The Way You Make Me Feel

I, Lila Paterson, am a fool in love.

I know that it's not something that I would want to go announcing to the world, but I have come to accept it. I'm actually happy about it. Now, I'm not necessarily the type to be a fool in love, but this is different. It's different because I couldn't have fallen for a better guy. He's just so... amazing. Sure, he's got his imperfections, but who doesn't?

Before I let the ending slip, I should probably fill you in on the beginning of my story. Well, it all started on a rainy day in London...

"Damn rain," I muttered under my breath as I walked out of my apartment building. I hugged my coat closer to my chest as I trudged down the street.

I certainly wasn't used to all of this rainy weather. I was spoiled when it came to the weather, having lived in California for the past six years. I lived in England for the first sixteen years of my life, but moved when my dad's job relocated him to California. But, now being twenty-three, I decided that I missed England. In the short six months that I'd been in London, I managed to find myself a boyfriend, Austin, who I am now living with, and an internship as a fashion designer. Hectic, right?

I hummed to myself as I walked down the street, thinking of how I could improve the design I was currently working on. Some would say that I'm a perfectionist. Having been deep in thought, I didn't realize a man sneak up behind me. In a matter of seconds, I felt my purse being snatched out of my hand.

"Hey!" I yelled as I watched the figure run away from me. I groaned, thinking of all the things I would need to now replace, as I saw a guy with blonde hair run past me. I watched the scene play out; the blonde haired guy tackled that stealing son of a bitch. I smiled to myself at the thought of being a damsel in distress as the guy with the blonde hair brought my purse back to me, a proud grin spread across his face.

As he approached me, I examined my hero. He was taller than me with longish blonde hair and warm brown eyes. As he smiled, I noticed a single dimple on his left cheek. Something about him seemed so familiar to me. I wasn't sure what it was. Between the eyes and the dimple, I was positive that I'd seen him before.

"I believe this is yours," my hero said as he handed the purse to me. I looked up at the sky, noticing how the rain had suddenly stopped. I smiled a bit to myself, knowing that I wouldn't have to walk to work in the pouring rain anymore. I tucked a strand of my soaking strawberry blonde hair behind my ear as I bit my lip, still thinking about how I knew him.

"Thanks," I said with a small smile as realization spread across his features. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped a bit as he looked me over.

"Lila? Lila Paterson?" he asked with a large smile as I bit my lip again, wondering if now was the time to run. But just as I was about to shake my head and turn around, it hit me. The hair, the eyes, the single dimple. This was him.

"Tom!" I said excitedly as I flung my arms around his neck and embraced him in a tight hug.

>>>

"You can't leave," a sixteen-year-old Tom Fletcher whined as we walked through a nearby park. I rolled my eyes at his childishness and pushed him playfully. He was my best friend. The one who had been there for me since before I could talk. I was scared to leave him, but I couldn't let it show.

"Stop being such a baby, Thomas. I'll call you every day," I said as I glanced at my best friend. He was my geek with the Star Wars t-shirt on. I would always make fun of the fact that he was a geek, but I secretly loved it. Every time one of us was in a bind and he would quote Yoda or something, I would smile.

"But, what if you don't?" he asked as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Then I'll be back," I said with a smile as Tom looked at me with a sudden sadness in his normally cheerful brown eyes.

"Do you promise?"

"Promise," I said.

>>>

"You came back," Tom said as he lifted me off my feet, still hugging me tightly.

"Of course I came back! I promised I would," I said as Tom put me back down on the ground. "How'd you know it was me?"

"You were biting your lip," Tom said as I blushed a bit. Tom knew how I always bit my lip when I thought too hard about something. That was how he always knew when I was upset or puzzled about something. It was his little cheat to knowing when to help me out.

"I forgot I still did that," I said quietly as Tom grinned at me. "So, um, what have you been up to? It's been... years!"

"Oh, not much. Just the usual," Tom said with a shrug. "You?"

"I'm an intern for a fashion designer," I said proudly.

"No way! That's amazing, Li! I always said that you'd be able to get into fashion!" Tom said before looking down at what he was wearing with a frown. "Lord knows I don't have the best fashion sense. Maybe you can design some clothes for me."

"I'll get on that," I said with a light laugh. "How about you? What do you do for a living?"

"You don't know?" Tom asked as I shook my head, confused out of my mind.

"How would I possibly know, Tom? I haven't seen you in six years!" I exclaimed with a giggle as Tom rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," he said as he looked down at his feet. "Do you wanna grab a coffee or something?"

"I can't, sorry. I was just off to work," I said before taking a piece of paper and a pen out of my purse and began scribbling down my phone number. "But, here's my number. Call me, okay? We've obviously got a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah," Tom said as he looked down at my telephone number. "I'll definitely do that."

"Okay, then I guess I'll see you around," I said as I began to walk down the street. "Thanks again for getting my purse."

"Bye," Tom called to me before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking in the opposite direction.

At the time, it was weird to see Tom again. Sure, I'd thought about my childhood best friend every day that I'd been gone, but I didn't think that he'd really remember me. I didn't know that I was that important to him. I figured that I was nothing more than a forgotten memory to him.

It made me happy knowing that I was something more than that.