Three Little Words
Three Little Words
It was strange - she hadn't thought of him as boyfriend material when she'd seen his profile on MySpace. Sure, he was cool, somewhat handsome and a MASSIVE Guitar Hero aficionado; but she hadn't really thought of the possibility of falling head over heels for him.
And yet that's just what had happened. Evangeline had fallen, and hard at that. When she'd found him waiting for her, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, her heart had just melted. He was so much more handsome in real life than in the photographs.
"Seth?" she'd managed to force out, lost in his gaze. He had appeared to be speechless, she worried that he was judging her appearance in a simple black shirt and black jeans. After the initial shock, he'd smiled. He'd hugged her, expressed his excitement at his finally getting to meet her.
"I've never done this before," she'd said, fearing she was speaking too fast for him to understand, each of them being from different countries; she from the United Kingdom, he from the United States. "Meeting someone off the internet, I mean."
"No, me neither," he'd responded, grinning. His voice was infectious, different from what she'd expected but she could have listened for hours. "It didn't occur to me to look people up until last week."
It was unfortunate about their meeting - Seth couldn't stay long, what with the trains being difficult to plan around. They had just a few hours to spend together, leaving not much time for her to show him around like she'd planned. She was only able to drag him around, and she was afraid he felt like an object, an accessory. If he had been more decisive about coming out to the city earlier in the day...
She was determined to soak up every second, to at least keep the memories alive. She had anticipated the meeting a lot differently. She hadn't expected this natural calm, or the underlying excitement. She was surprised at his shyness - this wasn't the same Seth from MySpace, surely? He was so different in real life, like a friend you hadn't seen in years, like a person you could speak to for hours on the phone, like someone you wanted to hold at night...
"So is your real name Rosé-Noir?" he asked her, bringing her out of her reverie rather too forcefully. She looked up into his eyes, a sparkling, energetic blue, and almost lost her words again. He had an indecipherable look in them, but one she liked.
"No, my real name is Evangeline... which I think is stupid..."
"Evangeline?" he repeated, looking up to think. "Okay, got it."
She could have died at the way she said his name. His voice was so smooth, so deep and velvet... She was going to miss hearing it.
And it was only then that she realised that feeling that had been nagging at her all day, the impossible empty-yet-pleasant feeling in her chest, burning her throat when she opened her mouth to speak, the feeling that threatened to overpower her. A feeling that she knew could destroy the strongest person and one she had vowed not to overcome her. A feeling associated with "those three little words".
She didn't want to check her phone for the time. She didn't want to know how long they had left. But Seth was there first and turned to her, looking thoroughly disappointed.
"I have maybe half an hour before I have to leave. Or I could crash with you?"
His tone had been hopeful, his beautiful eyes searching her expression for positivity, but there was none to be found. She saw the microexpression of regret as he looked on at the trains waiting to be boarded. Lost for anything to say or do, she simply muttered...
"Your train is boarding."
He looked over properly then and saw that his train was indeed boarding. In a way, it was like an old black an white film, when the heroine is left behind at the station, tears streaming down her cheeks. But though she was sensitive, she refused to fall victim to this feeling, no matter how strong. He wrapped his arms around her her firmly and whispered a goodbye.
"I've enjoyed this," he murmured. Something in his embrace told her that he was only completely sincere, and the feeling began churning, wailing in her mind, her soul... But she couldn't fail now... not now...
"Bye-bye, Seth," she whispered into his shoulder. "Have a safe journey."
The feeling not subsiding, she watched him board, choking back what felt like a sea of pain. It seemed the moment he boarded, the train began it's journey, taking him away from her and the words she couldn't let herself say.
And why didn't she say them? She was so foolish. This was her chance; her opportunity. Something she'd let slip through her fingers. Once again she was left with the hollow, lonely feeling and the tears fighting for release. She had been too proud, or perhaps too frightened. If she'd only said those three little words...
And yet that's just what had happened. Evangeline had fallen, and hard at that. When she'd found him waiting for her, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, her heart had just melted. He was so much more handsome in real life than in the photographs.
"Seth?" she'd managed to force out, lost in his gaze. He had appeared to be speechless, she worried that he was judging her appearance in a simple black shirt and black jeans. After the initial shock, he'd smiled. He'd hugged her, expressed his excitement at his finally getting to meet her.
"I've never done this before," she'd said, fearing she was speaking too fast for him to understand, each of them being from different countries; she from the United Kingdom, he from the United States. "Meeting someone off the internet, I mean."
"No, me neither," he'd responded, grinning. His voice was infectious, different from what she'd expected but she could have listened for hours. "It didn't occur to me to look people up until last week."
It was unfortunate about their meeting - Seth couldn't stay long, what with the trains being difficult to plan around. They had just a few hours to spend together, leaving not much time for her to show him around like she'd planned. She was only able to drag him around, and she was afraid he felt like an object, an accessory. If he had been more decisive about coming out to the city earlier in the day...
She was determined to soak up every second, to at least keep the memories alive. She had anticipated the meeting a lot differently. She hadn't expected this natural calm, or the underlying excitement. She was surprised at his shyness - this wasn't the same Seth from MySpace, surely? He was so different in real life, like a friend you hadn't seen in years, like a person you could speak to for hours on the phone, like someone you wanted to hold at night...
"So is your real name Rosé-Noir?" he asked her, bringing her out of her reverie rather too forcefully. She looked up into his eyes, a sparkling, energetic blue, and almost lost her words again. He had an indecipherable look in them, but one she liked.
"No, my real name is Evangeline... which I think is stupid..."
"Evangeline?" he repeated, looking up to think. "Okay, got it."
She could have died at the way she said his name. His voice was so smooth, so deep and velvet... She was going to miss hearing it.
And it was only then that she realised that feeling that had been nagging at her all day, the impossible empty-yet-pleasant feeling in her chest, burning her throat when she opened her mouth to speak, the feeling that threatened to overpower her. A feeling that she knew could destroy the strongest person and one she had vowed not to overcome her. A feeling associated with "those three little words".
She didn't want to check her phone for the time. She didn't want to know how long they had left. But Seth was there first and turned to her, looking thoroughly disappointed.
"I have maybe half an hour before I have to leave. Or I could crash with you?"
His tone had been hopeful, his beautiful eyes searching her expression for positivity, but there was none to be found. She saw the microexpression of regret as he looked on at the trains waiting to be boarded. Lost for anything to say or do, she simply muttered...
"Your train is boarding."
He looked over properly then and saw that his train was indeed boarding. In a way, it was like an old black an white film, when the heroine is left behind at the station, tears streaming down her cheeks. But though she was sensitive, she refused to fall victim to this feeling, no matter how strong. He wrapped his arms around her her firmly and whispered a goodbye.
"I've enjoyed this," he murmured. Something in his embrace told her that he was only completely sincere, and the feeling began churning, wailing in her mind, her soul... But she couldn't fail now... not now...
"Bye-bye, Seth," she whispered into his shoulder. "Have a safe journey."
The feeling not subsiding, she watched him board, choking back what felt like a sea of pain. It seemed the moment he boarded, the train began it's journey, taking him away from her and the words she couldn't let herself say.
And why didn't she say them? She was so foolish. This was her chance; her opportunity. Something she'd let slip through her fingers. Once again she was left with the hollow, lonely feeling and the tears fighting for release. She had been too proud, or perhaps too frightened. If she'd only said those three little words...