A World Apart

Winter Wonderland

Silence hung in the air between us whilst Gillian hovered awkwardly at my side.

"I should leave you two to-" She began.

"No, it's okay, I have to be heading out," I interrupted. "We'll do this again though, sometime."

"I'd love that," Gill replied, sweeping me into a hug.

"Tell Tina I'll see her soon?"

"I will."

My heart was pounding as I walked towards the door, towards Jake. His eyes didn't waver from mine as I neared him. He stared at me as if I was a mirage, one that would vanish if he blinked.

"Excuse me," I asked politely, waiting for him to move. He didn't budge, his entire body frozen in place, still poised from where he was entering the room. "Er, Jake?"

Slowly, as if in a daze, he stepped aside, allowing me past.

I hurried along the hall, holding my breath, awaiting the sound of the door closing behind me, but never hearing it.

I didn't bother waiting for the lift. Wanting to escape as quickly as I could, I dove for the stairwell, taking them two at a time in my haste to get out of the building. My entire body was flushed as a surge of emotions coursed through my system. I'd almost forgotten how handsome he was, but now it brought up all of the feelings I'd struggled so hard to bury, and I wanted more than anything to turn back, to run up to him and finally feel his lips against mine again. To feel safe in his arms and tell him that I love him. I forced myself to keep walking, the sound of my own rapid footsteps pounding in my ears whilst my eyes remained fixed ahead. I crossed the lobby quickly, making it out onto the freezing street. Taking deep lungfuls of air, I kept pushing on, desperate to reach the safety of my apartment.

"Carrie!"

I heard Jake's voice in my head, calling me over and over again. My vision began to blur, my eyes filling with unshed tears.

Stay strong, Carrie. I scolded myself.

I heard his voice again, this time closer, along with the sound of running feet.

Wait, that's not in my head.

With the shocking realisation, I whirled around, eyes bulging as I saw Jake sprinting along the street, heading right at me.

"Carrie, wait!"

It was my turn to be frozen now. My feet refused to budge whilst Jake got closer and closer skidding to a stop right before me.

"Jake, I didn't mean to ambush you," I started, immediately defending myself, "Gill said you were working, and she just wanted to-"

"I'm a fucking idiot," He panted, interrupting me with a wave of his hand, his cheeks reddening in the bitter air. "I've wanted to see you every damn day since the hospital. I wanted to apologise for what I said, how I behaved..."

"I know," I said. "I got your message."

In the months since I'd last seen him, he'd changed. It was subtle things, all giving him a much healthier glow. He wasn't as thin as before, now looking more of a healthier weight, giving the curve of his muscles more definition, and his skin a warmer tone. The bags that occasionally set up home beneath his eyes after a rough night, were now gone, and there were no holes or tears in any of his clothes. But the biggest change of all was to those magical green eyes. No longer did they look dark and haunted, they twinkled brightly, renewed by some element of hope or happiness. It made my breath catch as I struggled to tear my attention away from them.