It had been six months. Almost a year since they've met, but six since they lastly crossed paths. And many things have happened. Lennon and Noah released their album, Tom had been promoted, Naomi was crowned one of the best Doctors in New York according to a Science Magazine and Lise kept her job. She took a break though, from everything.

  She had mentally fallen onto a place where she was down and off for months. She was distant with her peers, not willing to participate as often as before on different hangouts, she didn't find the motivation to write or read. She was disconnected from everything. Specially since one or two paparazzis continued to show up at her house.

  For about three months she struggled to get our of bed because of the constant overwhelming feeling she had. Eventually, she managed to get up one day and take a long shower, that made the wave go away while she stayed by the shore to dry her clothes with the sunlight. The clouds in her mind were finally going away.

Not to mention that for two of the following months, she met up with Josh, remember him? The cute doctor? Yeah. They hanged out almost every weekend and eventually developed something close to a relationship, but she didn't accept on going on any further. Her mind was somewhere else and she didn't think it would be fair for him. And Josh understood. Bless his soul.

  She sent her monthly articles but there was a problem. After a while, Lise felt like she wasn't that connected with her job anymore. Patty realised how it took longer for Annalise to write and how she'd hand in everything a day before the deadline when she used to hand it in, at least, two weeks prior or the way it would be very repetitive. She was kind enough to ask Anna to take a break, as long as she needed and come back when she felt ready. Truth is, she thought Annalise was going through a writing blockade, but still, the intention is what mattered.

  And so she did. Lise would go to the bookshop every day, even the days it was only Jess' turn to. The vibe and the calmness she felt while being in one of her happy placed made her feel more relaxed. One day, she walked into the shop and started her day, only that when Jess arrived, alongside two of the most frequent customers —Lennon and Noah— it seemed as if they were plotting something. Lise narrowed her eyes at them when they approached the counter.

"Hi..." Said she as she placed her current read down. "What are you up to?" Jess chuckled as she made her way to the back to leave her stuff.

"Handing in your coffee order." Said Lenn as she gave Lise her caramel macchiato.

"Thanks." Lennon nodded before poking with her elbow Noah's ribs. "New hair!" Lennon went from having pink hair to blue hair and now it wasn't an ombré style, it was her whole head. "I love it!"

"And I love u." They smiled at each other. "Okay, so, I got you something. Something which will make love me so much you would want to hug me every day for the rest of your life." Lise smiled.

"Goodness. What is it?"

"The number of Timotheé's agent here, in New York, London and Budapest." Lise raised her eyebrows as Noah handed over a piece of paper, that she took.

"Listen." Lennon called the attention. "You think about him all the time, now you can call him."

"You know I still have his phone number right? His personal one."

"I...didn't. But still, if he doesn't answer then you can call the agents."

"Right. Yeah." Anna faked an optimism and tried to not fake the smile but give a genuine. "Thank you." The couple nodded.

"See you tonight." The brunette said as they walked towards the door. She turned around abruptly when she saw Lise's co-worker. "Oh, Jessica, sexy cardi." Jess chuckled at the comment before Noah opened the door, gave Anna a thumbs up and they both walked out. She sighed.

"What is it?" Asked Jess.

"I don't feel like it would be right. I mean, it's been so long and I don't feel like it's for me, you know?" She looked at the numbers. "Even if I thought it was."

"I'm sorry." Lise shrugged and offered a smile.

"It was too good to be true. A type of love that only happens in movies."

"Or books." They chuckled.

"Or books." Lise nodded before looking at her friend. "Have you had breakfast?" Jess shook her head, saying no. "I have. Go and take your time."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Thanks." Jess grabbed her bag and walked out of the store to get her meal while Lise stayed. A lot of clients walked in at different moments of the day.

  Eventually, Jess returned and they talked about if they should add their own little coffee spot in the bookshop and started planning it for a near future. Most of their clients bought their books and sat on the cozy armchairs by the windows to read while the rest just walked out, some of them asked if they had coffee —for the shop smelled like it— and when they got a no as an answer, they suggested the same. It was as if the ideas were aligned. And so the day went on until 8:00 at night.

  Anna walked out right after Jess and closed the glass doors with a lock before she started walking down the street, all the way to a small restaurant a friend of Noah, had set. Nick was a tall golden coloured skin guy with green brownish eyes who came all the way from Merton to NYC. The moment Noah knew, he invited the entire clan over, and they went to have dinner there almost every day, or whenever they could. Unfortunately, not many people showed up, so, Nick was forced to close his business, but he was lucky enough to get a job at Bamonte's, a famous restaurant in Brooklyn.

  As Lise made her way across the stone bridge of the park, she admired the scenes around her: children running around and laughing, families, couples...the old couples were the cutest. When she was about to exit and reach the place, she buried her hands into her pockets when a cold blizzard hit her right side, and found a paper. She stopped walking as she waited for the cars under the red light to stop in order to cross the street as she frowned and looked at the bent paper. She breathed in when she saw the numbers and names of the actor's agents. Her brown eyes met the front again and she breathed out when the red light went green for those who were walking.

  Lise crossed the street and threw the paper into a trash can that was on this side of the street before she continued her way to the restaurant. She walked past a liquor store, so, she walked in and bought a bottle of red wine to bring to their dinner. Moments later, she arrived at the small but fancy business. It was sad to see it all covered by plastic curtains, the glasses, plates and cutlery in boxes, etcetera. She opened the door and her friends smiled when they saw her, finally, showing up at something.

  It was good to be with them though, and they were very understanding. It is true what they say, the friends that understand your antisocial phases are important. The one that was missing before the farewell of Nick's business started was Naomi, but she arrived about thirty minutes later, apologising and saying that her shift had extended itself.

  When they were all settled, Nick brought the food he had prepared: spaghetti, salad and some bread. He said he'd bring the meat later on. The wine was poured into the glasses while Nick served the pasta over the plates they'd use. That's when Noah started hitting his glass softly with the knife.

"Hello." He said. "I have a little speech to make." He stood up from the round and large table they were all sitting around. "Exactly eight months ago, this man here." He pointed at Nick. "Started the finest restaurant in Manhattan." Everyone exclaimed in agreement and laughed about it.

"Thank you very much, mate." Said Nick and Noah nodded.

"Don't get too happy yet, I haven't finished my sentence." Nick rolled his eyes and the rest chuckled. "As I was saying...unfortunately, no one showed up and ate here but us and a couple of other folks." He teased.

"Just a tiny, little, issue." Everyone laughed again.

"Fortunately, he's got a job and will be working in an even finest kitchen of an even finest restaurant." He raised his glass and the rest followed before they took a sip. "Now, what I'm trying to say is, from next week, we'll need to find a new place to eat." He looked at Nick. "We won't go all the way to Brooklyn every day, and I want you to know mate, that's nothing personal." Nick nodded and smiled. "The more I think about things, the more I see no reason in life." Noah looked at the rest of his comrades. "No one knows why some things work out and some things don't." His brown eyes landed on Lise's as he spoke those words. "Why some of us get lucky and some of us-" He looked at Nick again. "suck even more than me at cooking at the point where no one shows up here." Nick laughed.

"Cheers to me then." He raised his glass. "The worse restaurant owner in the world." They raised their glasses and made them clink. Noah finally sat down as they all laughed and made comments about how Nick is crap and everyone else is crap in their own way. All with love.

"Well, since it's an evening of announcements." Naomi called everyone's attention. "I..." She looked at Tom. "We've also got one." They smiled at each other.

"You're pregnant!" Lennon said out of the blue, trying to guess it.

"No! Not pregnant." Said Nom, opening her eyes wildly. "Goodness." They chuckled. "No, no. They thing is...we've decided to get engaged." Noah almost spit his drink while Lennon suppressed a scream and Annalise smiled at them.

"What? Wait, wait a sec...I'm like your sister and I knew nothing about it?" Naomi pulled her hands from underneath the table and showed off her beautiful diamond ring. Lennon finally screamed and everyone stood up to congratulate the future married couple with a hug. Lise screamed too, she hadn't seen that piece of jewellery. This was exciting. Anna was standing beside Lennon, and because she knew before anyone else, she wasn't as surprised. "Is this a secret you've been keeping from me?" Lenn asked her

"No."

"You're lying."

"No." She narrowed her eyes. "I overheard it but didn't really know."

"You bitch. You never told me?" Lise busted into laugher. "I feel betrayed."

"In my defence, they told me not to."  Noah let go of the friends and Lenn proceeded to hug them before Lise did. She hugged Naomi first. "Congrats." Nom chuckled into her ear.

"Thanks." They separated from each other. "And thank you for not telling anyone." She hugged Tom.

"Of course." Their hug was tight. It was odd though. Ages ago, the thought was that they'd be the ones to announce their engagement. She was happy it wasn't her, but still. It's funny to think how you can plan a future with someone and they accomplish it with someone else. "I'm so happy for you." She said into his ear and he intensified the hug. "I really mean it." They let go of each other to just hold hands.

"I know." He kissed her knuckles. "Thank you, for everything." She nodded.

"I don't care if Noah is your best friend, I want to be your maid of honour." He laughed.

"I'll have to think about it. But if I'm agreeing to this, when the time comes, I want to be yours." They shook hands.

"Bet." They retook their places.

  "Excuse me." Nick called the attention this time. "Are there anymore announcements? My food is getting cold." They laughed.

"Well, actually, yes." Anna said. "It'll take less, I promise." Nick chuckled as all eyes fell on her. "It's more an apology than an announcement." She smiled at them all. "I'm sorry. My behaviour over the past months has been awful. I have, as you know, been feeling low."

"That's an understatement. There are dead people in better form." Everyone laughed at Tommy's comment.

"Right, thanks. I just want to make it clear. I've turned the corner and I'm feeling better, happier, and things will, hopefully, be okay."

"That's the spirit." Said Noah, placing a hand over her shoulder. "Now, let's eat." Nick clapped his hands cheerfully and served the food, that wasn't too cold but wasn't warm either.

  And they enjoyed a great meal as the evening went by. They laughed, told jokes, anecdotes, danced, started planning a wedding that wasn't going to take place anytime soon, Nick turned out to be a pianist, so, he played some music and they all sang as they enjoyed glasses of wine and good conversations. At some point, Lise was sitting down by the window and Tom approached to sit with her.

"So." He said as he sat down in front of her.

"So." She said back.

"You have finally gotten off his curse."

"I think so." She breathed in. "Yeah, I believe I have."

"And you don't give a damn about the famous boy?" She frowned.

"No. I don't think I do."

"Which means you wouldn't be distracted to know that he finds himself here, nominated to an Oscar and reshooting some scenes for his film 'A Rainy Day in New York'?" He handed over his phone for her to look at the article from the Time Out magazine, titled: International star named best actor. There was a picture of him at the premiere of Dune in London, wearing that custom black suit that looked great on him. His eyes were glimmering with the flash of the camera and even if he wasn't really smiling, the small smirk that was formed on his lips seemed so pure and so suitable for him.

"Oh, God." She started reading the written words and realised how the girl she met the day she interviewed the cast of his past movie, Daisy Rogers, was the one to write the article. The girl was really good.

"So, not entirely off the curse, huh?" She gave him his phone back and he smiled sadly at her while she sighed through her nose. She shrugged and he placed a hand over her shoulder for a moment.

  After a while, when Nick had to close the small building once and for all for tonight before handing the keys over the following morning, everyone left. Naomi left with Tom, just like Lenn did with Noah. Lise walked home, thinking about wanting to talk to the guy. A part of her didn't want to, she was still hurt and pissed, but at the same time she wanted to clear the air, check on him.

  When she got home, she did her whole routine before going to bed ad when she was done, she laid down on the mattress, looked at the ceiling and turned off the lights before falling asleep.

[...]

  The very next morning, she got up, worked out, showered, got dressed casually (blue denim jeans and a white shirt, paired with her white converse) and had breakfast. She wanted to go for a walk and get her coffee before going to work.

She grabbed her bag, filled with her necessary stuff, put on her earphones and started walking towards a coffee shop that's near Central Park. She was listening to music as she paid for her drink and walked out of the nice small business before walking through the Park.

  She walked all the way to the Zoo and before she crossed the path underneath the bridge, the area was cordoned off. She frowned, then she acknowledged she had reached the area of the park they were using for filming. She walked closer until a guy dressed all in back placed herself in front of her.

"Hi." She greeted. He smiled at her.

"Hello." He greeted back. "Can I help you?"

"Is Timothée here? I'd like to talk to him."

"Does he know you're coming?"

"Well...no. No, he doesn't."

"I'm afraid I can't let you through, miss."

"Right. Well, I'm his...friend. Not press, or a lunatic." They chuckled until a very awkward silence fell upon them. "So you can't basically...?"

"Can't let you through, miss." That's when Lise saw Tim for the very first time in months, a few meters away from her rather than pictures.

  He was getting his hair fixed a bit and when he placed his coat on, his green bluish eyes met hers. And it felt like the first time ocean met earth. A wave of emotions flooded her, just like it flooded him. She waved at him and he frowned sadly before looking at Karen. He asked for a minute before he started walking up to where she was, that's when the man finally let her through.

"Oh, well this is, uh..." He started speaking.

"I found out you were back here yesterday."

"I was going to call, but-"

"You were?"

"Yeah, I-"

"Tim?" The manager that was behind him interrupted their little conversation.

"Yes. Uh...things are going a bit slow and it's our last day here before I have to-"

"Absolutely, you're busy." He had forgotten a bit how understanding Annalise is. And remembering all over again made him smile.

"Perhaps you could wait? There are...things to say." He smiled and waited for her to return the gesture. She did at the end and his heart skipped a bit when the dimples of her cheeks appeared, framing the pearl smile she has, that's, as usual, adorned with red lipstick.

"Sure." He nodded.

"Drink coffee. There's loads of coffee." He smiled at her before he walked with his small team.

"Come and have a look." Karen told her. They smiled at each other as they walked. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Lewis." It surprised her that Karen remembered her name.

"Likewise." She guided Lise through the bridge, all the way to the back of it and few yards more where the recording team was.

"This is Harry, he'll give you a pair of headphones so that you can hear the dialogue." Lise's eyes opened wildly. She has never been on this side of a movie, she's always been the one to watch it. It was thrilling.

"For real?" Karen chuckled.

"Yes."

"Thank you very much."

"No problem." With the flash of a smile, the woman walked away.

  "Hi." Anna greeted Harry.

"Hi." He smiled at her. "Here." He handed over the earphones. "Volume's on the side. Take a seat."

"Thanks." He reminded you of your dad, before things went downhill. His bright, kind and warm smile was the characteristic they shared. He nodded as he continued to smile. Lise sat down on that fancy cinematic chair and placed the earphones over her head and ears, listening to the conversation Tim and the Selena Gomez were having.

  "Wrapping today will be hard." She said.

"Hopefully not, I need to be free by tomorrow morning to have time to rest before going back." He said.

"Oh, stop showing off with your Europe trips." They chuckled and Lise smiled. "Anyways, so, you'll be here waiting as the rain pours over us and we'll wait fo the clock to be quiet?"

"Yes. I'll be facing it, then I'll turn around and you'll be there."

"Right. And you ask how did you know that I'd be here."

"And you say that you wouldn't ruin the moment and blah, blah, blah. Doctor. Kiss. The end." They chuckled and Lise smiled again.

"So...who's that blonde girl I saw you talking to in the back? She's cute and seems familiar."

"No one." Lewis' smile started dropping slowly. "I don't think you've seen her anyway." He sighed through his nose. "Some girl from my past. It's a little awkward since I don't know what she's doing here." While Lise frowned with sadness, Tim was getting anxious. He knows what he had said all those months ago was so rude, so unnecessarily rude when she had been nothing else but loving and empathic, and he wanted to apologise.

He only lied to Selena because he knew how much of a scandal those pictures caused, and he knew she had recognised Lise from there. He wanted to keep her anonymous rather than bring her into the spotlight once more.

  But Anna didn't know that. She just heard Tim answering honestly how he probably doesn't care anymore about her, that he had forgotten her, somehow, someway, as to not even mention her name. It was Annalise's turn to sigh.

"Of course." She said before she tried to swallow the knot in her throat. She smiled at Harry as she stood up and took off the earphones. "Thank you."

"Anytime. You're leaving miss?"

"Yes, I've got somewhere else to be." She wasn't lying though, she did have somewhere to be and was already fifteen minutes late. He nodded as he took the earphones. "Hopefully you won't think this is weird, but you remind me of my dad." She had to say it, for whatever reason. Harry smiled.

"Not at all." Lise smiled back. "Have a good day, Miss."

"Have a nice day yourself, Harry." They nodded at each other and Lise started her way back from where she had come from.