Finding Kate

Chapter Four: What Comes Of Coffee

Speedle shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Typical New York fashion he thought, but he had to admit in her outfit, set off with a the peep toe heels, she looked absolutely stunning. The worst part about it was the fact she didn't seem to know it. She looked relaxed and at ease standing there riffling through her bag, like this was the most natural thing in the world. He couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy in his chest she was beautiful and he missed the teasing and the humour that used to be between them.

Yet when he looked at her he knew she was different now. There was a stiffness in the way she moved, like she wasn't comfortable in her own skin. The innocence that once shone in her eyes was gone and replaced by something else, a deep set wistfulness. He knew she'd experienced something, something that had taken the spark right out of her, something she was struggling to live with.

Kate's evergreen eyes rose to meet his as she tugged a book out of her bag and held it out to him. Tim recoiled surprised, before tilting his head downwards to read the title as he took it from her.

"I found it when I was going through some old things last night. I thought you'd want it back considering you only lent it to me to get through the final exams." Kate's smile was genuine and filled with warmth.

He found himself staring down at the text book resting in his hands.

He remembered sitting in her apartment back in Columbia, he was on the couch, her body leaning against him as he flicked through the channels. She was scanning through their text books with renewed fury. She was paranoid about the exams and was stressing herself out constantly over them. It was in the midst of one of her rants; he'd silenced her with a chaste kiss and pushed the shiny blue text book towards her, telling her to take it, it had worked wonders for him.

"Thank you." Speed nodded, swallowing hard at the emotion that the memory had brought back.

His chest felt tight, his jaw clenched as he tried to breath.

"We better get going, we're already running late." Delko inserted into the conversation, his eyes on Speed, his expression unimpressed.

Tim looked away down the corridor, trying to distance himself from the situation and his feelings.

"Yea I've got some Trace to run. Hope you guys have a great time." He heard himself mutter before his legs carried him away from the reception area, that book clasped tightly to his heart.

The book was looking at him... He was sure of it.

He'd set it down on the work bench next to him before slipping on his head phones and continuing his work at the microscope. Yet again he felt his gaze slipping towards the closed blue book resting merely inches away from his right hand.

He was being stupid, he knew he was. Yet part of him hoped that she'd given him the book back for a reason.

Tim let out a deep sigh. He was stronger than this. Or so he thought.

Yet the book was in his hands now, his fingers flicking through the pages until he came to place that appeared to be marked with something. He turned the page gingerly.

There it was... he hadn't even realized he was looking for it until he found it nestled there between the pages.

A small single photograph.

He found himself smiling as his fingers brushed over it. Kate's smiling face looking up at him, as she laughed at something he'd said behind the camera. Her hair was wild and wavy from a day at the beach, the knot on her lilac bikini top still peeking out over the grey jumper he'd lent her when the air had cooled.