"So, how are you feeling now?"

The wine guy has a voice so soothing that I almost want to wrap myself around it like a cocoon.

"Alive." My nose is blocked, and I can already feel my eyes swollen a bit too much.

After I was done crying, he suggested going to a nearby store. The rain droplets become lighter and lighter. I bought myself instant noodles to warm myself. After that sudden sensation of heat had faded, my body started to feel the atmosphere around me. I am still drenched as the guy is, and the weather seems a lot colder, and yet sitting here around him feels warm.
Sort of warmth that your body may not feel but your soul craves.
My phone rings, and the screen on the table lights up. It's Amelia. I pick up the phone, not putting it too close to my ears in case the water drips on it.

"Where the fuck are you ?" Amelia's voice was so loud that even the wine guy sitting across me could hear her. He gave a little laugh that revealed a dimple on his right cheek.

I brought my focus back " I left the event an hour ago"

"Oh really?  I didn't figure it out at all. Not like I was worried sick where you are and went around trying to find you in every fucking corner of this giant ass hall and asked people if they saw you and almost called police to file a fucking missing report" Amelia's voice grew louder with each word and I already imagine her all worried.

"Why didn't you call me?" A sense of guilt wraps around me slowly

"Why didn't I call you? Have you not checked your phone? I called you more than twenty times" I must have been busy crying my lungs out when she did.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stay there but.."  before I could finish Amelia interrupted "I don't want you to be sorry Sil, I need you to be okay. Are you okay?"

I pause. I think. Usually, I would have answered  I am fine without any hesitation but today is different. Today I just want to be honest with myself for once.
"I was not. Not at all. But thanks to someone my chains became lighter to carry " I look at the wine guy whose eyes are stuck on mine.

"Chain? What the fuck? Are you at the Police Station? Something happened?  Should I come?" Amelia asked to which I smiled and the wine guy chuckled. Dimples again.

"I'm okay, relax. I need some time to relax, I will tell you everything tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Alright,  love you. Take care. Call me if you need anything, bye"  The call ended.

"You are lucky to have a friend like her," The wine guy says

"I know. I don't deserve her" I say with a smile, memories of how we met flash in my mind leaving a ting of warmth

"Who gives you the right to decide that?" The wine guy asks leaving me questioning and confused. He continues "I think you should should let the person decide if you deserve them or not. That's how it works, I like talking to you, I talk more because I know you are worth it, you deserve it. So how can you say you don't deserve her? I can see that she surely thinks you deserve her, in fact maybe she thinks you deserve better"

He leaves me speechless  "Sometimes people can not know what they deserve and they settle for less out of empathy or sympathy "

He puts a bit of thought into it and replies "True, sometimes people can not know what they deserve.  They may deserve the world but in their own eyes, they may have it all wrong" He is looking right into my eyes, into my soul. It's Almost as if he is saying it to me. Almost. "And when it comes to empathy or sympathy...." he says something but my focus is not there at all as I fall deep in those blue eyes. It's so rare to see it here, he continues "although sometimes we overthink and misinterpret stuff, but if the person wants you to stay, they find reasons to make you stay. It's not that complicated,"

I am too drowned in his blue eyes to think straight and answer properly. " Your eyes are gorgeous " I instantly realized what I was supposed to say in my mind came out loud. I give a little gasp and cover my mouth stopping anything else slipping out. The guy just laughs. Dimples.
I am embarrassed. My cheeks turned red out of embarrassment.

"Though they are nothing in front of yours. You have mesmerizing hazel eyes as well, can't take my eyes off" his face moves closer as he puts his elbow on the table which is annoyingly between us.

The embarrassment turned to something else, a whole different feeling, Blood rushes faster in my cheeks, and I don't know how to reply to this compliment. Guys never really complimented me. My heart beats faster and I know this is my cue to leave. I take my gaze off of him to see the time.

"Well, it is late. I should go back" I stand up and turn to leave. I hear him standing too. I walk out of the store. Chilly winds are still there but not the rain. It's dark.  I walk a few steps when I hear him come out as well.

"Sil, wait" His voice calls. I stopped, not because he asked me to. I turn to face him again, he stands a few steps away.

"I never told you my name. How do you know?"  There was a few seconds of silence.

"Anyone would know it if they heard you on a call with your friend" A sense of relief rushed through me. The last thing I want is to cry in front of a stalker and chit-chat with him this late at night all alone.

"I see"

I was about to turn again when he spoke, "You won't ask my name?" He slowly steps closer while putting his hand inside the pockets of his trousers. He is closer now, a few inches away.

"Tell me if we meet again" which I know we won't. This was a complete coincidence.
Disappointment crashes on his face, but then he smirks. God, please keep me alive. His smirk. The smirk fades, and he nods a little. Heat passes between us. His gaze will kill me tonight.

I turn again and leave. He doesn't stop me this time. I turned back to see him, and he stood right there, his expression unreadable.
A taxi stopped in front of me. I get inside and look at him from the window. The taxi started, and our gaze stayed locked until we could not see each other any longer.

If I knew his name, I would not be able to forget him. I will turn him into a character of my book and will not be able to let go of this day, let go of hopes that maybe one day we will meet again and this will turn into something more. It's not a romance book. It's not fantasy, It's real life, things don't work like this here. I just want to remember it as a coincidence. I want to forget his face, his gaze, his voice, and his smirk. That's all. Nothing more.

.................................................................................................................

"So let me get this straight, you met a hot guy who acted like an asshole but then he wasn't instead he turned out to be an angel who held you when you cried and also helped you feel good along with complimenting your gorgeous eyes?" Amelia sips her coffee while sitting on her couch.
Amelia lives in a small apartment, which is our hangout place. She has a face mask on and sits wearing her black robe, keeping one foot over the other on the couch. While I sit on the floor using the couch to support my back facing the TV where our favorite show plays.

"Yeah," I sip my coffee

"And you didn't give him your number? Or ask his name? Or take his social media ID? Even though he wanted to give it to you, " Her eyes widen."Seriously? "

"Just the name." I roll my eyes at her exaggerating

"Still girl, he sounds like an absolute hotty. Why would you do that?" She throws one of her arms in the air and lets it loose as it falls with a sound on the couch. It is one of the most normal things she does.

"Because I don't want to give myself the false expectation that we can be anything more and hurt myself and kill the last hope I have." I don't take my eyes off the TV.
I feel Amelia move, she sets her cup on the glass table in front of us and hugs me from the back, wrapping her arms around my neck and putting her face near my ear while still sitting on the couch.

"Don't worry Sil, if that ever happens the only one who will break, get hurt, or get killed would be the guy" she says her voice muffled on my shoulder " I'll make sure of that" she completes and we both laugh

"I know."

Amelia draws back and drops on the floor next to me.

"What about your book? Any idea?" Her gaze shifts to the show as well

"Nope, I need inspiration,  I feel stuck."

"Amusement park?" She suggests, and I snap my gaze at her

"Why so sudden?"

"Because it's fun, and I am free this weekend? And you said you need inspiration. "

"How does Amusement Park give someone inspiration?"

"Happiness is an inspiration,  and anyway, how will you meet him again if you don't get out of your house?" She looks at me, and our eyes meet.

"I do not think I will meet him, and you always make me say yes."

"It's a famous park and everyone goes there this time because their anniversary is soon so they give a discount on tickets, he might come and also for some reason I think this would change your life for the better"

I look at her closely and answer, "Fine."

She throws both her arms in the air and shouts "yes," almost bursting my ear drums.

The last time I agreed to her, I met him. Will this time bring something new? Will it change my life for the better?