Little Bit of Truth

After her fifth move following graduation, Eliza became accustomed to the constant changes in scenery. Somewhere in the midst of packing in Boise, Idaho and unloading her jeep in Silver Springs, Maryland, Eliza perfected the art of moving.

It was an art and Eliza was an artist. Packing became second nature to her and arguing with airlines over the phone was as easy to do as 2+2. Once she would reach her new destination, be it in the confines of the Deep South or in some large metropolis, the art of settling in would be simple and almost routine for Eliza. She would stay in a hotel for a maximum of a week, find a job and a place to stay and then bide her time.

However, it never became monotonous. There was always the tiny, minuscule part of her that was excited when she would pass the city limit signs. All these places, these dots across a map of the United States were parts of Eliza's story, a story that was still being written. Each dot could be connected and interweaved with another. Sometimes, Eliza thought this was the reason she moved so often, her need to satiate her boredom. However, deep down, Eliza knew there was something else, some strong, unknown force that pulled her to different places. If it was not her need to obliterate monotony and boredom that moved her about, than what was it? One could only wonder…..

And so, following through with the peculiar routine that Eliza had fallen into, London ought to have been no exception. Eliza stayed at Park Lane Hotel for a week. She found a job in a small book shop that brewed coffee and set an ambiance that made Eliza fall in love at once. Two streets down, Eliza found a small, one bedroom flat, as her renter called it, and with the snapping of two fingers, Eliza was settled in London. The accents were, on occasion, difficult to understand but eventually, Eliza got the hang of it.

So, now that the story has been set up, it is about time Noah Evansson was introduced. Let it be known, prior to any misconceptions arising, that Noah and Eliza’s meeting was all about chance. Had Eliza not been rushing to her first day of work, quite late already mind you, and had Noah not been in a rush to deliver his mum’s birthday cake, they would have never met. Neither of them would have been running down Tottenham Road, one balancing a large cake box and the other balancing herself and her job. If neither of them had been rushing down the street, neither would have bumped into one another and therefore, neither would have met the other in such extreme circumstances.

But, since when was life about the “if’”? Why dwell on what could and would have happened? Therefore, it shall be known that Eliza and Noah bumped into one another on a busy Monday afternoon. The rest is history.

Eliza knew the moment she woke up three hours late, that it would be one of those days, the kind where leaving the bed could be compared to dying. But, today was Eliza’s first day working at Strand Bookstore so she ought to make an impression, an impression that did not involve tardiness. She quickly left her flat and ran as fast as she could in the heels she had stupidly decided to wear. She was looking at her phone, sending an email to Stephen when she collided into something and landed on the floor.

Eliza looked up to see a man towering over her while the box he was holding toppled over and hit the ground. A rushed, meaningless apology was forming in Eliza’s mouth when the man opened his mouth.

“You idiot! Look what you’ve gone and done. The cake is ruined and there’s no way for me to get another one! Dad’s gonna be proper angry when he sees this. Could you watch where you’re going?”

The apology lay forgotten as Eliza prepared to verbally abuse the accent out of this man.

“Well sir, perhaps next time you ought to watch where you’re going. I wasn’t the one carrying a cake the size of my head, alright? You ought to be more careful, idiot.” She said slowly.

The man looked absolutely livid and while he formed his next remark, Eliza looked at him. He was quite cute honestly; he had bright green eyes and dark hair. He was tall, at least 6’ and had a nice build. He was rather attractive if it wasn’t for the obscenities that were pouring out of his mouth at present.

“You were the one tapping away at your phone, not watching where you were going!” He yelled accusingly.

“And you’re the one with the messed up cake.” Eliza retorted.

“Ugh! It’s me mum’s birthday and my family didn’t trust me with much so they told me to pick the cake up. Now you’ve gone and messed that up for me as well.”

Eliza should have felt bad, looking back at it she knew what came next wasn’t appropriate.

“Well, she gave birth to you so she can’t be that great a person, can she?”

“You twat!” the man yelled.

“Now I may not be from here, but I know that is not a nice word. I don’t think your mum would appreciate knowing that she raised such a horrid fellow.” She said mockingly.

“You are coming with me. You’re gonna go and explain to my father why his son Noah is coming home without a cake.”

“I surely will not! This is probably how you find your rape victims. You cart around a cake box and pretend they ruined it. There’s probably nothing in it anyways.”

“Really now? Well I suppose this is nothing.” Noah said as he opened the box to reveal a rather smashed light pink cake with “Happy Birthday Rose” written across it in script, well it was quite illegible now but it was a pretty cake.

“Listen, if it’s that much of a problem, then I’ll pay for a new one.”

“Oh, so you can pay for a custom made cake with strawberry cream in each layer and fourteen hours of labor when the party starts in four hours?”

“Well what do you want me to do then? I said I’d pay for it. There isn’t much else I can do. You know what; give me three hours and your address. There will be a cake there, I promise. And tell me what you want in it.”

“Alright… but if you run away, I’ll find you.” Noah said, as he gave her all the information she had asked for.

Eliza rushed to work while calling Cat’s Bakery and placing an order for a two-tier light pink, rosy confection.

“I’m so sorry about my lateness. I ruined a man’s cake on my way here and there was a whole debacle and…”

“It’s fine Eliza. Just don’t make a habit of it.” Louis answered while giving her a warm smile. Louis reminded Eliza of her father. He was such a warm and caring character.

Three and a half hours later, Eliza took her hour break and walked to Cat’s Bakery, hailed a taxi with a cake in hand and went to the address Noah had given her.

However, when she knocked on the door of the residence, the person who opened it surprised her to the point where she almost dropped the cake, almost.

“Ed?”