open hearts, pizza and wine / ft. clarence

- - the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” (@clarence baxter)

The sand was still warm. Peyton was walking bare foot, enjoying the view and the sunset, bringing with her a bottle of rosé. Earlier that day, Clarence had called her, talking about how he was feeling, he seemed to have a lot on his mind and to be honest, Peyton as well. She was coming back from her business trip in Arizona, it was great, the first time ever travelling for work and to be honest, she could have done it a million times. She was walking on the beach, half way to meet Clare, to enjoy and share a pizza, few glasses of wine and a good chat, her life wasn’t really easy at the moment, she was going through such a hard time, wondering if she was making the good choices. Today was her day off, she needed one after the stress she had been feeling lately, dealing with the whole public relation business of the hotel wasn’t an easy thing to do even if her boss was trusting her. Alone with her thoughts, she was wondering where her relationship was going, if her and her boyfriend were meant to be, this have been a serious question since the beginning and today, she was trying to sort it out, to answer it clearly. That wasn’t an easy thing. From far away, she saw Clarence, already sat in the sand, probably waiting for her. She wasn't really on time, clearly distracted by her own personal drama. She had lost all track of time today, until the moment she realized the sunset had begun, a little bit earlier. She was now walking, trying to fast it up a little bit to avoid Clarence to wait too long after her. After few minutes, she finally arrived, ready to enjoy this evening with this guy she had been consider like her little brother, for as long as she could remember. Hey sweetface, sorry I’m late! She exclaimed, smiling but a bit embarrassed due to her being late. Peyton was quite a punctual person but she can be distracted easily, especially lately. She sat near him and put the bottle of wine on the blanket that was spread across the sand. Long time no see! Said she. She had known him for quite a while at this point, she always considered him like a little brother, letting him know that he could call at any time, she would always be there for him. After all, Peyton was too much of a nice person, always present to help the one she cares about.

it was one of those days. the ones where clare wished he could disappear in thin air, leave everything behind. he wished he could forget everything, vittoria, daisy. the only two women who ever mattered in a way or another, the ones which kept tearing his heart apart, as if one was on the left side of his heart and the other on the right side, both pulling to see who would win. after all, he was only a mere prize for both of them, another trophy they'd add to their toxic competition. when he woke up, daisy by his side, he knew trouble would come. the lady was not always so pleasant in the morning and he'd have to keep up with her moods all day, bossing him around both on the ice and outside. he stopped fighting her a long time ago as it was more tiring than just letting her go her own way. so, he texted her. peyton was like the big sister he never had, only child who grew up alone, surrounded by gold medals and parental pressure, he had the luxury of having her. he could be himself around her, not the boy who desperately tries to please his parents all the time, as his relationship with daisy proves it. he hadn't seen her in a few days, and he missed her. the times they shared together were precious to him, maybe the most precious times he ever lived since vittoria left, since he wasn't allowed to see her anymore. broken-hearted, she was probably the person who helped him most get over this, to get back on his feet, as steady as he once was. so, he texted her. "i need to see you, meet me at the beach tonight? i'll bring pizza" they didn't need words. she'd know by reading his text, that something was wrong. the beach was their special place, the one where he allowed himself to reveal all of his feelings to her, these same feelings who be caught by the waves and never return. it was a soothing place, for his heart, for his soul. and having her by his side only enhanced his peace. he waited for her, but he didn't mind. ashai by his side, his right hand busy patting him, his eyes caught by the sunset and the waves, as always. since he was a child he was mesmerized by this moment which became his favorite time of day in a matter of months. when he heard her voice, a large smile appeared on his face. he couldn't help it, her mere presence was like honey for his soul. « well hello my love » he said, one of his eyebrows raised. « you're even prettier than usual AND you have rosé. how can i even blame you for being late ? » as she sat near him he kissed her on the cheek, one of his old habits, one which was important to him, meant something to him. « i could say the same, stranger. luckily for me, i have ashai to keep me company » he smiled at her, cheeky as he always was with her. he simply could not help it. she brought out the best in him.

- - the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” (@clarence baxter)

A long and painful day. Doing nothing was exhausting. Complaining as well. She had been siting in the couch all day, watching movie and eating chocolate, wondering how comes she wasn’t that happy after all. Her job was amazing, it was making her feel useful. She was happy to have this beautiful house. However, something was missing. A piece that didn’t allow the puzzle to be complet. That made her feel incomplete. A long day came to an end and now, she was about to enjoy this evening, to have a chat about everything, the good among other stuff. No words needed to understand each other, this was enough to explain how close and bounded they were. Thank you tho! You’re not bad either! She laughs, she was feeling a tiny bit better already, because she wasn’t thinking about every single thing in her life that went wrong. There wasn’t much but they still were enough to make her feel sad. Bad about herself sometimes. She already discussed everything that wasn’t feel right with Lyam, few days ago but that probably wasn’t enough. She still needed to talk to see things clearer. Being with Clare was like taking a breath of fresh air. No worries, I’m back now! He’s her friend and she pointed the fact that she was definitely back now. After six years in San Francisco, doing everything possible to success professionally. That was exhausting as well. She’s smiling while looking at him. She couldn’t remember when was the last thing she had a proper conversation with a friend, a proper friend. Face to face, not other the phone, where you can hide basically everything except the tone of your voice. More serious, she’s looking at him and asked him to talk to her. So, what’s on your mind, love? Probably a million things. A pizza, some rosé and a friend, that was the best cure for broken hears and both of them needed this tonight.

the beach was his happy place. the sound of waves crashing on the sand had a way of soothing his heart, his soul in a way nothing else ever did. he was at peace there, with ashai by his side, one hand buried in his fur, the sun shining on his sun-kissed skin, covered by freckles. but having peyton with him only increased this feeling, he could be himself around her. his true self, not the character he built for his parents, for the ice, for the journalists. she was one of those people, the ones who move you dearly, the ones you never let go. she was essential to him, they didn't have to text each other all day or visit each other every week. they were close without having to force their relationship. « ice skating does have its benefits » he winked at her as a smile grew on his face. for as long as he can remember, he always told himself that she was pretty. really pretty, but not in a romantic way. he could never picture them in such a way. she was like a sister to him, too precious to loose over something like that. he was relieved to see her back in carmel after six long years in san francisco, far away from him and their beach. he visited her, a few times, but it wasn't like being at home. « thank god you're back, the girls are starting to drive me nuts, like for real » he sighed as he opened the pizza boxes, one for each. « one pepperoni for you my love and one chicken and pineapple for me » his smile was wide, revealing his front teeth, already hearing the comments she would make on his choice. he started to eat as he kept an eye on ashai, he wasn't up for a bath coming home, opening the bottle peyton brought, pouring a glass for them both. « well how can i sum this up. daisy and i keep on arguing and i saw vittoria again » he pinched both his lips until they became as white as his porcelain skin. « i kissed her and she left and now i feel like a fool » he said, biting into his pizza as a way to comfort himself.

- - the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” (@clarence baxter)

A nice, quiet evening, that’s all she needed. On the beach, the best place on earth when you need to focus on your life but you don’t want to feel to stressed about it. An evening sky, beautiful, an evening when you still can feel the warmth of the day. How strange was it to feel that close to someone even after years without seeing them frequently? Peyton and Clarence were those kind of people. She was protecting him, keeping an eye on him and following his growth, personal and even professional. She was like her proud sister but she wasn’t saying too much about it. Indeed! She never did ice skating, she wish she could do it but she never tried. Maybe she was missing on something there, she could have been good at it… or not! Yeah, I’m back! Oh my god, can you imagine how much I have missed this place? Cause that was true. This place has seen her growing and become the person she was today. She was listening carefully. Girls, girls, girls, was she surprised? Absolutely not. How dare you? Pineapple on pizza? That’s a crime! I can’t even look at you right now… She started to laugh, amused by this. Okay, she can’t understand why people were putting pineapple on pizza, that was definitely the worst crime ever committed. She grabbed a slice of pizza, smiling. This food was definitely the best for shattered hearts. Everyone knows that, it’s a fact. Oh, god. It takes some time you know, right now this sucks but you and Vittoria, have a past, right? They used to talk about it quite often in the past. Regarding Daisy, you know how girls are? I mean, I am one so I can probably help with that if you don’t already know the answer! Girls were annoying. Peyton used to be in that phase where she was constantly arguing with Aaron. Even now, that was happening too often. They were having nicer moments but all she could remember was mainly the reason of their fights and that wasn’t helping.

the beach became his place not long after the accident. he found the sound of waves soothing, reminding him that things go forth and back. it's the way things work, nothing can ever be eternal. how could vittoria and him ever be eternal ? he dreamt of it. her fall only made things worse, even more painful for them both. he can still remember the heartbreak he felt when leandro told him she didn't want to see him anymore. he knew something broke inside of him that day. that things would never be the same, that he would never be the same. without her, everything was different. his life changed in a matter of days, turning his world upside down. but the only stable thing in that mess was peyton. even tho she wasn't around at that time, she was his escape. he came to visit her more often than he usually did, in a vain attempt to escape his new reality. but having her back in carmel was comforting. he knew she'd be here from now on. « i can only imagine » he said, dreamy. for as long as he can remember, he has always wanted to get away from this place, see the world and everything it has to offer. but he was stuck here. stuck with the rink until he broke his leg or another ten years until he could retire. he envied peyton, sometimes. she was not tied to something, if she didn't like what she was doing she could just change it. but things were not so simple for the golden boy. his parents would never let him. he sighed as his eyes crashed into the waves. but hearing her laughter soothed both his soul and his heart, laughing with her a few seconds later. « you have no taste, it's not my fault love » he said with a flirty wink. she was the only person he would ever overshare with, the only person he trusted. disappointed by previous relationships, she was the only person he'd trust his life with. « yeah sure but past or not, i shouldn't have done that » he should have listened to his guts. he knew it was terrible idea, she only ever saw him as a brother. and that wasn't going to change with one kiss. but he just couldn't resist anymore. « she just doesn't love me like that » he said as he bit into his pizza with a gesture of anger against himself. « oh yes i know how girls are and how SHE is, we've been together for four years now » he loved her, truly. but not like he loved vittoria. daisy was his best friend, his soulmate but not in a romantic way. he could never love her like he loved his golden angel or give her everything he gave to vittoria. he just couldn't.

- - the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” (@clarence baxter)

The beach was definitely her favorite place in Carmel, it’s also the reason why she bought this fabulous house in front on the ocean, she likes to wake up in the morning, to sit in front of the beach and to enjoy the feeling of well-being it brings her. Peyton is one of those dreamers who’s inspired by the beach, the ocean, the salty smell of the waves breaking on the shore, like the nights she can’t sleep because she has too much in her mind. And tonight ain’t different from the other nights, she appreciates this evening with Clarence, those quiet moments, when you don’t need to talk to feel good because sometimes, the silence is enough, they don’t need grand speech when they have each other. They have plenty to say to each other, things moved on for Peyton lately and she can’t wait to talk about it — she needs a masculine point of view tho. Six years, it’s insane. Oh but, did I tell you? I broke up with Aaron like… ten days ago! Things were complicated, it wasn’t great between them lately, she needed space and her life got even more complicated after she dumped his ass. And it got more and more complicated each day since then but she was perfectly fine, a bit traumatized tho. Other than that, she was feeling good and life was great! Except for that pineapple pizza, what a sin! You know it’s a sin in Italy, right? Are you aware of that? Said she before laughing out loud. It was easy talking with him, keeping him company, they could say everything to each other, even the more embarrassing stuff and god know she has embarrassing stuff to say but nothing worse than pineapple pizza. He apparently does too. How did she react? She was an hopefully romantic, she thinks if people are meant to be, they will be, no matter how long it can takes sometimes. She truly believes that everyone will find a fit, because there is definitely a match for each person on this earth. Even if sometimes it seems like a terrible idea, she know it too well. We should drink to bad decision, I made a few lately. That was it. Truth and nothing else. She grabbed the bottle and opened it, taking out glasses from her bag, because she thinks about everything, all the time. She started pouring some wine in the glass before closing the bottle and giving to Clarence his glass. Cheers, hun! Said she. But, jeez, four years already? I can’t believe it, times flies. And don’t worry, girls are pain in the ass, I know it I’m one. They calm down growing up. What it real tho? Probably not because she wasn’t. She was the total opposite, she used to be quiet and now, she was like a storm!

being around peyton was soothing him. both his mind and soul. they had known each other for so long that it would be weird not to be around. he missed her during the time she was in san francisco even though he visited her a few times. he couldn't spend as much time as he wished he could because of his career but he tried, and that meant something to him. all those efforts they both made to stay in touch, to stay updated on the other's life. it was nice having someone like her around in such times. everything was going downhill recently and he needed her. his jaw dropped when she told him the news of her breakup with aaron, the guy she had been dating since highschool. « what? why? what happened? » he says, eager to find out the story. « are you alright? » that was the most important question. truth be told, he was ready to break the guy's knees if he ever hurt his peyton. he could not bear the idea of someone hurting her. and even though she was the oldest of them two, he felt the need to protect her if she ever needed it. he laughs when she says pineapples are a sin on pizzas. rolling his eyes in the same time, he glances at her. « thank god we're not in italy then » he winks at her with a charming look on his face - as if it ever worked on her. his cheeks blush as she asks him how vita reacted to their kiss, images burning his retina. « well she kissed me back and we spent some time on the beach » he admits with a shy smile on his face, feeling like a teenager all over again. but he knew he could tell her everything, even the most embarassing stuff. he raises his glass a few seconds after she gave it to him, cheering to bad decisions. and he made a lot during his lifetime. « yup, four years » he says, realizing in the mean time how long it has been since they started dating. « you know daisy, she's a firebolt i doubt she'll ever calm down one day » he laughs at this idea. in fact, he could not picture daisy being as calm as him on a daily basis, she was simply too frantic for that.

- - the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” (@clarence baxter)

They were sitting on the blanket, talking, catching up like the old times and Peyton was really glad about it. She had a lot in her minds and she needed to talk. As much as he apparently did as well. That was a friendly reunion, a nice moment between two friends who needed each other’s words and reassurance. Apparently, we don’t want the same things in life. After seven years, he told me he doesn’t want to get married, to have kids and I was like: okay but if you don’t want the same things than me, why are we together? Said like that, she sounded childish. However, she was feeling a bit sad at the time because they used to have that conversation and he never mentioned anything about this. That was it, but she was definitely feeling good and she answered to his question with the following words: I’m perfectly fine, trust me, I’m better off without him! That can sound weird but she wasn’t affected by the break up, at all, she wanted this, she thought about it a lot and that was definitely the best thing that could happen to her. Why wasting her time with someone who doesn’t know what he wants? And she wasn’t that sad, she had a shoulder to cry on if needed. You know, things change and some people are replaced… Not saying too much about it but she was definitely referring to her special relationship with Lyam, her boss. She had a lot to talk about but not too much at the same time because deep down inside, she was scared to be judge. But apparently, if he was able to eat pineapple pizza, he wouldn’t judge her for her sins. As he pointed it out, thanks god, they weren’t in Italy, definitely. Peyton laughed a bit. She didn’t say anything else, that was already enough and plus, they wouldn’t be alive, in Italy due to Clare’s sin. So thanks but no thanks. She listened to what he had to say about Vita and Daisy even. When he said to Peyton that Vita kissed him back, she looked at him, smiling. She was happy, she knew how hard it could to sometimes and she was hoping to meet a happier Clarence anytime soon. Awww, I knew it, that is so sweet! You see, it’s not that bad?! I mean, it’s complicated but everything will be okay, trust me! Peyton, the romantic. She had a heart full of hope, love and dreams, she was that person and listening to Clarence, seeing him reacting like he did, she was feeling good. And she definitely believes in destiny, if it’s meant to be, it will be. That’s it, end of discussion. He added few words regarding Daisy, she was a firebolt as he said. Peyton didn’t know her personally so she couldn’t say much but she trusted him. Yeah, well, okay some girls are tougher than others! She wasn’t one of those. And thanks god, she doesn’t match that type of personality.  

being here with peyton made him genuinely happy. he could not have dreamt of a better way to spend his evening. his three loves, ashai, the beach and peyton. without any order of preference of course. he needed someone to talk to and peyton had always been that person. his first crush even, when he was 7 or so. she never returned his feelings but he was glad because it resulted in the greatest friendship he ever had. one where there is no unsaid words or hidden feelings. he just knows he can be himself around her. not the boy who wins medals or wins the olympics. just him. his mouth drops in shock as he listens to his words. « well what does he want or expect after seven years together ? » his eyebrows raised, he lets out a small laugh. boys can be dumb sometimes. but she is happy, he is. a grin finds its place on his face as she talks about remplacement. « oh yeah ? didn't take you long to find another adonis » he winks at her, laughing. he just hopes it is someone trustworthy and good to her. not like that douchebag - aaron. he takes a bite into his pizza, his mind wandering off to the special moments he shared with vittoria. he felt truly happy with her. words were not even enough to describe what he feels around her or what they have. his love carved in marble. he listens to her, a soft smile on his face. with daisy and vittoria both in his life he felt whole. his bestfriend and the love of his life. but he knows it won't be easy, having the two girls around him. especially having to keep pretending being with daisy. that would not be a piece of cake. especially if people found out about vita being back in his life. that sure would make people talk. « yeah i hope things will work out as smooth as possible » he dreams of it. but he knows it won't be like that. because they never liked each other and he has always been the winning prize. a ball they can pass on to eacher other. « but knowing daisy and knowing vita, it won't be easy » he groans softly, already tired of a fight he hasn't begun to fight.