walking target;

“Oh, yeah?” Dani chuckled, blushing lightly as she ducked her head. “I could say the same.”

“Yeah.” Thomas reached for her chin and lifted it gently. “Good, I was hoping you would say that.” He wasn’t sure what was going on between them. “Dani, I really enjoy it whenever we are together.”

Cassie: Hey! Made it safe and sound :)

Cassie: How're things there?

Thomas: Hey! That is really good to hear. :)

“Coffee you and me?” He questioned, looking over at her for a moment. Thomas wanted to catch up and he needed someone help with something. More like advice really.

“Uh, yeah, it did.” She smiled, looking at the screen before holding it out to him. “You photograph pretty well…”

Danielle chuckled, looking back at him as she hurried in when he moved aside. “Thanks.” She smiled, feeling a bit better to be out of it, though of course she was freezing and pretty much soaked. “Thanks.” She said, watching him a moment before she moved through to pull off her wet clothes and wrap herself in a towel.

“Anytime.” Thomas had told her that and he meant it. So he didn’t mind that she stopped by at all. He grabbed some clothes for her, moving over to the bathroom, he raised his hand and knocked on it. “I’ve got those clothes for you.” He told her. “I can make you some warm tea or something if you want.” 

Danielle didn’t think she deserved this, that was the thing. She wouldn’t have minded if he told her he wanted to break up. It was the lies and the cheating and the ignorance that upset her. Not losing him. She wasn’t in love with him or anything. She’d tried to be at one point, but she wasn’t. “I figured we could go walk down to that little lake in the woods?” She wondered, looking up at him. She liked hanging out there and it would be nice to not to be there alone.

Danielle smiled again, nodding. She lifted her other hand and wiped her eyes because this whole thing had sort of brought emotional tears to her eyes. She shook her head, telling herself he wasn’t worth getting upset over. Not if he was like this. “Thanks, Thomas…” She said gently, feeling something comforting in his words even if it was only slight. He was being nice and she appreciated it. She took her phone out again and scrolled through her contacts, quickly blocking Oliver’s number. If he was done but didn’t have the balls to tell it to her face, she didn’t want to hear it at all. “Come on, uh… let’s keep walking.” She said, turning to move off again but she reached for Thomas’s hand this time, comforted that she wasn’t alone.

Danielle smiled a little. She wasn’t expecting him to go kick someone’s ass but it was a nice image anyway considering the betrayal she’d just been hit with. “He acted like he cared.” She muttered, shaking her head. “And then he goes and does this..” Danielle couldn’t really understand why people would do that instead of just breaking up with a person they didn’t want to be with. When he moved her hands, she let him though he surprised her by placing his hand on her cheek. She sniffed a little, sighing as she looked up at him. “No… I know not everyone is, I just…” She knew she wasn’t good enough, she knew she was too damaged for anyone to actually love but she’d let herself believe for a minute and now this happens. “I just feel so stupid.” She brushed her fingers across the back of his hand.

“Yeah… understatement of the century.” Danielle sighed. She frowned. “I..” It was unlikely he wanted to hear all about her boy drama but she felt like she had to try and let it out or she’d lose it. “Maybe..” She managed a weak little smile when he mentioned kicking his ass. Would amuse her at least after seeing the pictures. “I.. mean it’s felt like he’s been blowing me off for over a month now and I kind of… felt like I had to steel myself for a break up but I figured… you know… that he’d be a freaking man and just tell me that he was done with me. That’s what you should do. Isn’t it? Grow a pair and show people some… damn decency and respect.” Dani sucked in a breath and looked up at him again after a pause. She ended up letting out a humourless chuckle. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Danielle covered her face with her hands, embarrassed. “You don’t need me dumping this crap on you.” She was making a fool of herself and this had all felt so nice a few moments ago when he’d found her.

Danielle looked back at him, stopping in her tracks and shrugging. “No…I mean, yeah… I mean it was okay. Two seconds ago.” She mumbled, sighing and feeling like she sounded like a freak. She didn’t want to ruin the nice atmosphere they’d had going but she also felt a bit blindsided. She’d been preparing for a break up talk or some bollocks about how he couldn’t handle her emotions. Not to be cheated on by a tiny-pricked gutless boy. “Just…” She shrugged and held the phone out to him. “That’s my boyfriend. Well. Was. Clearly.”

Danielle rolled her eyes at him but she couldn’t help chuckling again. How was he always so good at making her laugh? “I mean.. that sounds fine to me?” She shrugged. “If you say so, idiot.” She laughed again as she stood up. “Come on then, we’ll go this way..” Dani turned to start walking with him. Her phone went off and she checked it in case it was her mum or something… and of course got a bit of a shock when she saw it was from -A and the pictures. She sort of spaced out for a moment. “…asshole.” She muttered after she’d stood there frozen staring for a while. She blinked, remembering Thomas was there. “I… sorry. Sorry.”

Dani smiled lightly at him. “I wouldn’t want to ruin your whole carnival experience.” She chuckled. “What would we do instead?” She questioned, wondering if he’d even have any ideas. Truthfully, sitting in the middle of a field would be better than being at the carnival. “You’re an idiot.” She joked, elbowing him gently once more with a laugh. “I don’t wanna sit here anymore… wanna come for a walk?”