Collision Course
Sitting Alone in a Coffee Shop
I could see her in the distance, walking towards me. Her red hair pulled high on her head into a messy bun. Emerging from the throngs of London busy bodies, I observed everything about her, soaking it in. One of her shoelaces was untied and flailing with every step taken as she ungracefully walked over the uneven paving stones. She was babbling away on her phone with, presumably, Grif, and smiling goofy. Oh, how I wish I could see her goofy grin every day and I hoped it would never change. I would probably find Allie a little less distracting and beautiful if she were trendier.
The door to the coffee shop opened, allowing an abnormally cool breeze to sweep through the shop before the door shut. With the opening of the door, her voice, complete with American accent enveloped my ears.
“Grif, Hun,” she said. “I have to go. I’m meeting someone here briefly. But it was so good to talk. I love you!” and with that she hug up her phone and placed it in her overstuffed bag.
She got in line to order herself some coffee and I debated if I should go up to her. It was quite obvious she did not think I was there yet, and I wanted to keep it that way so I could observe her from afar.
Allie settled herself across the shop in one of a pair of overstuffed armchairs, pulling a book out from her Mary Poppins bag, she established herself. There was still twenty minutes before we were supposed to meet, and maybe, just maybe, I would be able to figure out what I was going to say to her in that time. When I had listened to her phone message two days ago, I had initially decided to not go, but since she had said that there was no need to call her back and that she would know if I was willing to talk if I showed up at the coffee shop or not. I was almost shocked at myself when I found myself walking to the shop an hour early.
While sitting there, I could think of nothing regarding what I was going to say once I went up to her. I watched her closely. The way she shifted from one side to the other every few minutes. How she would uncross and records her legs every time she shifted. The way she slid her finger up the book a little before turning the page. I especially loved the way she half closed her eyes with every sip of coffee, as if to savor the flavor like it was the best thing she had ever tasted in her whole life. Everything she did, I tried to take it in, not knowing if I would ever have the chance to do it again.
She was so absorbed in her book that she did not hear me walk up to her, nor when I sat on the matching chair. “Allie.” I said softly as I touched her knee ever so gently.
She jumped, her hand clutching her chest. “Oh sweet lord! You scared the living day lights out of me.” She exclaimed.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to.” I mumbled almost inaudible. Gaining a little more confidence in my ability to speak around her, I added. “I’m here. You wanted to talk?”
“Yes, I needed to let you know that those magazines… They’re not mine.” She said, lining in loser to me.
I leaned back. “Why should I trust you?”
“You met Maggie. She is a little self-involved. She loves to read that garbage. But I don’t!” her eyes peered into my soul; bring my eyes back to her every time they began to wander. “I don’t even let her talk to me about what she reads in them”
“I don’t know why I should believe you. You have never given me any real reason as to why I should trust you. So why don’t you give me a reason now.” I said angrily.
“Liam, I am telling the truth. I understand that you were angry when you saw those magazines on the coffee table, I would have reacted the same. But the way you yelled at me, accusing me of those things. Well, that is what I am having a hard time grasping. Look at me.” She said, forcing me to look at her again by placing her warm hand against my cheek. “Look at me, Liam. And tell me that you honestly do not believe me. That you don’t think we can get through this. If that is the case, I wont hold it against you.”
That was it, in that moment I knew that I could trust her, since she was able to walk away from me, from someone who could give her everything. If she was willing to do that, it was one thing, but I sure as hell was neither able nor willing to walk away from her that easily. Before I could answer her, her phone rang.
“I’m so sorry, I should get this.” When she saw the name on her screen. “Hello?” she asked after bring the phone to her ear. The color in her face drained, her eyes widened in fear and I could see the panic rise in every hair in her body. “Slow down, what do you mean?” she asked.
I watched as her body tried to cover the sobs that were sure to be spilling out of her soon. Her head sunk low, her hand propped against her forehead and her eyes filling with tears. “But he is going to be ok, right Grif? Tell me he is going to be ok.” She demanded, her through thick with tears.
Instinctively, I scooted to the edge of the chair, draping one hand around her body and pulling her close to me. “Allie, love, what is it?” I asked, unsure if she would answer me.
“My.. my… my dad.” She said. In that second, I wanted more then anything for it not to happen. For her to not be hurting, and I wanted to be the one that she could turn to when she needed someone to love, someone to be there for her.
“I’m so sorry.” I said, rubbing her back before planting a soft kiss on the top of her head.
“No, he is in the hospital. He was in an accident. He was run over by a herd of my family’s wild horses.” She said. I could hear her worry, her pain in her voice, yet all I was thinking of was how happy I was that he was still alive.
“Let me talk to your brother.” I said, demanding the phone, which she miraculously obliged with out a lick of doubt.
“Grif? Do I need to get Allie home to her family?” I asked.
A tough sounding voice came through the receiver. “No, he is going to be fine. He is already at the hospital, had already been there thirty minutes when I got the call. He has some internal bleeding and a few broken bones, but nothing that is life threatening.” He said.
“Are you sure you don’t need Allie back there?” I asked, hoping that he would say no so that I could keep her all to myself, but knowing that if he said that they needed her back, then I would pay for the ticket myself to get her home.
“Liam, I am assuming that is who I am talking to.”
“Yes.” I mumbled.
“I think the best thing for her right now is to stay where she is, to focus on her internship and possibly find more time to spend with you since I have not heard her this happy in years.” That last part made my heart race. I make her happy. Her brother is even giving me permission to be with his sister.
“Alright, keep us updated.” I said before we said our goodbyes.
“Allie, he is going to be fine.” I said. Doing my best to comfort the softly crying angel in my arms.
“I know… it’s… it’s just so hard being away from them. And then this happens.” She took a deep breath, controlling her sobs. “I should be there, should be home for him.”
“Do you want to go home?” I asked. “I will buy you the ticket if you need it.”
“Thank you. Thank you Liam.” She said, now hugging me back.
Well then, this was it. She was going to go home to the middle of nowhere America, and I was never going to see her again. Just like every other girl, she was going to leave me in more pain for Zayn to pick up the pieces.
She pulled back and looked me in the eyes, I tried my best to give her a smile, but it came out weak at best. Then, she did something I was not expecting. She kissed me, and not just the peck, but kissed me. For the first time and one day shy of two weeks. Pulling back, she said. “Thank you for offering, but I think that I am going to stay right where I am.” And with that, it was me who was doing the kissing. Pulling her into my body, not caring if there were people with camera phones, or if the paparazzi or fans had realized where I was. All I knew is that I felt, for the first time in a long time, that I was home in her arms and with her lips pressed against mine.
“Take me home?” she asked.
The door to the coffee shop opened, allowing an abnormally cool breeze to sweep through the shop before the door shut. With the opening of the door, her voice, complete with American accent enveloped my ears.
“Grif, Hun,” she said. “I have to go. I’m meeting someone here briefly. But it was so good to talk. I love you!” and with that she hug up her phone and placed it in her overstuffed bag.
She got in line to order herself some coffee and I debated if I should go up to her. It was quite obvious she did not think I was there yet, and I wanted to keep it that way so I could observe her from afar.
Allie settled herself across the shop in one of a pair of overstuffed armchairs, pulling a book out from her Mary Poppins bag, she established herself. There was still twenty minutes before we were supposed to meet, and maybe, just maybe, I would be able to figure out what I was going to say to her in that time. When I had listened to her phone message two days ago, I had initially decided to not go, but since she had said that there was no need to call her back and that she would know if I was willing to talk if I showed up at the coffee shop or not. I was almost shocked at myself when I found myself walking to the shop an hour early.
While sitting there, I could think of nothing regarding what I was going to say once I went up to her. I watched her closely. The way she shifted from one side to the other every few minutes. How she would uncross and records her legs every time she shifted. The way she slid her finger up the book a little before turning the page. I especially loved the way she half closed her eyes with every sip of coffee, as if to savor the flavor like it was the best thing she had ever tasted in her whole life. Everything she did, I tried to take it in, not knowing if I would ever have the chance to do it again.
She was so absorbed in her book that she did not hear me walk up to her, nor when I sat on the matching chair. “Allie.” I said softly as I touched her knee ever so gently.
She jumped, her hand clutching her chest. “Oh sweet lord! You scared the living day lights out of me.” She exclaimed.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to.” I mumbled almost inaudible. Gaining a little more confidence in my ability to speak around her, I added. “I’m here. You wanted to talk?”
“Yes, I needed to let you know that those magazines… They’re not mine.” She said, lining in loser to me.
I leaned back. “Why should I trust you?”
“You met Maggie. She is a little self-involved. She loves to read that garbage. But I don’t!” her eyes peered into my soul; bring my eyes back to her every time they began to wander. “I don’t even let her talk to me about what she reads in them”
“I don’t know why I should believe you. You have never given me any real reason as to why I should trust you. So why don’t you give me a reason now.” I said angrily.
“Liam, I am telling the truth. I understand that you were angry when you saw those magazines on the coffee table, I would have reacted the same. But the way you yelled at me, accusing me of those things. Well, that is what I am having a hard time grasping. Look at me.” She said, forcing me to look at her again by placing her warm hand against my cheek. “Look at me, Liam. And tell me that you honestly do not believe me. That you don’t think we can get through this. If that is the case, I wont hold it against you.”
That was it, in that moment I knew that I could trust her, since she was able to walk away from me, from someone who could give her everything. If she was willing to do that, it was one thing, but I sure as hell was neither able nor willing to walk away from her that easily. Before I could answer her, her phone rang.
“I’m so sorry, I should get this.” When she saw the name on her screen. “Hello?” she asked after bring the phone to her ear. The color in her face drained, her eyes widened in fear and I could see the panic rise in every hair in her body. “Slow down, what do you mean?” she asked.
I watched as her body tried to cover the sobs that were sure to be spilling out of her soon. Her head sunk low, her hand propped against her forehead and her eyes filling with tears. “But he is going to be ok, right Grif? Tell me he is going to be ok.” She demanded, her through thick with tears.
Instinctively, I scooted to the edge of the chair, draping one hand around her body and pulling her close to me. “Allie, love, what is it?” I asked, unsure if she would answer me.
“My.. my… my dad.” She said. In that second, I wanted more then anything for it not to happen. For her to not be hurting, and I wanted to be the one that she could turn to when she needed someone to love, someone to be there for her.
“I’m so sorry.” I said, rubbing her back before planting a soft kiss on the top of her head.
“No, he is in the hospital. He was in an accident. He was run over by a herd of my family’s wild horses.” She said. I could hear her worry, her pain in her voice, yet all I was thinking of was how happy I was that he was still alive.
“Let me talk to your brother.” I said, demanding the phone, which she miraculously obliged with out a lick of doubt.
“Grif? Do I need to get Allie home to her family?” I asked.
A tough sounding voice came through the receiver. “No, he is going to be fine. He is already at the hospital, had already been there thirty minutes when I got the call. He has some internal bleeding and a few broken bones, but nothing that is life threatening.” He said.
“Are you sure you don’t need Allie back there?” I asked, hoping that he would say no so that I could keep her all to myself, but knowing that if he said that they needed her back, then I would pay for the ticket myself to get her home.
“Liam, I am assuming that is who I am talking to.”
“Yes.” I mumbled.
“I think the best thing for her right now is to stay where she is, to focus on her internship and possibly find more time to spend with you since I have not heard her this happy in years.” That last part made my heart race. I make her happy. Her brother is even giving me permission to be with his sister.
“Alright, keep us updated.” I said before we said our goodbyes.
“Allie, he is going to be fine.” I said. Doing my best to comfort the softly crying angel in my arms.
“I know… it’s… it’s just so hard being away from them. And then this happens.” She took a deep breath, controlling her sobs. “I should be there, should be home for him.”
“Do you want to go home?” I asked. “I will buy you the ticket if you need it.”
“Thank you. Thank you Liam.” She said, now hugging me back.
Well then, this was it. She was going to go home to the middle of nowhere America, and I was never going to see her again. Just like every other girl, she was going to leave me in more pain for Zayn to pick up the pieces.
She pulled back and looked me in the eyes, I tried my best to give her a smile, but it came out weak at best. Then, she did something I was not expecting. She kissed me, and not just the peck, but kissed me. For the first time and one day shy of two weeks. Pulling back, she said. “Thank you for offering, but I think that I am going to stay right where I am.” And with that, it was me who was doing the kissing. Pulling her into my body, not caring if there were people with camera phones, or if the paparazzi or fans had realized where I was. All I knew is that I felt, for the first time in a long time, that I was home in her arms and with her lips pressed against mine.
“Take me home?” she asked.
10/12/13