4

Laura

I was treading a path of ruin or wealth or good will come to those who wait. I have been waiting all my life and this might be the good coming to me.

My skin was burning inside and my eyes were itching. My blood rushed through my veins and was pumped heavily by my heart.

My tongue felt twisted and my head felt as though it was about to burst.

All of these were my allergy reactions.

I was allergic to seafood.

I had to do it. I had to make him believe I was who he thought I was. After seeing him sit before me, looking like money itself. Stepping into a fancy restaurant with a fancy atmosphere made me realize there was more to life than working at the diner.

He looked good. Exceptionally good. He looked even better than his words in that letter. The grey suit looked absolutely gorgeous on him.

The way his hair was combed backwards. The way his teeth glistened under the bright lights. The colour of his eyes almost matching his blue tie. His height, almost competing with Zeus. His well-groomed eyebrow, well-manicured nails, well-polished shoes.

Oh good Lord, the smell of his perfume. The way his fragrance filled the atmosphere and my nostrils, making it almost impossible for me to smell the seafood in my meal. His gentle touch on my hands. The way I had managed to hold myself back from cupping his cheeks in my palm.

I felt out of place but he seemed like the right person to put me back in place.

So, I lied.

Being right by his side, away from hardship was a lot more than facing some little allergies.

"Laura!" he called behind me and I stopped in my tracks.

My whole body was on fire. My intestines seemed as though they were in ruins, my eyes seemed like they were about to pop out of their sockets and if I did not get my pills that instant, I was going to end up being a corpse or maybe worse.

"You should leave!"

"What's wrong?" he shouted behind me, calling for a few glances from people around. "Are you okay? You look..."

I stopped a taxi as the bus wouldn't arrive until five minutes more.

I ignored him, sitting in the back seat of the taxi and aggressively rubbing my itchy skin, I looked back at him through the windshield. He looked confused, shocked and maybe angry but I had no choice.

“I didn't even get his name!” I said to myself as I turned back to stare at my mystery.

I couldn't help the tears that had begun to roll down my cheeks while his thoughts filled my mind.

He seemed sweet and I was only lying to that sweet soul. I wished I could turn back and change things, you know, tell him the truth about everything and how much I hated seafood. How much I hated the smell and its taste and how badly it reacted on my skin. I wanted to go back and tell him I wasn’t the Laura he saw that night and that I had no idea who she was. I wanted to…

My phone suddenly rang, interrupting my thoughts. I sniffled back my tears before wiping my face then I stared at the familiar number on my screen before picking up.

“You don’t have to say anything. Please, just listen to me.” he took a short pause and I listened to him as he had instructed. “I have no idea what I did wrong to mess it all up but I promise I did mean to. I’m in the dark here and I think I need the light…” he swallowed hard, letting out a forced breath.

I shut my eyes and tears rolled down my cheeks again. I wasn’t only feeling the pain from my skin but also from my heart.

I can’t do this!

“I just wanted to feel the same emotions that ran through me that night we met. I might be selfish for wanting that but I can’t help it. You ignited the dormant part of me that no one has ever been able to unlock since my mum died. There’s something about you, Laura. Something I doubt you notice yourself, something so special, so unique that it’s there but you still haven't figured it out. Something about you just attracts me. It's crazy and I think I’m losing my mind. I do not even have the courage to these things to your face and I think I’m a coward but the summary of this all is that I do not want to lose you. I do not want the feeling you have brought to me within just a short period to end. I want to feel it for as long as I can. So, please…Laura. Help me.”

I couldn't help it…his words. Oh, Lord! This man has his way with words, so I ended the call without any closure. I’m a fucking monster, just like how I look right now.

No one has ever described me the way he did. No one ever saw the good in me but then, I had no idea if those words were indeed meant for me or who he thought I was.

“I’ll stop right here,” I said to the driver as I got to my place, paying him and rushing over to my door.

I rushed in and went straight to the kitchen drawer, searching through the cabinets till I finally found it.

I downed the drug hurriedly, taking a large gulp of tap water to push it down and almost gasping for air.

I shut my eyes and made sure to avoid any reflection of me. My thoughts went back to him and tears rolled down my cheeks.

I felt so bad and within just a few hours, he has been nothing but sweet and honest towards me and what have I done in return? Lie to him and I hate myself for it.

I slid down the kitchen cabinet and sat on the floor, drowning myself in my tears, and crying out loud. I cried bitterly, hating myself for whom I had slowly become.

“I wish I was that Laura George and wouldn’t have to lie to you! I wish I wasn’t in a situation to even lie at first. I wish…” I was interrupted by the stomping sound above me and for that moment, I wished the apartment above had remained vacant.

My silent moment was interrupted not only by the stomping sound by my new neighbour but by a knock on the door.

I raised my head from my knees and stared at the door for a quick second. I have had no one come over to my place. I mean, I had no one to come over since I had strictly made sure my brother knew nothing about where I lived.

The knock came again and I hurried up to my feet. I wiped the tears off my face and dapped my face dry with my dry palm.

The knock came again and I flung the door open.

As the door opened, I froze in my stance with my breath caught up in my throat.

It was him. He found me.

I was going to shut the door to his face but he held it back.

“Please…” he said with a pleading look on his face and I rolled back the tears in my eyes.

I moved aside and gave way for him to walk in.

“You didn't pick up my calls after… you didn't pick up my calls and I was dying to know what I did wrong.”

“It's not you!” I muttered.

“What?”

“You didn't do anything wrong, okay? I just want to be alone!”

I walked away from the door past him and he held my wrist. I looked down at his hand and sucked in a quick breath.

I turned around to face him damn, he looked so good. Now without the shirt and tie on, he looks extremely sexy and if I wasn’t in this situation with him, I would have been on him by now.

“Tell me you want me to leave. Tell me you do not want me to go further with things with you. Tell me meeting you that night was a mistake; my mistake. Tell me you never want to see me or have anything to do with me ever again and I will walk out that door, never look back and never cross your path again.”

He gave me a choice. Fuck! I have had a choice from the get-go. I could have told him I wasn’t the lady he wanted to see and right now, I could have told him to leave, never to be back again but I didn't.

“I lied to you.”

“What?”

“I hate seafood. It's not my favourite.”

He looked down at his feet and his hand dropped from my wrist.

Shit! He was mad; so I thought until the words rolled out of his mouth.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn't have made you eat it,” he said.

Now, he was closer to me, looking down at my face while I looked up at his.

“Please, do not be sorry. I should be sorry!” I thought and that gave way for tears to roll down my cheeks again.

He wiped his thumb across my cheeks and tucked the strand of stray hair behind my ear.

Slowly, he moved his head closer to mine and closer, closer his head leaned forward, placing a soft, gentle kiss on my lips.