[Phone Call w/ Room 8] ~ Dimitri x Charlotte

In the middle of the night when all but a few were fast asleep, the up until now dead phones in the rooms 4 and 8 started ringing.

Charlotte had just confessed her love for Dimitri to Snow White when the phone rang, startling her. She quickly brushed the tears away and swallowed a few lumps stuck in her throat. It was no use, more kept coming.
She was terrified of the ringing phone, thinking it might be the villain himself calling. The last thing she wanted to do was pick it up, but Shang was still asleep, and the phone did not stop ringing. Eventually, the curiosity overcame her and she picked up the phone.
"H-hello?" she asked hesitantly with a broken voice from the crying.

Half asleep Dimitri heard the phone ring. He hadn't even contemplated that the phones in this place worked, but he imagined the only person it would be was the Villain.
He looked over to an asleep Odette, but imagined that after his last meeting with John it was more likely for him.
Voice tried and dry, still weak from before, he answered hesistantly. 'Hello?'

Her heart got stuck in her throat, and no matter how many times she swallowed it refused to move an inch. She felt happy, but devastated. Choked, but numb. She felt so many things at once. She could never have mistaken that voice for someone else, but it was just too surreal.
"Dimitri?" she asked all choked up. It almost sounded like a whisper, which was almost what it was.

'Charlotte?' he said suprised. 'W-What are you doing?'
It sounded stupid, but he was so shocked to here her it had caught him off guard. He cleared his throat to sound more clear, looking over at Odette and hoping he wouldn't wake her.

What she was doing?
Crying hysterically in the middle of a breakdown caused by the utter and total heartbreak and pain in her chest.
"I-I..." she couldn't even talk. She could barely even hold the phone, or stand up straight.
Was it really him..?

Her cries resonated out of the handset even when it was clear she wasn't holding the phone closely anymore. A sharp jab of guilt and pain hit him suddenly, and he desperately wanted her to stop crying so the feeling would go away.
'Charlotte...' he said, then realised she probably wouldn't hear if she was no longer holding the phone. 'Charlotte..' he said louder. 'Listen, please..'

She held her breath, as to not cry, while waiting patiently for what he was going to say.
She didn't want to hear it. He was probably just going to reject her again, but she was bracing herself for it.
Every bone in her body tensened as she awaited the rejection she was dreading.

He tried to think of what he was actually going to say. In reality all he wanted was for her to stop crying, and he had no idea what to phrase after that. He could tell her he knew she loved him, but what good would that do now? He could try and explain to her everything... try and describe to her what it was like to see someone you could have loved gone and know there was nothing you could do about it.
Silent he was faced with the issue of pushing her away again, knowing that would only hurt her even more and definately not stop the tears, or try his best to comfort her. But in reality he doubted she would even want him to comfort her.
In the end the only thing he could say was a measely 'sorry' which even as he said made him feel useless. He just couldn't imagine how he could explain anything to her.

"It's ok," she forced out.
It wasn't ok, but what else could she say? She didn't exactly want to trap Dimitri in a relationship buildt on guilt.
"It's not your fault."

'No' he said truthfully. 'This isn't anyones fault but mine.. And its nothing to do with you, so don't ever think that. Its only me and me alone, and thats the truth.'
He was trying painstakingly hard not to sound like he was trying the whole its not you its me routine. Genuinely this was what he felt.
'Charlotte I may not be able to get you out of here, but I have learnt some things from in here and that is I know where possible I can get you out of harms way.' He sighed. 'You saw what I was like... thats what happens in this place when you are stupid like me. And sure things could easily still happen to you, but I don't want you to be someone else the Villain will play with to make me do what he wants...'

She heard what he was saying, but his words provided little comfort.
It was all a lie of course, she knew that. The villain had never stopped him from being with Odette. It was her, he just didn't want her. He had never wanted her, so why would that change now?
"Stop it," she said, but she didn't sound angry. More like she was frustrated or if she had just given up.
"You don't have to make excuses for me, I get it. Really, it's... it's fine.." she said, almost whispering the last part.

'I'm not making excuses! This isn't an excuse! I'm tired.. I've told you... Everyone in this entire place that I've met has either betrayed me or got hurt by me....' He spoke slowly as to try and not raise his voice in frustration. It was annoying that she could just not see he was doing this for her benefit.
'You don't even know the half of it' he said very quietly.
Normally he would have told Charlotte everything that was going on. How much he hurt right now, or that he had given up on ever getting out of here... Maybe because back then he was always drunk when he confessed, but now he couldn't tell Charlotte everything when he wouldn't even admit half of it himself.

Normally she would never yell at Dimitri. She would never even get mad at him. She had always been there to take care of him and comfort him, but this situation was so unlike any other, and she couldn't help but let her feelings take over.
"I've heard a lot of crap excuses from you over the time, but this one is one of your definite worst!" she yelled through the phone.
"You honestly think I would ever betray you?! Or that I don't think it's dangerous?! Or that I don't think it would be worth the risk if I could just..." She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked away some tears before she continued.
"Why can't you just man up for once and admit you don't feel a damn thing for me?! I've always been a joke to you! ADMIT IT!" she screamed with a choked up voice from the tears stinging in her eyes.

'No! Well.. maybe when I first met you and things weren't entirely going so well.. I mean you came along with your wads of cash and I was sold.' He sighed at how selfish he sounded. 'But I was desperate and young and stupid... But since then you've been the only person who has actually cared for me no matter how many mistakes I've made. I could have called you from the worst part of the city and 4 in the morning and you would have still managed to find a car to pick me up within 20 minutes. You've done all this for me without once considering the repocussions of what being around me is like...'
He tried to think of something better to say rather than make himself sound like a selfish bastard which he pretty much was doing. 'Look I know you are mad, and you have all the right to be, but listen.' He took a deep breath, trying to sound so much calmer than he felt inside. 'This place... its worse than you think. Its not something a phone call to the police will fix. I've been here before... and I've lost it in this place. And if that happened again.. well I don't think I can get worse than right now... So no, its nothing to do with danger. Its just that the risk simply isn't worth it in here, when all thats going to happen is one day hes going to get bored of us and put a bullet through our heads...'
His voice had become very dreary, as if he was too tired to put much expression in his words.

He was doing just what Snow White had done only minutes earlier. Making her imagine losing Dimitri in the most horrible way imaginable.
"So if we're all going to die what does it matter anyway?" she said flatly, without emotion. She just couldn't do this anymore. She was so heartbroken and lonely, and she could not even make herself blame Dimitri. It was even his fault. It was hers for being stupid enough to fall in love in the first place.

'Because in this place no one dies at the same time.... Its slow and progressive and painful. You can care about someone, talk with them for a while, and then suddenly they are gone, maybe without you even realising. And you don't talk with them for a month or so and never assume the worst, only imagine they are a few doors down... and then someone tells you, or you see it on the tv, or there body suddenly in front of you, and theres nothing you can do. And that feeling is worse than anything else I can try and explain to you, and something I never ever want to wish upon you.' He spoke caringly, albeit he was trying not to, to put emphasis on what he was doing. 'If I can do one thing I can try and make this a little less painful for you then I will, and who knows maybe you will get out someday and you can put me and everything in here behind you...'

The tears welled up in her eyes again.
"Well, too fucking bad!" she yelled at him, louder than she had meant to.
"'Cause if I loose you now, nothing can make it worse. If you hadn't realized I already fucking LOVE YOU!" she yelled with tears in her eyes.
She shut her eyes closed, trying to shut everything out, but it was right there. And he was right there. And there was no escaping the pain.

'I know...' he said. 'I have known for a while... And whilst I've tried to think of a way to fix it I can't..'
He sighed. 'But I don't think I can cope with the thought of one day seeing you in.. there... underneath in that room.... ' He voice started breaking at the thought. He was so exhausted and the conversation was emotionally draining. He struggled to keep his voice even and calm, but he needed to if he was going to be convincing in proving to Charlotte he wanted this.
Deep down he didn't know how pushing her away would help. Somewhere in his mind the idea of leaving her now would lessen the pain when she would go later, but also the thought of pushing her out of his life was painful too.

She couldn't believe the next words that came out of her mouth.
"If you want me to leave you alone, just say so. I won't bother you again."
The words sounded so emotionless. But it was only because she did the very best to hold back. What she really wanted to do was cry and scream and beg him to re-consider. She didn't even know why she said what she said. Maybe deep down, she was hoping he wouldn't tell her to go away...

He didn't know what to say in response. Instead all he did was sigh, probably a bit too loudly, down the phone.
'Look..' he said flatly, wanting the conversation to be over, 'this isn't about what I want, or what you want. This is about whats best.. and I think you want to be happy deep down, and well, thats only going to happen if this does.'
He considered hanging the phone up now, but in reality he knew he didn't want to go back to the silence of his room. Even if she was shouting at him, which he knew she probably would.

She was sick and tired of his awful excuses. Every time he pronounced the word "Look," the anger welled up in her. It was just excuse after excuse after excuse, all because he didn't want to admit how she had never really meant a thing to him, and how all this time was really nothing except from wanting her money and playing around with her.
"There was a time I really, honestly believed you were perfect," she uttered softly. She spoke so calmly, as if she had just given up on the whole conversation. As if she had given up on him.
"But you will never be anything but an asshole."
The tears welled up in her eyes again, but she blinked them back. No use crying anymore. No use doing anything for him anymore.
"And you don't have to worry anymore, because I've already given up on you. And one day I will stop loving you. And after that you will just be another bad memory which will be forgotten over time. I guess you're right, I will be much happier if I never have to see your face again."
The words were so calm. Not cold, not sharp, just soft and calm, as if she just couldn't be bothered to fight with him anymore.
Then she hung up.

He tried to speak but he couldn't get a word in, and by the time she had stopped shouting she had already hung up.
Calmly he put the phone back, and walked away back to where he had been lying. However his hands were shaky, and as he laid back down and tried to fall asleep he simply couldn't will his eyes to shut.
Taking a deep breath he didn't really know why he was feeling like this. It wasn't as if she was doing anything other than what he had wanted her to do. And what she said was the truth. He guessed it was just that even if he thought things about himself, having them confirmed felt even worse.
He closed his eyes, though still was not sleeping. He imagined this would probably be for the best. It was just as he wanted. If he could get the hurt out of the way now he could protect himself for the future. And even if she never spoke to him again it would be for the best.
At least he tried to keep telling himself that...