When Time Stops

A Bushel and a Peck

Still in shock the next day, I had a hard time focusing at work. Part of me reassured me he was OK, the other part of me felt sick to my stomach. Jenna apparently noticed, but I couldn't pull myself to open up to hers. I was extremely guarded, ever since, well, ever since someone hurt me in a way that's unforgivable.
Karl was thankfully not at work today, for it was his day off. So, Joe's wasn't actually that horrible, but as soon as my shift was over with, I raced to the fountain. I looked around everywhere, but I couldn't seem to find him.
"Looking for something?" I hear behind me. I quickly turn around and see him smirking at me, leaning against a lamppost. I release a slight smile, but then it quickly fades as I stomp towards him.
"You scared the hell out of me!" I shout.
"Sorry, Angel," he said, pushing hair out of my face. I roll my eyes, "What the hell were you thinking, how are you okay?!" I stop myself before I say anything else, "Wait, I know. It's complicated."
He grinned, "Exactly, now you're catching on."
I scowled, "Unbelievable."
He looks down at me, "Wearing that tiny dress, again are we? Where do you shop, the children's section?"
I rolled my eyes, "No, it's for work."
"I bet your boyfriend can't stand that."
I look down at the ground, "Actually, I don't have a boyfriend."
He raises a brow, "I have a hard time believing that. A beautiful girl like you must be taken."
"I don't do relationships."
"Oh?" He says.
I bit my lip and had to break eye-contact with him.
"Who hurt you?" He asks, grabbing my waist and pulling me closer into him.
"He's irrelevant."
He nods his head slowly, "If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine Angel."
"Thank you," I say slowly.
He smiles at me, "But don't think I didn't notice you wearing my coat again."
I smiled bashfully, "I'm only wearing it to give it back to you!" He laughs, "Keep it, Angel. I don't mind."
We sit for a few moments in silence, before I interrupt it with a thought that bounced into my head. "R?" I ask. He looks over, "Yes, angel?"
"Do you have any kids?"
He stares at me intensely, I almost immediately regretted what I asked. It looked like it was a touchy subject. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
He stared at the frozen fountain, "It's fine, I just rather not talk about it."
I nodded my head, "Of course."

"R?" I aks again.
"Yes, Angel."
"Why me?"
He lifts a brow, "I don't follow?"
"Out of everyone in New York city, you choose me, I find that quite odd. Why is that." He smiles, "Well, it was your wish, wasn't it?" My eyes grew big, "Y-you heard that."
"Maybe, maybe not." I scowled, "W-well, you were there before I made that wish!"
He chuckles, "So, you remember that, huh."
I scowled, "How could I not?"
He sighed softly, "You just stood out to me, I guess." I stared at him, he looked so genuine and soft. There was something about him that just made me so vulnerable.
"Do you like to dance?" He asked.
I squinted at him, "That's so random." "It's a yes or no, Angel." "I mean, I haven't really danced before," I stuttered.
He stood up, "Dance?" I scoffed, "There's no music."
"So?"
I hesitated, "I really can't dance."
"Neither can I, but wouldn't you rather be having no regrets of never dancing? I wouldn't."
I smiled slightly, "And if I break your foot?"
"Please, Angel, you're like a gremlin, you could never."
I scowled at him as I stood up, "Want to bet?" He smiled and grabbed me by my hips and reeled me in, "What would you do if I win?" I smiled, "What would you do if I?" He smiled, "I asked first, Angel."  "Well, you'd have to win first, wouldn't you?"
He cocked his head to the side, "I suppose I would."
Suddenly he lifted me off the ground and onto his feet.
"What are you doing?!"
"Well, you obviously didn't break my feet, tiny." I roll my eyes. "Wrap your arms around me," He whispered in my ear.
I gulped and did as I was told.
He slowly waltzed in a box shape, holding me in his arms, going round in circles of the fountain.
"I suppose I win the bet, don't I?" He asked, leaving his warm breath burning against my neck. I gulped, "I-I suppose."
He stared at me heavily, making me melt inside. "What do you want then?"
He smiled, "To see you again. Here. Tomorrow."
I grinned. "Well, that can be arranged."
He slowly lifted me off his feet and gracefully placed me back onto the ground.
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow then, angel."
And just had he done every night, he disappeared into the shadows.

            The next day couldn't come quick enough, I couldn't wait to see him again. After Joe's I had picked out a special blue dress I wanted to wear. It was nothing really fancy, but it was still pretty nice. I wore my hair down for once, and put his jacket on for the final touch.
On my way walking there I could hardly contain my excitement.
As I was walking, I noticed a glare from behind me. I slightly turned around and to my horror, it was a green pick-up truck dodge ram, with a gnash on its side. It felt as if I had been stabbed. I quickly picked up my pace, surely nothing would happen, not with all these people around. I just had to keep walking until I got to the fountain. As I was walking, I couldn't help but notice the truck stayed right on top of me.
This wasn't good.
'I finally reached where the fountain was and stopped, to my horror I realized nothing had stopped. He wasn't here.
"Well, well, well." I heard from behind me, except this time, it wasn't R. It was the man from the truck.
I rapidly turned around, "Don't come any closer!" I tried to sound confident, but it came out more pathetic than anything.
He grinned, "Baby, there's no one around to help you now."
The other man, Travis, slowly walked around the corner, "No one's around Tony, we're in the clear."
"Good," Tony said with a wicked smile.
"No!" I screamed reaching for my purse.
"Are you sure about that?" I looked over my shoulder and saw R leaning up against a building. Tony squinted, "Who the hell are you?"
R walked closer, "I don't think you want to find out, and if you don't want me to break your teeth, I suggest you leave." His face hardened in a way I've never seen before, "Now." Tony smiled, "Get a load of this guy, Travis!" Tony stared R up in down, "In case you haven't noticed, old man, the odds aren't exactly in your favor. There's two of us, and only one of you."
R grinned, "I'm giving you once last warning, pantywaist, turn around and leave, or I can't be held responsible for my actions."
Tony scoffed, "Please, like I gave a shit about your stupid bitch."
Immediately R slammed him against the brick wall, and Travis took off running. "Call her that again, I dare you." Tony choked, "A-Are you crazy-"
R gritted his teeth, "I want you to leave now before I do something I regret. But if you ever come near her again, I will make sure you'll be stuck in a hospital bed for the rest of your damned life."
Tony nodded his head repeatedly and R dropped him to the ground. Quickly he scrambled to his feet, and ran off.
R turned to me, "Are you okay, they didn't hurt you? Did they?"
I was still, frozen in fear, I had so many questions, but what shook me up the most was seeing R this angry, from the short time I knew him, I never would've expected he had a dark side, he seemed so sweet and soft.
He walked over and cupped my face in his hands, "Oh, god." He whispered. "Angel, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm just... surprised is all."
He held me close, "I'm sorry."
I held him back, "Thank you."
He combed his fingers through my hair, "I don't think they'll bother you again." I looked up at him and started crying. His eyes widened, "Shh, angel, why are you crying?"
"I-I, I can't say." I bawled.
He held me tight. I looked up at him and broke down and told him everything. About the man who broke me.
I quickly wiped away my tears, "Why didn't everything freeze again?" I asked.
He bit his lip, "It's..." He winced, "Complicated."
I sighed; I should've known.
He stared deep into my eyes, "Angel?" He asked, "Can I do something?" I gulped, "W-what is it?" He grabbed my back and pulled me closer, "I think you already know." My face went red and my heart skipped a beat.
"Y-yes."
And without wasting a second his lips crashed onto mine. I buried my hands through his hair and wrapped my legs around him. He slowly lifted me up in his arms then gently placed me down on the fountain. I noticed the noise of the water falling had stopped, and I knew time had stopped again, and I was glad. Because I never wanted it to end.
He slowly pulled away and I stared at him with my heart racing, he drew back, "Angel, I'm so, so sorry, but I have to go."
"You'll be back tomorrow, right."
Silence.
"R... you'll be back tomorrow, right?"
Nothing.
My voice cracked, "R...?"  He looked down at the ground. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach, "R, answer me!"
"Sky, I really, really wish I could. But I'm afraid, my times up." My jaw dropped, "What is that supposed to mean?" He closed his eyes, and pulled me into a hug.
"Y-you can't leave! You're the only thing I have..." I gripped onto his shirt tightly and buried my head into his neck, but then I slowly felt him disappearing. I looked up and he was gone. The fountain started pouring again and loud city noises ran through my ears. I felt hot streaming tears pour down my face as I buried it into the palms of my hands.
My voice cracked as I badly sang, "...With a bushel with and a peck, a bushel with a peck and a hug around the neck. A hug around your neck.
I walked to my apartment slowly and collapsed on my bed, mentally exhausted. Maybe if I went to sleep, I would wake up and he would be back. All of this would be gone and everything would be ok then. Everything will be ok, I'll have my friend back, and everything will be fine. I rolled over on my side and shut my eyes tightly.
Go to sleep, go to sleep, dammit go to sleep! I felt more tears stream down my face. I just want to go to sleep.
At some point in the night, I must've finally drifted off, because the next morning I woke up and immediately just brushed it off as a dream. He was fine, he'd be waiting for me at the fountain. Just like he had been.
I couldn't wait until after work, I had to go to the fountain. What he said last night threw me off, I went to the fountain, he always had a sense when I was there. He would show up, he has to. He wouldn't just leave right, but this time, he wasn't there. Everyone kept going on with their usual hustle and bustle. Worry struck over me, where he was, he really just didn't leave me. Not after I opened up to him. I looked around one last time, then that's when I saw it. A little piece of paper, taped to a shops window display. I looked around then slowly grabbed the paper. I hesitated staring at my name written across the folded paper. I slowly opened it and read what was inside.



'Dear Angel, if you're reading this, this most likely means I had to leave, I know what I did was a risk, but I had to see you one last time, to kiss you one last time. but don't worry, we'll meet again soon, but this time, it will be when time starts.  -R'

I shake my head, what did this even mean, I couldn't believe he was gone, how could he just leave me like that. How could he just leave after I told him... everything. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, disoriented. I picked it up, "What?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"Hey, it's me Jenna, Boss says if you're late one more time, you're fired, I would hurry up and get here before he gets angrier."
I slowly look up with tears in my eyes and quickly wipe them away. I tuck my phone back in my pocket. Quickly I ran to work, once I got inside, I heard my boss yelling at me, but I couldn't focus on anything he was saying. I had lost my only friend, maybe he was more. I walked over to the register; thoughts swarmed my mind and I couldn't believe this was really happening.
"Excuse me?" I hear
I slowly look up, "Sorry, what can I get for you toda-"
As I made eye contact with the person standing in front of me, I saw a boy, no older than twenty. He had soft blue eyes and shaggy black hair that was parted to the side. He was tall and well built, I also couldn't help but notice a tiny scar below his lower lip.
He beamed at me brightly as he slowly bit his bottom lip, "Hi, I'm Ray." He looked down at my nametag, "Skylar..." He said, "That's a pretty name."