finish the sentence to know what she was about to say. She turned his head and trailed her fingers acrossed his cheek as she tried to tell him of a talk they had. He remebered, The fact she brought it up seemed to mean to him that she didn't want to settle down...not that he was asking that. He looked at her as she said it and closed his eyes. He remebered what the witch said in the caves. That he would eventually settle down.
"People can change... Elizabeth." He took her hand, figuring that she mentioned the talk to try to put him down gently. Even though it was more like dropping a bag of flour ontop of him. He lowered her hand with his.
"I understand though... " Even though Liz had pretty much said no to him, it still felt like a ton of bricks falling on her when he returned the favor. She nodded, staring at their hands and squeezing his tighter.
"I know people can change Flint, and I know that you will be one of those boys that change for the better." She felt like it was a good thing to say, but she wasn't sure how he would react to that.
"I think that I'm a step in the right direction, you just aren't there yet." with that, she pulled him into a hug. It was mostly so he couldn't see her face, as she started to tear up, but it was also so he would feel better. She wanted to be there for him, even if it wasn't in a romantic way. "You are such an amazing man. You have a lot going for you, you're charming, for one thing."
Now he felt like he was being treated like a child. He simply nodded, though he didn't return the hug. She didn't get what he had meant, even with the kiss. He remained silent as she said he was an amazing man, and that he was charming. If that was the case why did he feel like this was the case at the moment. When a moment had passed, he then said.
"Right... sure." He then pulled away.
"I...need to be alone for a bit...Sorry." he said as he turned and continued to walk to find a yew tree.
Elizabeth didn't resist as Flint pulled away. It made her feel a pain worse than any she had felt, knowing she was letting him walk away. Distancing herself from Flint was something she never thought she would have to do, but a small part of her encouraged it, telling her that all would be better with time. She leaned against the nearest tree for support, forcing herself to smile through the pain.
"Goodbye Flint, stay safe." with a nod, she turned and headed in the opposite direction, away from him. Unsurprisingly, those steps were some of the heaviest she had ever taken.