Reva woke up with a fresh set of nightmares in her own empty apartment. Her hand reached instinctively towards the phone to call the only person, she knew would listen. But then she stopped. She knew Forrest will be with his girlfriend.
Last night she finally got time to see her. And she was beautiful just like Forrest described her to be. There wasn't any flaw in that perfect face of hers. Unlike hers.
She knew very well she cannot get any sleep. So, she thought about going on a little run. Now she was very careful enough how to act around Forrest. And she also tried not to make him feel like it was his fault. Thankfully for her, the research was too much to handle and they had gotten barely any time to interact with each other.
Also, then there was a routine trip for Forrest to the bed she was in currently into his heart research institute. He brought her fresh flowers every day, spend hours talking to her. Ange, his girlfriend, whom he loves with all his heart.
Reva knew this. And she decided that it wasn't worth beating herself for. Because it cannot change just because she wants it to. But it will get better with time. She will learn how to live with it as everything she has till now.
She will learn to live with this too. Somehow, she has to, or else it will devastate her. Her friendship with Forrest matters more to her than a measly feeling she has which was insignificant. It was very much insignificant to her. She put on her running shoes.
And then she put her earphones in place with music blasting through her ears. She started to run. It had been a while since she had done so. She had always been busy with her work or Forrest, or anyone other of those things.
It was nice for a change that she now had some time for herself. Reva only wanted to make everyone around her happy and to become the best friend one can have. But she still cannot make herself forget those quiet moments that he shared with her. She cannot help but noticed how attentive he was to her all the time.
"oh Forrest, why you have to be this good towards me? I have a hard time letting you go. But nevertheless, I have to let you go, you are not mine. I have to accept that." She whispered looking at the couples in the park she was in currently laughing and smiling. Her phone rang and she picked up "Why are you giving yourself so much pain over him? Why don't you just come back? I promise I will forgive you" Reva laughed.
"You cannot help it can you? You cannot help but spy on me, and you will forgive me? for what? Last time I check it wasn't my fault at all. Just don't bother calling me again, you are the same pig you were last time I saw you" And she cut the call.
Some people cannot take a hint that she doesn't want them in her life. No, they have to return back again and again to ruin her life. Her phone rang again as she retraced her steps back for the apartment she was in.
"Told you not to call me" She shouted angrily. "I didn't get the memo that my little birdie was angry at me" She was taken aback by his raspy morning voice and the fact that he called her, his wasn't helping either.
It is just an expression, her rational mind argued.
"I am not angry at you Forrest" "No? is that why you refused to come to my home this weekend? It had been so lonely. And boring and you know I do not do boring Miss Mathur," It automatically brought a smile on her face. She wasn't even trying. He just makes her so happy. That wasn't even a question about how and why in this, it just happens.
"No, it is not, what can I do to make you happy Mr. Lyte?" She asked. "Why don't you turn around now?" She was surprised. And then something happened something she wasn't expecting. She felt herself get pushed into the road just as a truck was about to pass by the same road. She was too shocked to move or protect herself.
Someone pulled her back towards safety. Just as the truck passed coming to a screeching stop couple of meters later. "Hey you, don't you see where you are going? You want to kill someone early in the morning?" She heard Forrest's voice. And wasn't happy. "I am sorry man, I am very sorry, she came in front of me suddenly I didn't saw her. I am so sorry." The truck driver said again and again.
"Well sorry isn't enough, if something happened to her then..." She placed her hand over Forrest's chest trying to calm him down and it worked. "It wasn't his fault. I wasn't looking at the road." She hid the fact that someone pushed her in front of the truck purposefully and since the area was surrounded by trees it was very easy for anyone to hide among them.
"You are very lucky Mr, that I am not suing you for almost killing my fiancée" That tugged her heart if only she can be truly his fiancée but she cannot. It was a far-fetched dream that she was hoping to make true. But she cannot do that, and she knew it very well.
He pulled her away from the street and towards the bench. He made her sit and checked on her. She didn't have any injury just some scratches. "You are alright Miss Mathur," He said. "No need to call in the paramedics just yet" that made her smile and she leaned into his chest.
She felt his body was shaking and she realized how afraid he was of all this. "I am alright Forrest" She whispered. "I am too, now, I am alright too" But he was still shaking, afraid that he could have lost her and he would have been unable to save her. Unable to do anything about it.
If he was a minute late then she would have been gone for good. She looked up seeing his dark Amber eyes gazing into the distance. As if something was disturbing him very much. She instinctively put her hand over his and he intertwined their fingers.
"Here you go a healthy breakfast made just for us." They were sitting in a diner nearby after Forrest dropped her home, he refused to leave her alone. He waited as she changed and then took her out for breakfast in his favorite place.
"Yes, this is your version of healthy Mr. Lyte." She saw pancakes covered in butter and maple syrup. French toast with whipped cream on top. Sausages and eggs and coffee. "And do you plan to feed an army?" She joked.
"Only if you are ready to create one with me, Miss Mathur." And he winked at her. "No thank you, I will rather be like this than to join you on your ventures." "But how can I feed an army without creating them at first?" Forrest asked. "Find someone else, my schedule is busy" She played around more. Then she looked at his arm which was out of the cast.
"Your arm looks better." She commented. "Geez, you noticed? Thanks, I had it repaired just yesterday" he said sarcastically. She wasn't been around as much as she used to. She decided being distant was good for both of them. But apparently, she was wrong and it only made both of them miserable.
Forrest watched her eat. He cannot help but think how miserable he was for the last few days. This loneliness was different than others. He wanted to have her; Reva, close to him. Though he knew he should be faithful to Ange, Reva was something else.
He was constantly being pulled towards her. And as he heard the shower run into her house, it took him everything in him to restrain himself from not giving in to his own selfish desires that could destroy that beautiful soul he knew.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" "Like what?" Forrest couldn't recognize his own voice. It came out so raspy and full of need, a need for her and he doesn't know for how long he actually can fight with himself about this. He only had touched one girl in his life that is Ange, that too wasn't very frequent.
Just one or two times at most in their relationship he shared with her for just a few months, seven to be exact. "Like you like me to be on the menu" Reva meant it as a joke but his reply had surprised her again "maybe I do like you to be on the menu. Maybe I am hungry for something only you can satisfy." She almost choked on her food and begin coughing.
Forrest was up on his feet and started to rub her back. "Did I startle you? Sorry, my bad" he picked up the juice and held it over to her face. "Here take slow sips." He sat beside her this time not opposite. "Have you heard from Christopher lately.?" She asked changing the topic but the words had been burned into her mind like a scar she didn't mean to have, but she cannot help it.
She was now scarred for the life. "Yes, I had they will be soon returning. And Pia is now communicating with him. His arm is healed so, he can now operate again thankfully." Forrest said. It was good news if Christopher was back then maybe she would be able to maintain her distance from Forrest without making him feel guiltier.
"Oh great, I am so excited to meet Pia after so long time," Reva said smiling. He smiled back in return
Or perhaps, you are just trying to find new ways to avoid me, since you have found about my girlfriend, it had changed something inside you, Thought Forrest.
He wasn't sure what he should do and as his feelings are gotten stronger for certain brunette, he found himself drawn more and more towards her. Even when she was doing nothing but again diving deep into the world of novels, she bought earlier from the book store next to the café they had breakfast, he found himself unable to look away.
There was an innocent kind of charm about her. In his world, she was very precious. And he refused to lose her in any way. "Do you want some coffee, Miss Mathur? I am going to get some." She nodded not looking at him.
Typical Reva, always ignoring the world when she is engrossed in her books. "Interesting character?" He asked surprising her. "Yes, actually he reminds me of you, always pulling pranks always getting bore out of his mind and a little too secretive and suggestive for his own good." She said still not looking at him.
"Sounds like my twin" "Can be if you like to be a vampire." She said still not looking at him. "I can pass for one easily, don't you think I can pull it?" He asked. She looked up at him. "Shall I bring you the coffee, your highness?" She asked closing the book.
"No, I will bring that to you," Forrest said. "You seem to be too distracted to do that Your highness," She told him. "What can I do this distraction is too much to handle for me Miss Mathur, you cannot blame a man for desiring something as good as..."
"Don't you dare complete that sentence? Now I am going to get some coffee and you are going to stay put here in your cabin because you have to make round today and you cannot skip on clinics anymore. You have patients to discharge Mr. and I have a class to take on your behalf since I am your official research assistant and secretary sadly." She said pointing her finger in his direction.
"I get it no slacking, or no fun time around you," Forrest said making a sad face. "That won't work, not anymore on me Dr. Lyte, go and do your work. You have plenty to finish." "You know I already have one Christopher in my life I do not want another reincarnation thank you very much." He picked up his chart angrily.
All he wanted to do was to spend some quality time with Reva, but she wasn't ready for that at all. And it makes him so annoyed that after he told her about Ange, her behavior had become reserved towards him. She had started to pull herself away from him and it wasn't just something he can take.
He left Reva alone, she can sense his anger but she cannot do anything about it. Better safe than sorry, she cannot lose anything now, she cannot just give in to her illicit desires for a man who is not hers, to begin with. And the only way she can prevent the humiliation and heartbreak was by distancing herself from him. The only way, it is the only way.
Forrest knew it was just something very irrational. He had a girlfriend already. He cannot just complicate it. But he cannot help the attraction he feels towards that brunette. He cannot fight it; he cannot fight his feelings.
Maybe she was right distancing herself away from him but it wasn't saving him, it was killing him from within. And he cannot help it. Not at all. He doesn't know what more can he do to make sure he doesn't hurt her accidentally than to bury his own feelings deep inside and go on as it was nothing.
But can he actually work up on that? He doesn't know if he can work upon that because maybe he cannot. He needed to, it was the right thing to do but he cannot do it, not for anything. She was a need he needed to fulfill. But was it right? He questioned himself. And he knew the answer, it wasn't.
But what the heart wants, it wants, you cannot just ignore its calling, can you? Forrest thought. And about his girlfriend, he knows she will understand. He will make her understand. It wasn't been that long since they dated and he wasn't even that much involved, as he said Reva was totally different and totally unique. She was something he wanted like nothing he wanted ever. And he will get her no matter what the consequences he might have to face.
Word Count: 2465 Words