I once imagined how our meeting would be like...it would be like two people meeting again for the first time. At a different place, in a few years from now when we were both complete as an individual. We bumped into each other accidentally, you held me up and steadied both ourselves and as you were about to apologize, our world halted. Our eyes locked. Something magical happened. Recognition and familiarity sparked. We felt that connection...and at that precious moment, everything clicked into places. You gazing at me with such intensity made me melt into your arms. You held me tightly like you were afraid to let me go. No words were needed. Like everything else faded away. You smiling at me like I was your sun brought warmth to my life. A perfect timing. And in that instant moment, in that one beautiful day, I knew that you and I finally had a chance for a happily ever after...
And like how it started, Andrea just imagined it all.
In the chaos of things when everything just seemed to go by so fast you'd be wondering where the time went by, Andrea had one stopping slow-motioned moment. She saw it played by played with her eyes widening.
They said that the pain of separation was nothing to the joy of meeting again but Andrea thought it was just some good old BS.
It was bittersweet instead.
She was blinded by everything except him.
She was going deaf at the rate with which her heart was beating loudly against her chest.
She couldn't breath.
Callum Drew Reifsnyder was in a flesh. For real...in front of her.
Andrea was tempted to smack herself awake if she was dreaming or plainly hallucinating.
But the throbbing pain on her derriere was enough of a confirmation.
She was literally swept off her feet upon seeing him. She got excited - excited to flee the scene as she was scared. Scared of what exactly, but she wasn't sure.
Maybe you are just scared of the truth? You are terrified of knowing how depth that feelings you have for him because of fear of not being reciprocated? Or afraid to know why he left that one night with only a note on your bedside table? But wait, it was you who left him in the first place without saying goodbye, right? Why are running away in first place again?
Swirling thoughts distracted Andrea and look where that got her?
In the middle of hyperventilating upon noticing his presence that was about to cross the lobby also, she decided to quickened her steps to get out of his dang hotel as fast as she could. But she didn't factored her unstable gait with that heels which gave her a painful blister, and that magnificent damning red carpet in the entryway.
Her freaking heels got twisted with that red carpet by the entrance and she landed amazingly in a not so stylish way, butt first on the polished and hardened marbled floor.
A yelp of pure surprise and pain bubbled up from her throat and her hope and wish of going incognito in him was thrown out the window.
Shit Sherlock.
Silence ensued the instant for a second and then frantic movements and murmurs of concerns floated through the air towards her.
Andrea reflexively covered her face with her bare hands like a protective mask. She heard a couple of voices asking if she was okay but she could only nod. Her voice caught up in the crevice of her chest as she hiccupped with silent warm tears trailing down.
The fall freaking much hurts.
Andrea couldn't move. Her emotions were at a mess while she tried breathing in and breathing out deeply to at least lessen the pain. She was sort of glad that her hair was down as it covered her face while she tried to stand up. She felt a presence slouching besides her and the way her skin was prickling and her heart was beating loudly - she had an idea as to who it was.
"Miss, are you okay?"
I'm definitely not. Great.
Andrea was conflicted. To face him or not? But her options were limited as she still yet have to stand up with her own feet and leave his freaking hotel with as much dignity as she still had.
She just nodded, looking away from him and hiding her face in the curtain of her messy hair. She placed her palms against the cold marble floor to support and push herself up but she was shaking - whether from his sole presence alone or by the fact that the impact of how much she missed him by just hearing his achingly sweet voice with that swooning accent caught her off guard - and Andrea didn't know what to think anymore.
Andrea was distracted but she was jolt out of her reveries when she felt that searing touch. Whipping her head fast to face the one who was carefully supporting her shoulder and back, the thought of hiding her presence from him faded out into the blue.
And in that moment...in that particular time when their eyes met, Andrea felt how time stopped. Her breath caught up in her throat as everything else faded except him - in front of her, kneeling at her side with those warm strong hands comforting and holding her up - Callum Drew Reifsnyder in a black suit.
And in that very struggling moment when she was grasping tight for that sane mind of hers while attempting to normalize her physical reactions - which was in vain - to seeing him again, she saw his emotions played out in those pair of enigmatic purplish blue eyes that haunted her.
He was both her joy and pain.
And in that rare occasion between here and now, Andrea knew that even though they nailed the different place part - totally different from Manhattan and Versailles - she was sure that it was far from the perfect timing for them.
She saw him from being shock and conflicted to being indifferent. His hold on her slacking until she was left with a cold dread.
Andrea looked away. She couldn't bear further looking into him. She understood clearly. It was her fault but she could still hear her heart breaking bit by bit.
He was letting me go.
It was worst than the fall she acquired earlier....more painful than the aching flesh on her butt. Her eyes prickling hot but she wouldn't let him see her crumble into tears.
"Matthew, hai potuto portarla alla clinica. Assicurarsi che stia bene."
Andrea couldn't care less what he was saying as she had an inkling as to what it was when she felt his warm presence slipping away from her. She didn't look though. And she wasn't surprised that Matthew was already there.
"Perché non la porti invece?"
There was silence. Matthew's replied question hung thick on the air between them.
"I'm late for a meeting already. Solo un favore, have her check by the doctor."
The swishing of cold air made Andrea shiver but more to the detached and cold tone of Callum. He was dismissing her.
Now, he was the one running away from her and she couldn't fault him - no, she deserved it - Andrea thought as glimpses of her running away from him crossed her mind.
He didn't want me anymore.
It's okay...it's okay Andy. Suck it up and for the love of all, please don't cry in front of him. It's going to be okay. It's okay.
Andrea might as well be kidding herself repeating such mantras for her own sake, but she couldn't help it. She had years of practice dealing with the skeletons on her closet.
As the echoing of footsteps walking away from her faded, a sole tear trailed down her face.
It's okay...
She still didn't look though, afraid that she might make a fool of herself and beg for him to stay. Instead, she clutched her hands tightly as the shaking continues with her whole body trembling.
And she didn't hesitate when another set of warm familiar arms enveloped her and picked her up.
Her shivering continues though and the pain she felt earlier was nothing to the emptiness that was soaking her whole being.
Unlike that Callum who burst her peaceful bubble and kept her company that one eventful dusk in Central Park, he now walked away from her - like a stranger that they should be.
So I was right leaving in the first place.
.
.
.
.
"Don't mind him Andy, he's just really stressed out these days," Matthew tried comforting her as he gave her a glass of water for the pain reliever the clinic doctor prescribed to her.
Ever since he carried her to the hotel clinic on the second floor, he tried apologizing in behalf of his friend but Andrea turned a deaf ear on him.
"Thanks," Andrea grimaced as she handed him back the empty glass while her other hand was holding the ice pack to the side of her buttocks where the fall had hit her.
She gave him a small smile as she adjusted her position on the narrow yet comfortable bed at the corner of the small clinic with a divider wall for the sake of privacy. She pulled the white blanket covering her up to the chin as she was still shivering. She felt feverish but she didn't want to show it to elicit more concern from Matthew.
He already persisted that she rested more even if she already insisted to go to the hotel she booked for. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the Reifsnyder Hotel but he wouldn't budge. So here she was, humouring him by laying on the clinical bed. But she was really exhausted if she were to be honest to herself and just wanted to sleep to oblivion and forget everything that happened.
"Don't worry about the ass as I would gladly kick him to his senses," Matthew offered grinning slightly at the pun he made between her situation. Andrea was thankful she saw no pity in his eyes.
She offered him a grateful smile in between yawning. "Mind if I doze off for a while?"
She didn't comment on what he said. She wasn't ready and didn't even want to talk about what occurred earlier. It was best for her to forget about it ever happening.
Matthew looked at her with concern but she turned her back on him pretending to get into sleeping. She heard him sigh.
"I'll be just outside and holler if you need anything. Just rest well."
Andrea didn't say anything else as he left her to her own devices. She just wanted to ignore everything else if it helps lessening the excruciating pain she felt deep inside, even if she was acting like a bitch.
She wanted to shout, throw a temper tantrum or punch something but Andrea controlled herself. She hunched over the bed and cried silently on the pillow like what she was always doing. Sleep caught up with her with fresh tears still trailing down her face.
She woke up later - a few hours maybe - with a start, gasping for air as she couldn't breathe. She couldn't move as if her limbs were being held down by something so strong, her surroundings were a bit fuzzy as she felt a force pulling her into a place she knew she didn't want to go. She tried shouting but to no avail as words wouldn't come out her mouth.
Andrea felt like dying and she was so afraid she barely heard herself crying. But she was too weak to fight it off.
And in the midst of giving up and giving in to the unknown scary force that was pulling at her, someone shook her to wakefulness. Desperate strong and comforting hands were shaking her shoulders rigorously.
Consciousness enveloped Andrea as she felt being pulled and cradled to a hard yet comforting large chest.
And then she cried hard.
Because between her nightmares and reality, she was so scared to be alone.
Andrea was sweating and shivering at the same time but she was tired. She just wanted to sleep more but she was afraid.
But she did close her eyes as the lulling comfort of being held slackened the nerves caused by her nightmare.
***
"So sorry for the long wait." - N.R.