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Ria's POV
My lower lip quivered once I heard his voice, which was even deeper than usual, through the phone. "Hey?"
No words could come out and I could only cry silently as he sat through the other line confused. "Wait are you crying?" His voice was filled with a strange sense of urgency. "Mhmm."
"Is there.. Is there a reason you called me?" His voice was low and soothing.
I stayed silent for a moment and sniffed. "I wanted to hear your voice," I sighed. He didn't say anything back and I had nothing more to say. The wind got a bit more aggressive which
made my hands burn with frost. "Hold on, are you outside?" he asked.
"Yeah." My voice came out as a whisper. "I don't want to stay home."
I soon regretted having said that as Tom went silent again. There were sounds of someone zipping something up and clothes moving around. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I'm going out. Where are you so we can meet?"
My heart clenched and my eyes darted around the empty streets. "We can meet at the convenience store instead." "Alright," he said and even though I couldn't see his face I could still tell that he was smiling.
We stood outside the convenience store, the same spot as last time, as I held a icy lemon soda that irritated my skin. Tom would glance at me sometimes and say stupid jokes but other than that he never really asked anything that could be related to what caused me to turn out like this. I appreciated the gesture, what I needed wasn't to talk to someone about it, I just needed someone by my side. That's all. Tom took my cheek in his hand and rubbed under my eye in
gently. "Your tears have dried." "Yeah." "I don't think I'll be crying again for a while though." I smiled. "Today was just a little worse than usual." Which was true, I was used to my fathers annoying berating's but today I already had a lot stuck on my mind 'cause of Mari and then the words about my mother made me snap. A weak sigh escaped my lips as I remembered what had happened again. The corner of my eyes started to fill with tears again. Tom was looking at me with such warmth I nearly lost my breath, his face was so close and his soft touch was still on my cheek. I averted my gaze and backed away.
"It's late, I should go home now." "Right," he sighed and then gave me that beautiful smile of his that I couldn't look away from. "You can call me at any time, I'm always free." I walked past him and nodded, not really sure if he even saw it. I muttered a quiet sure and was ready to leave when I felt a firm grasp on my hands. Tom had taken off his jacket off and held it in front of me with his
other hand. "Wear this." "I don't need it." "You're literally barefoot, you should at least wear a jacket," he chuckled but I could see the worry in his eyes. I sighed and grabbed his jacket. "Thanks." I stepped back and put on the jacket and felt myself being
soothed by his scent. It somehow calmed my nerves. Even if I wanted to object I knew he wouldn't let me walk back alone so I didn't say anything when he was a step behind me. Honestly the walk back home wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was quiet and calmed my heart, like all my worries had just disappeared. I wanted to keep this feeling forever.
'Strange.'
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