Would You Fall Too?

“Have you worked up the nerve to speak to that neighbour of yours yet, Em?” Isla Torres smiled, her blue eyes fixed on her friend who sat across from her, her own eyes scanning the contents of the book which sat in her lap. It wasn’t the first time the subject had been broached, ever since Emilie had moved into her home, Isla had insisted on bringing up the topic of her neighbour, but Emilie’s answer always remained the same. It wasn’t that they never spoke, Emilie was well versed in polite nods in the street when they walked past one another and pleasantries about the Spanish weather that they both enjoyed, but she didn’t see the need to go out of her way for him. They’d never been close, to her, Sergio was nothing more than the man who lived in the house beside her own, and she didn’t understand Isla’s fascination with him. He was just a neighbour, one of 2 direct neighbours that Emilie had, and she didn’t see the big deal.

“Why would I have spoken to him, Isla?” Emilie commented “Unless his house was on fire or he’d been burgled, there’s no need” she added.

Isla shook her head. “Come on, Em, you know why” she noted “How could you not want to talk to him?” she pressed.

Emilie quietly folded her book closed and sighed, her blue eyes looking back at her friend. “Isla, I am not going to talk to the man just because you have decided that he’s handsome” she noted softly “I am sure he’s a nice guy, but I have little need to make friends with him. You’re not friends with any of your neighbours and you don’t see me bothering you about it, so why is it such a big deal to you that I make friends with what’s his name?” she questioned. It was Isla’s favourite thing, trying to push Emilie towards her neighbour, but Emilie didn’t understand why. She liked the way things were, they were pleasant and uncomplicated, and Emilie didn’t particularly want to change things. She didn’t like interacting with people, it had taken Isla more than a year to work through her shell when they’d first met, and Emilie didn’t want to go out of her way to make new friends. She liked the small circle of people she had around her and didn’t want the aggravation of attempting to make it bigger.

Isla rolled her eyes. “You know his name, Emilie” she noted “And it wouldn’t do you any harm to talk to him once in a while” she pointed out.

“It wouldn’t do you any harm to not talk about him every time we come for coffee, but yet you do it every time” Emilie replied, stowing her book in her bag.

Isla smiled. “Can you blame me? He’s very nice to look at, Em, even you must have noticed that” she mused, a dreamy smile appearing on her face.

Emilie shook her head. “I hadn’t noticed, but you’ve made me very informed, Isla” she commented as she pulled her bag onto her shoulder, her hand leaving the money to cover her drink on the table. “Perhaps next time we could talk about something other than Sergio” she smiled before she pulled Isla into a hug.

“I doubt it” Isla replied “But you never know, by the next time we meet up, you and him could have said more than ‘hello’ to one another” she smirked.

Emilie laughed a little before she pulled back. “I highly doubt that” she noted “But if we do, you can rest assured that you’ll be the first person I tell” she smiled gently before she turned on her heel, making her way towards the door of the small café.

Isla watched her go and shook her head, smiling a little at Emilie. It wasn’t the first time, Emilie had shied away from people for as long as Isla had known her, but the blonde couldn’t help but hope that something would change it. Emilie deserved to find someone who could bring her out of her shell, who allowed her to be herself, and whether it was Sergio or not, Isla just wanted Emilie to find something.

~#~
Wandering up the familiar street, Emilie listened to the sound of her own feet on the pavement, counting the steps between the corner and her home. It was late, after coffee with Isla, she had gone to work at the small book store she worked at and she was pleased to finally be on the way home. It had been a pleasant day, but Emilie was tired and couldn’t wait to curl up in bed with a mug of tea and some horrid chat show on TV that could make her laugh. Passing the line of fences, she turned to wander up her front path, pausing slightly as a strangled noise reached her ears. It sounded pained, like a wounded animal or something, and it made her stop, her blue eyes peaking around herself in the dark. “Hello?” she called, listening for any other sound.

A few seconds past before the same strangled noise reached her, causing her to turn slightly, her eyes peeking over the fence towards the front door of her neighbour. “Sergio?” she posed, taking a couple of steps forwards “Are you alright?” she posed gently.

“Neighbour girl” his words were muffled, slightly slurred, but still recognizable. “How are you, neighbour girl?” he repeated.

Emilie frowned a little and carefully climbed over the fence, allowing her to pad up towards him. “Why are you sitting out here?” she posed.

Sergio shifted a little. “I…I appear to have lost my key” he noted, his face tilting to look up at her.

Emilie sighed. “Where’s your girlfriend?” she posed. She didn’t know that he had one, but there was a woman who came by frequently and it seemed to be the most logical explanation.

“Puta” Sergio cursed.

Emilie frowned gently and crouched down near to him, her blue eyes searching for any obvious sign of injury. “Do you have someone who has a spare key?” she posed, satisfied that he wasn’t hurt.

“My madre has one…I think, and Iker, but he’s in Portugal” Sergio replied, his forehead furrowed in thought.

Emilie sighed gently and moved back to her feet, offering her hand out to him. “You should come back to mine” she commented “You’re not going to get a locksmith out now and you can’t sit out here all night. I can offer you my spare room if you want it” she offered tentatively. She didn’t like it, the idea of a near stranger being in her home, but she couldn’t just leave him sat there. He didn’t seem to be himself, not that Emilie was an expert in what ‘himself’ was, and she didn’t want to be rude. Clearly, he was going through something.

Sergio looked up at her, his forehead furrowed. “You…you’d be OK with that?” he posed.

“I can’t leave you here, Sergio” Emilie replied, helping him to his feet “It’s not very neighbourly” she added.

Sergio let out a loud laugh, louder than he had intended, before he smiled at Emilie. “Gracias, neighbour girl” he grinned.

Emilie forced a little smile in return before she wrapped his arm around her shoulder, helping him inside. She didn’t want to let him in, Sergio had his home and she had hers, but she couldn’t just leave him there, no matter how tempted she had been. He clearly needed someone and Emilie was as good as anyone.