Rose petals

Chapter 11

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to call your mom a poop. I'm sure she's a lovely lady and definitely not poop at all. I don't get why that's a curse you know, like 'son of a dog', you're not even cursing the person you're literally cursing their mother! That's even more horrible, what did their mom ever do to you?! Sorry for calling your mom a poop, hopefully I never see her or I'll feel really bad. Oh who am I kidding, why would I see her? Apologise to her for me and even..." She rambled as her friend cut her off by slapping a hand over her mouth.

I just listened. I haven't heard her voice in person in more than four years and now she's stood in front of me rambling on about god knows what, as per usual. And there I stood, listening to every word she had to say giving her my undivided attention, as per usual.

She sounds the same. She looks the same. She looks...happy?

"Hello?" She said nervously as the large crowd of people slowly disappeared, leaving the three of us standing in the middle of the empty mall, excluding employees of course.

"What are you doing here?" I breathed out as she gave me a weird look.

"Have we met before?" She asked in confusion. The same enticing green eyes, the same wild curly locks, the same light freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, the same red lips. "What's your name?" She asked as her friend Lizzie looked as confused as ever. She doesn't recognise me.

"Mason, you?" I asked. She doesn't recognise me.

"Isla Grey, though I would've preferred if my first name was Meredith or Lexie." She grinned as she held her hand out for me to shake just for her friend Lizzie to pull her back.

"Why are you shaking a random guys hand?!" Lizzie whisper yelled as she shot me a cautious look.

She said her name is Isla Grey, not Everly Rose Carter.

"Greys anatomy." I said with a small smile as her grin widened.

"You watch it? This one never watches it with me because apparently it's all rubbish and fake and a waste of time." She mocked as I laughed and watched her friend blush in embarrassment.

"You're embarrassing us, Isla." Lizzie groaned as Everly, or Isla even, rolled her eyes and waved her off.

"Nice to meet you, Mason." She grinned as she shook my hand.

My hold on her hand tightened, only slightly, she feels the same. Her touch feels just like it did four years ago. The way she said my name sounds exactly the same as it did four years ago.

"You can let go now." She awkwardly laughed as I looked down at her hand that I was still holding.

I don't want to let go, but I did. I really didn't want to.

"Where are you from? You don't sound like you're from here." I asked as I cleared my throat.

I feel like someone's blending my insides into a milkshake. Why doesn't she recognise me? There's no doubt in my mind that the woman standing in front of me is my fucking wife so why doesn't she recognise me. How is she even here? We had a whole fucking funeral for her and everything, so why?!

"It sounds a little strange but I'm not quite sure so I just tell people I'm front New York." She shrugged as I felt the stabbing in my heart grow more painful by the second. "I've always wanted to go to New York, I've seen so many pictures of it on social media, it looks so cool. Like a dream! All the buildings and the lights and even the snowfall." She sighed dreamily.

"That's enough talking with a stranger, a married stranger might I add." Lizzie interrupted.

"Oi, what are you still doing here?" A security guard yelled from the doors before I had the chance to reply to Lizzie.