Pedestrian |✓

|47| m u f f i n s

I thought it was impossible.

I always believed that it was highly unlikely for someone like me who thought that ordinary people didn't get to experience those moving Disney scenes where the prince runs after the princess could experience it in real life.

Technically though, the prince didn't run after me, I did. And that defeated the tradition. But I wasn't a princess in a perfect sparkly gown and a golden carriage to begin with. I was just a simple girl in her PJs and flipflops running after the guy that made her feel like a queen in the middle winter.

I thought it was too animated to happen in real life, much more to me. But here I was, in the most inconvenient clothes in the middle of a snowing night, running after Austin, just like in the movies.

And damn, did it feel good.

It was starting to snow heavily and the cold breeze made my cheeks and the tip of my nose feel numb. It was freezing outside and my flipflops on the slippery road didn't do much help, but I kept pumping my legs, hugging myself for warmth.

The feeling was pretty nostalgic, it felt like the first time I talked to him. The determination that ran through me that day just to get him to do the interview felt very much the same. And the thought comforted me, because if there was only one thing I was confident about myself, it was my ability to become highly determined. And this time, for sure, I terribly needed it.

From the distance and through squinted eyes, I saw Austin's black jacket heading towards the corner of the block to take a turn. A mixed feeling of relief and nervousness filled me as I tried to run faster to reach him. My foot almost slipping from the sudden change of pace.

"Austin!" I cried out in the loudest voice I could muster, but he failed to hear me.

Panting, I tried again, louder this time. "Austin! Wait up! Hey!"

But to no avail, he still kept walking forward until he reached the corner and took a turn, disappearing from my sight. "No, no, no. Austin!"

I ran. I ran and ran and ran as fast I could, even if it was freezing outside, even if I almost slipped a couple of times, I still ran after him. Not minding the curious eyes that followed me until I reached the corner and took a sharp turn that nearly sent me toppling to the ground from the momentum. 

A low groan escaped my lips as I struggled to balance myself. Only managing to catch myself a second before falling to the snow-coated ground.

In that moment as I stood there, leaning against the brick wall of a local diner to support myself with the cold breeze blowing against my skin, I came to realize that he was there - watching me with wide hazel eyes and slightly parted lips. Surprise was written all over his face like splattered ink in a dark hue. The emotion was obvious and unembarrassed of the fact that I saw, I've seen it bare without anything to conceal or hide the vulnerability of his heart.

I saw it. The threads relief, surprise, longing and guilt that wove together into tight knots, all morphing into a cloth that made up his face.

"Anna," he managed to say, almost sounding breathless.

"Austin," I said back, equally breathless as him, pushing myself off the wall.

"Are you alright?" He walked over to me, grabbing me by the arms and inspected for any injuries. His brows were furrowed together and his lower lips rolled into his mouth. The look of concern on his face, tugged at my heart, awakening the strong emotions within me. Slowly igniting the fire that I tried so hard suppress.

Shaking my head, I chuckled and pushed him lightly on his chest. "I'm alright. See," I raised both of my arms, "no scratch."

His brows slowly furrowed together again, his lips pulling into a frown. "Anna, you shouldn't have ran in the middle of winter wearing flip flops to run after me."