Don't Give Up On Me

2

Alexa's eyes flicker across the room. From the far distance I can see her eyes shimmer in unfamiliarity.
Then she sees me and her shoulders somewhat melt in relief.
I stand. My heart is heaving as I quickly pull a chair out for her.
She appears surprised at my polite gesture but thanks me anyway.
I lean back in my chair, grinning.
"How is your writing?" I start.
She smiles; a wide, glossy smile. It's the type of grin that makes you want to do the same.
"It's going okay. I did have a bit of a writer's block but I'm back on track now."
"It's horror you write, isn't it?"
She seems impressed that I remembered despite only seeing her a few weeks ago.
"Yes. I'm currently trying to write a novel." She told me.
"Care to share the plot?" I asked her.
Alexa's eyebrows shift, eyes glistening.
She leans forward, her hands moving rapidly as she rambles on. Her face is ignited with so much passion, it's beautiful to witness.
I try to focus on her words but her lips are very distracting and that irresistible Australian accent catches me off guard.
She sees me staring and looks in a way pissed off.
"Clearly, you don't read." She states.
I open my mouth to argue, only to find that I rarely ever read. I read books on Photography, Astronomy but novels? Real novels with fictional characters and made up plots - no.
I somewhat blush.
"Exactly." She doesn't appear angry however. She sighs and soon a smile marks her face.
"What music do your band make, again?"
"Well," I sit up. "We're different. We don't have a genre nor do we compare ourselves to other bands. It's our own sound. We mostly just write about the truth."
Alexa leans in, hands sliding up to hold her face. She tilts her head.
"The truth?"
"Heartache." I confess. "We write about pain, heart-break. We like to see each song as a story."
I expect her to be blown away by my words but all that I relieve is a playful smirk.
"So you're not in a cheesy boy band then?"
I laugh.
"I'm thirty-five, I think my boy band days are behind me." I continue. "The band is me, my guitarist Mark and my drummer Glen."
"I would love to hear your music sometime. It sounds...intriguing."
I can't seem to contain my excitement as my knees somewhat bounce from under the table.
"Would you...want to hear us...like now?"
She sits up and looks around in bewilderedness.
"Oh god, this is a first date Dan. You can't suddenly bring out a guitar and start singing."
"No, no I meant-I wasn't-I actually meant like listening to it in my iPod." I murmur, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
She laughs loudly and I finally discover that she was being, of course, sarcastic.
I'm such a fucking idiot sometimes.
I chuckle, shaking my slightly as reach into my pocket for my iPod. I unravel an earphone for her.
"Here."

After our date, we start walking through the heaving wind. The cold is bitter, wrenching through my bones like a rake. I peer down at the smaller women by my side and unhesitatingly peel off my leather jacket. I hang it over her shoulders.
She looks up, slightly startled. She quickly peers back down.
"Thank you."
My heart gushes from beneath my thin clothed t-shirt.
"You're very welcome." I tell her.

* * *
On one of our many dates in the following months we are together, we walk to the pub. In the company of dressed up women and business-like suited men, we arrive in worn sweaters and unkempt hair.
We drink our lives away. My voice rambling, throat intoxicated by too many Guinness's and her laugh bubbling up with Vodka and Coke.
By the end of the night we are stumbling down the rain stained pavements towards my apartment.

As the front door flings open, my lips are already heavy on hers. My hands are eagerly roaming her body.
She pulls away only to gusher out "Where's the bedroom?"
I lift her up, carelessly and lead us both to the bed.

The next morning I awake to find her body pressed into me. Her head nuzzles sleepily into my neck and I gulp at her tender touch. My hands, trembling as I held her close.
My heart was heavy with adoration.
How did I get so lucky?
Her eyelashes flickered open to reveal a flood of hazel brown. I parted my lips to greet her but I didn't expect her reaction to be so cold as she fully awoke.
She stiffened from within my arms and hurriedly sat up.
She looked down to witness her body bare and that the bed was also not hers but of course, mine.
Her sigh came out long and painful.
"I'm such an idiot."
"What's wrong?" I sat up beside her but she quickly moved as though I had some form of a disease.
"This....this shouldn't have happened, Danny." She got up and quickly gathered up her clothing.
I watched as she changed, heart galloping at her response.
Did she regret it?
"Alexa," She turns when I say her name but I am speechless and I can only stare.
"I like you." She admitted. "But...I can't be with you, not seriously-not like-not like last night."
I look away, sighing. The emotion drilling through my lungs.
"Then why...did you...was it just for a laugh dating me? Did you take pleasure in leading me on? Why did you..."
I want to look her. I know her vision is focused on me but I cannot meet her eyes. I can't.
I push my face up against my hands.
"I assumed you were dating other girls anyway. I didn't mean to hurt you, Dan."
"So you didn't..." I laugh drowsily at the thought.
Of course. Of course she didn't love me.
"Dan," She wanders towards me but I move away.
"Go...please, just go."

* * *

I haven't updated in a while so I sort of rushed this.
Sorry, I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Tell me what you think.

Chloe