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Avoiding the inevitable

Chapter 16

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The two women were seated in the backseat of the town car whilst they were both responding to emails on their phones. They were on their way back to be delivered straight home after a long and stressful day because of a photoshoot Miranda had wanted to attend in person since the creation of the project consisted of a ridiculously high price tag. The shoot had taken the duo a little outside of the city. The drive over had been nearly two hours' worth without even a single minute where they hadn’t been making calls or sending texts to ensure that everything was proceeding according to the plan and schedule.   

Sending off her final email of the day, Andy tucked away her phone in her bag, rested her head against the backrest, and closed her eyes while letting out a tired but satisfied sigh. Turning her head to look outside of the window, she marveled and softly hummed in awe at the sight of the sun setting behind the horizon, painting the sky and veil-clouds in a variety of magical blue, yellow, orange, and red hues. Even if this sunset was one of the most magnificent ones Andy had ever seen, her mind couldn’t help but acknowledge that there would always be one sight that would effortlessly triumph over all the beauty the world possessed.    

Letting her eyes focus on the glass of the window, Andy gazed to admire the translucent reflection of the silver-haired woman, only to notice that Miranda was looking in her direction. Andy watched as Miranda’s eyes seemed to roam over every inch of her as if she were taking in every single little detail. With Miranda being unaware that Andy was watching her, she marveled excitingly at the unguarded look on Miranda’s face.   

The usual self-controlled, indifferent features had softened remarkably, bathing Miranda’s face in a serene warmth. The ironclad strictness of the always alluring pink lips had charmingly eased into a gentle smile, cold arctic blues had assuaged soothingly into a gaze full of tenderness, and dare say, fondness?    

Andy felt her heart constrict in yearning at the delicately stunning visage, causing her body to thrum in a blazing rapture. The breathtaking and heart-stopping manifestation overwhelmed the young woman’s sensitivity regarding Miranda as a tempestuous whirlwind swept up and captured her emotions and her thoughts swirled through her mind in frenzied turbulence.    

“Breathtaking,” Andy suddenly heard herself breathe.   

Andy continued to watch Miranda’s reflection as blue eyes slightly widened. Then, a perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose in a seemingly lighthearted incredulity as the gentle smile continued to compliment her flawlessly sculpted features.   

“Hmm.” Miranda hummed and softly agreed. “It is a rather beautiful sunset.”    

Andy turned her head, hazel eyes capturing arctic blues in a heavily charged gaze. At that moment, Andy didn’t realize that the rational part of her mind had been senselessly overtaken by her treacherous heart.   

“I wasn’t talking about the sunset.” Andy breathily admitted. Miranda raised a questioning eyebrow, indicating her to continue. Not breaking their gaze, Andy turned in her seat so she was facing the older woman.   

“Remember my letter?” Andy began.   

“How could I forget such an astounding piece of obsequious groveling?” Miranda said but the sarcasm it was delivered with, held not even the slightest hint of malice.   

Andy chuckled huskily, then questioned further. “Yes, well. Do you remember what it said about definitions?”   

“Hm, yes.” Miranda nodded. “I recall you stating the word ‘admire’ spoke of two definitions you thought that resolutely applied to me. However, I always wondered what the second one was.”   

“You didn’t look it up yourself?” Andy queried.   

Miranda shook her head. “I had an inkling that you might one day reveal that one to me. So, why spoil the treat?” She finished with a smirk.  

Andy chuckled again. “As unpredictable as ever, I see.”   

Miranda responded, feigning a haughty demeanor. “Ah, yes. One of those many pleasant qualities you appointed to me.”   

Andy nodded as she grinned. “Indeed, I did.”   

With curious eyes, Miranda slightly inclined her head to the side. “Thus, are you going to state your fourth declaration to me now, Andréa?”   

Andy paused for a moment as she licked her lips. “To admire.” She began softly but zealously. “To look at and regard with wonder… or pleasure at something, or someone impressive, attractive, or...”   

An ear-deafening, tension brimming silence draped over the two women for a heavily loaded moment.   

“Or what?” Miranda questioned covertly intrigued.   

Andy whispered darkly. “Or desirable.”    

Andy watched with rapt captivation as arctic eyes dimmed over their opal shade into a drowning ocean blue.   

“Explain,” Miranda instructed quietly, voice seemingly slightly strained.   

Andy gazed over Miranda’s shoulder to take in the rapidly darkening passing scenery.   

After a long, tense moment, she began, her eyes glazing over by an intense contemplation. “The enchanting beauty of the setting sun is rather unpredictable, wouldn’t you say?”    

Andy paused for a moment, lips curling up in a small wistful reminiscent smile that fleetingly faded into a look of earnest solemnity. “It’s such a fleeting concept. You see, the ambient vista has quite an unreliable nature, now that I think about it. Due to its exposing display being entirely dependable on so many elements. The seasons, for example. During wintertime, and fall as well, it will be a rather unstable prospect if you’re out looking to behold a sunset. The weather plays such a universal role in it.”   

She shook her head a little, entirely engrossed in her musings. “You won’t be able to even catch a glimpse at the setting rays if the skies are consumed by thick grey clouds. Dark gloomy weather makes it absolutely futile if you want to bask in the final lit minutes of the evening. Such are the days when it pours down from the heavens. Those rainy days are even more disheartening as they are hopeless since they will unequivocally continue with their arrivals during summer and spring. So, even on hot summer nights, exists the possibility that you’ll be robbed of a desirable sunset. And even if the universe has fated you a favor and you do manage to see it setting when the sky is free from any veiled obscurations, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll encounter one in its significant splendor.”    

Chuckling drearily at herself, Andy continued, a hint of sorrow lacing her voice. “The harsh truth is that the heavens might not be painted by nature’s treacherous hand, won’t be colored with an enamoring array of passionate shades or romantic hues to reinvigorate and enrapture your longing soul. It will only continue to solemnly dim and blacken somber shadows over our world until you’re completely concealed by darkness. Left to wallow in disenchanting disappointment.”    

Andy hummed pessimistically as she shook her head once more and frowned. “And furthermore, that’s what a sunset consequently leads up to, isn’t it? Darkness. The disillusioning sunset is what ultimately and dreadfully robs you from even being able to see any representing symbolization of beauty. It takes away your vision to regard, wonder, behold, observe, distinguish, discover, and so forth.”   

The brunette paused for a moment, silently acknowledging what everything was leading up to. “It basically strips away your ability to admire.”   

Andy blinked out of her contemplating daze as she focused her eyes back to gaze at mystifying ocean blues. “So, this brings me to my fourth declaration. Implicating that you are nothing like a sunset, Miranda. By virtue of your admirable beauty being a constant presence in my life.”   

Andy chuckled lightly, an adoring gleam in her eyes. “And I know what you might be thinking. You’ll think that a person’s beauty can’t possibly be a constant concept. You’ll think a person will age, lose their youthfulness, their vivacity, their fairness, their liveliness, and so forth. And yes, aging is inevitable. But that doesn’t take away a person’s beauty. Quite the contrary. I think a person becomes more beautiful with age. It means they’ve lived, learned, and grown. That enhances a person’s authentic resplendency. Simultaneously meaning that beauty doesn’t solely exist on appearances alone. It lives on inside of us as well.”   

Andy’s tone brimmed with vigorous sincerity as her eyes steadfastly pierced Miranda’s drowning oceans. “And that’s something that will never fade away. Not even in death. As you can carry on someone’s beauty inside of you. You pass it on for a heartfelt remembrance, you can even pass it on through fertility. As long as there are people around that love you, your beauty will continue to live on infinitely in this world. You’ll continue on to be admired, till the end of time.”   

The sun had already set behind the horizon. The night’s darkness surrounded the two women, cloaking them in a bewitching atmosphere, guarding their enraptured souls in the clandestine moment as their charged gazes were captured in disembodying spiritual entanglement.   

Heavy breaths caught in thundering chests as a blaring horn of a passing truck broke through the profoundly laden, suppressing silence that had encompassed its prisoners.   

Andy flinched and blinked, an unforeseen overwhelming turbulent tidal wave crashing into her mind, flooding her with self-consciousness.    

Feeling mortifyingly embarrassed with burning red cheeks, Andy looked shyly down at her lap as she cleared her throat, rubbing at the back of her neck. “So, yeah. Uhm, that’s that, I guess, y’know. The ending-, sort of-, to my letter-, if you will.”   

“Hm.” Miranda hummed softly, a beautiful unguarded smile gracing her features. “I never would have thought that you could be so articulate, Andréa. Considering that most of the time, you evidently jabber in a blathering clutter of disarray. Precisely as you did just now.”   

Andy couldn’t stop her endearing laughter at the lightheartedly delivered remark from Miranda. “I know.” Her laughter faded into a chuckle. “I’m not usually such a babbling mess, y’know. But you seem to invoke that peculiarity out of me.”   

“So, it seems.” Miranda paused, seemingly to contemplate what she wanted to say next. “I can see clearly now why you want to be a writer. You are rather eloquent when you express something you are, well, passionate about.”   

Andy blinked, in an instant, a face-splitting, mega-watt beaming smile emerged on her face. “Wow.” She breathed. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”   

“Yes, well.” The silver-haired woman sniffed as a corner of her mouth twitched, seemingly trying to hide another smile. “Seems only fair I return the favor, since you so outspokenly silver-tongued your way into declaring that you admire my allegedly amaranthine beauty.”   

A rousing blast erupted in the pit of Andy’s fluttering stomach by the words Miranda had used to describe her eloquence, filtering the inhibition out of her double-entendre-laced response. “You certainly have a cajoling way with enticing words yourself, Miranda.”   

An ostensibly lecherous glint fleetingly flickered in ocean blues as Miranda’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “I am rather well known for thought-provoking my minions with my quick-witted sharp-tongue, aren’t I, Andréa?”   

Andy nodded leisurely, feeling a simmering sweat transpire on her back as her body thrummed with titillation. “Yes, you most explicitly are.” She breathed. “It is with unquestionable wonder that you have the world kneeling before your feet, Miranda.”   

“Hm.” Miranda hummed as she ran the knuckle of her index finger over her bottom lip. “And do you?”   

“Do I what?” Andy questioned.   

The lecherous glint flickered in ocean blues once more. “Do I have you kneeling at my feet, Andréa?”   

The energetic atmosphere surrounding the two women within the suddenly cramped confinements of the back of the town car pulsated with an electrifying, tension brimming intensity. The hair-raising, crackling air surged over the younger woman’s skin, triggering, and awakening a never before felt sensitivity of her senses. Feeling as if the clothes touching her body had her bound and constricted in an unpleasant, feverishly tightening strangulation.   

Andy responded in a low, strained voice. “I admire you.” She cleared her throat. “Doesn’t that confirm that you have me doing exactly that, Miranda?”   

Wicked eyes, gazed unabashedly as an audaciously devilish grin appeared on Miranda’s face. “Is there something else that I’m having you do, Andréa?” There was no denying the suggestiveness dripping from Miranda’s voice.   

Suddenly, several flashes of late-night memories flickered through Andy’s mind, where she saw her naked self, sweating on her bed in the secrecy of her dark bedroom whilst she unceremoniously sexually pleasured herself with carnal lewdness to thoughts and visions of the older woman.    

The smug, knowing look on Miranda’s face overpowered Andy with shameful mortification and humiliation causing all her previous rousing feelings to evaporate in an instant, overtaken by bitterness and irritation instead.   

Andy felt her uncontrollable temper  rise  to the forefront of her being as she nearly growled. “Are you belittling me, Miranda? Does it amuse you to play me like that?”   

In a freezing instant, Miranda schooled her features back into a callous expression as she raised a menacing eyebrow and snarled. “What on earth are you babbling about?”   

Andy scoffed in incredulity. “Oh, don’t start feigning ignorance now, Miranda. You’re toying with me. Again. You probably think my declarations are pathetic, coming from your lapdog of an assistant, don’t you?”   

Miranda rolled her eyes as she mocked with annoyance. “I see. You think I am stepping on your toes, aren’t you? Seems like your insecurities are getting the better of you, Andréa.”   

Andy tightly clenched her fists, knuckles turning white as her eyes flared with aggravation. “Does it please you, to taunt me into feeling pathetic about myself?” She sneered. “Are you really that coldhearted that you’re mocking my admiration for you?”   

“André-”   

Andy scornfully shook her head as she interrupted Miranda. “Are you seriously trying to ridicule me when I’ve been nothing but candid and heartfelt about my thoughts and-”   

Andr -”   

Growling, Andy spoke over Miranda once again, too tormented to realize that her temper had vanquished her rational sanity. “Are you really that conceited that you’re using my feelings to boast your pride? Or are you-”   

“Andréa.”   

Her rising anger getting the better of her, Andy yelled. “What?! Miranda, what? Why are you belittling me?! After everything I’ve-”   

“Andréa! Will you just stifle that jabbering mouth of yours for a minute!” The loud, exasperating, not quite yelling voice of Miranda had stunned Andy into silence, for never having heard Miranda raise her voice before.    

Miranda grumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “For heaven’s sake, you are giving me a headache.”   

She looked up again, piercing Andy with an incensed gaze. “I am not belittling you, Andréa. I cannot even begin to comprehend as to why that thought suddenly infested into that feebleminded little head of yours.”   

Andy scoffed incredulously as she rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with enraged bitterness. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, right? Didn’t you just hear yourself?! You literally just insulted me yet again! You've been belittling me for months on end, Miranda! I had to listen to you mock, ridicule, and insult me at least a dozen times a day for fucking months. So, don’t talk such bullshit. Don’t you dare say that you don’t understand why I suddenly feel assailed by you. You’ve mercilessly drilled and hammered such vulnerable instability into me, to the point of you degrading me even in my nightmares, for God’s sake. That’s not something I can just simply shake off and forget as if it hadn’t affected and damaged me in some way,  Miranda .”   

Andy spat out the editor’s name with contempt. Turning around, she looked outside of the window at the darkness of the night, feeling as if she were staring into a resemblance of her tarnished soul. Frustratingly shaking her head at herself, she tried to focus on her breaths, attempting to calm her temper, raging thoughts and boiling blood.   

A heavily oppressed silence weighed down upon the two women for several long excruciating moments.    

“You’re right.” The whispered words of Miranda broke through the stillness that had overburdened them.   

Andy continued to shelter herself in her unmoving passiveness.   

Miranda sighed. “Even though I find your eloquence quite displeasing this time, I cannot deny that you are right. I acknowledge now that I have been rather cruel towards you, Andréa.”   

Continuing to gaze outside the window, Andy rested her chin in her hand as she muttered. “Took you long enough.”   

After another oppressed pause, Miranda responded, a slight hint of consternation lacing her tone. “Yes, well. I admit I might have let myself get carried away in the asperity of my antagonistic blood.”   

Andy distraughtly shook her head, glanced at Miranda for a second, then turned back towards the window. “Don’t.” She whispered. “Don’t do that either, Miranda. Don’t disparage yourself.”   

“Then what do you want me to do, Andréa?” Miranda questioned irritably but with a tinge of distress. “I have admitted to being at fault, have I not? Honestly, what more could you want from me? Do you want me to-…"   

Miranda’s voice trailing off had Andy turning her head to look at the older woman. Miranda looked at her with apprehending suspicion, seemingly in hesitation as to what to say next.   

“Miranda?” Andy queried with unease, starting to feel apprehensive herself.   

“I-,” Miranda began, apparently feeling unsure about how to proceed.    

“Are you okay?” Andy whispered anxiously.  

“Yes. I-, well. I should-, need to-, you know.” Miranda let out a frustrated breath as she flicked her hand in the air, then frowned and shook her head at herself.   

“I’m starting to grow really worried here,” Andy said, lightly freaking out. “Why are you blathering like me?”  

“I do not  blather , Andréa.” Miranda snarled. “I am merely trying to apologize.” Then she huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked out of her own window.   

Andy stared at Miranda with widened incredulous eyes as her mouth hung slightly hung open in shock. After a breath, boisterous laughter resounded through the back of the town car.   

Miranda’s head snapped back around as she squinted at the laughing assistant, as well as pursing her lips. When Andy’s laughter died down, Miranda sneered. “What on earth had you making that ridiculous sound?”   

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” Andy chuckled as she wiped a tear away, then realizing what she had said, proceeded to erupt into uproarious laughter once more.   

“Honestly, Andréa. Quit that cackling of yours and tell me what you find so comical.” Miranda complained irritably.   

“Oh, Miranda.” Andy breathed, wiping at another tear. “I just can’t believe how painfully challenging it was for you to try an attempt at an apology when I didn’t even realize how freely I was giving them  out to you.” Andy giggled, her face-splitting, mega-watt smile lightening up the darkness of the town car.   

Miranda’s narrowed eyes sternly regarded the younger woman. Andy watched in gleeful delight as Miranda’s lips twitched into a genuine smile as a light, charming laughter suffused her heart, making it overflow with loving adoration.   

Miranda chuckled out her laugh, her features unrivaled by the beautification of the joyous look on her face. “Yes. That is rather ridiculous, isn’t it?”   

“Glad we finally agree on something.” Andy giggled, then because she simply couldn’t keep the lovely discovery of her epiphany to herself, said. “You are absolutely, stunningly beautiful when you laugh, Miranda.”   

Miranda rolled her eyes lightheartedly. “Do not dare tell that to anyone. I do not want you out there tarnishing my reputation.”   

“Oh, no. I would never.” Andy chuckled as she shook her head. “This has been something personal that I’ll continue to cherish from now on. It’s of nobody else’s business as far as I’m concerned.”   

Miranda shook her head as well, as she gazed, seemingly affectionate, at Andy. “You are ridiculous, Andréa.”   

“I know.” Andy shrugged grinning. “Better get used to it.”   

“Hm.” Miranda thoughtfully regarded her for a moment. “Perhaps I will.”   

The two women smiled at each other for a long valuing, comfortable moment until Miranda glanced over Andy’s shoulder.   

“I will see you tomorrow, Andréa.”   

Andy raised her eyebrows in confusion. “What?” Then felt the car slow down to a stop, looking over Miranda’s shoulder, she realized they had arrived at Miranda’s townhouse. “Oh.” She gazed back at the editor as she nodded and smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Miranda. Have a pleasant evening.”   

Miranda graced the brunette with one final unguarded smile. “You as well, Andréa.”  

Notes:

This has been my favorite chapter I've worked on so far!

I really hope y'all liked it?!

What d'ya think of Andy's fourth declaration?

I worked really hard on that, but it's been a great joy to do so!