when the past catches up

Chapter 1

The TV played some movie; the room was warm, cozy and lit by candles. She leaned on him, felt his chest rising up and down while he drew invisible patterns on her arm, that wasn’t covered by the blanket. “Do you remember?” she asked, so faintly she was afraid he might not hear it.

“Remember what?” he said chuckling.

“The day we saw each other for the first time” she said while turning to look at his face. He gave her a sweet smile and raised an eyebrow as if to say “of course I remember, silly”.

He waited for her to continue talking, looking at her curiously because in all the time they’ve had never really spoken about it. She turned back again, cuddling closer to him and took his hand from her arm to hold it tightly in her own.

“It was the first time for me in such a big city; I mean London is huge compared to where I come from. Me and my friends were trying our best to find the right platform and catch our train to the airport. Of course in all the rush I lost them.”

She laughed and he joint in, which made her playfully punch his arm. “That’s really not funny, you know as well as I do that I’m hopeless without them”, she complained, “I had no idea where to go and almost panicked. So I looked around, searching for them but instead…I found you.”

He didn’t say anything; he just gave her a kiss on the back on the head. Smiling she added: “Your hair was orange back then, remember? And looking back now, it was probably pretty weird from me staring at you for I don’t know how long.” Her cheeks tinted with embarrassment he asked surprised: “What? Really? ” He laughed:” I just saw you looking at me when looked up, I didn’t think you’d been looking at me for long. That’s so typical for you.”

“And then you smiled at me and I smiled back”, she said continuing the story, trying to change the topic,” and then my friend found me, touched my shoulder and told me we had to hurry to our train that was about to depart. When I looked back you were gone.”

He started laughing after she finished her sentence which earned him a very confused look of her.

“What’s so funny?”

“You didn’t see me, because I saw how you and your friends hurried to the train that was headed for the airport and I knew that if I don’t talk to you now, I never would. That it would be late. Until this day I had never believed in love at first sight, but there was something special about you, standing there in your white summer dress and I didn’t want to miss the chance, I didn’t want to lose you, even though I didn’t even knew you. So I ran like a mad man across the station-“

“Just to get your number in the closing train to a complete stranger that smiled at you?” ,she finished his sentence. Now it was his time to look embarrassed “Well, um yes? I missed so many opportunities in my life, I know now when to act.”

After some time he added:” One thing I didn’t understand back then and still kinda don’t.”

“What?”

“Why did you actually call me? I mean, it doesn’t happen often that you call the crazy punk you looked at for a second and who then decides to run for you.”

“Hm…” , she turned around, looking at him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I don’t know…It’s hard to say. There is just something about you that I can’t quite figure out, that made me want to know you, be close to you. I guess you’re just naturally charming?”

The biggest smile had spread across her face and her eyes were twinkling with happiness. He pressed a short kiss on her lips.

“I was so glad when you called me. I didn’t lose you after all.”