Peculiar Lovers

Sensitive

"Be cool..." Elijah breathed the words out as he shifted nervously. "It's just Carla."

He was waiting in front of a cafe in Dallas, the summer heat almost melting the skin off his bones, but he was way too anxious to even notice his own discomfort.

He checked his appearance again in the reflection of the window, he fussed with his blonde hair again with his fingers to make himself look half decent and he made sure his blue eyes weren't rimmed with red from the lack of sleep.

He realised some people sitting at a booth were staring at him from the other side of the window, all smiling in amusement at his antics. Elijah felt his cheeks flare up and he whirled around to hide his shame.

After years of radio silence, Carla called him this morning, speaking of coming to see him in Dallas. He couldn't stop himself from inviting her for coffee. When it was regarding Carla, he had no self control.

A car pulled up in the parking lot, and he recognized instantly the frizzy black hair of the driver. He buried his hands in his pockets as he shifted his weight and chewed on his bottom lip nervously.

The dark skinned woman left her car and, when her dark brown eyes met his, her lips stretched in a dazzling grin as she sauntered towards him.

She had not changed, she was still as breathtaking as when she was seventeen.

"Hey Carl-" He began, but the air was knocked out of his lungs when Carla pulled him in a bone crushing hug.

"Eli! Oh my god! You've changed to much!" She gushed.

He patted her back awkwardly as he felt his heart hammer against his chest, and he held his breath to avoid smelling her sweet perfume, the same one she wore back in high school that made his head spin and his heart flutter.

After a few seconds she finally broke the hug, and she pulled away with a grin. "How are you?"

"Good." He smiled softly. "Very good. It's been so long."

"Ten years." Carla stated, and she playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "And who's fault is that, huh? A hint for you : it's not mine."

Elijah chuckled. "I get it. Sorry. You know I had to leave town."

Carla's smile fell. "You never told me why." She said softly, and he frowned.

"Let's go inside where it's nice and cool." He avoided her inquiry as he placed a hand on her lower back, and she let him lead her in the cafe without a comment.

She could plead and cry as much as she wanted (and in high school, she did), he would never tell her why he left and completely moved out of state right after they had graduated.

"They have cheesecake, is it still your favorite?" He asked, and the way her eyes lit up was enough of an answer for him. "Alright, I'll order a piece. With a caramel macchiato, I guess."

"Of course." She answered like it was obvious, and he laughed.

She had not changed in a decade.

She took a seat on a booth and placed her large backpack on the ground next to her. Her eyes studied Elijah silently as he ordered at the counter, a small sad smile playing at her lips.

Damn, if he wasn't a fine specimen of a man. He used to be handsome in high school in an androgynous way, with soft features and big blue eyes. Now, however, he was another kind of beautiful, with a strong jaw and broad shoulders that made him look like an angel in human form.

"Lucky you," Elijah smirked as he placed down his tray on the table. "It was their last piece."

She grinned excitedly. "Thank you."