Would You Fall Too?

“Are you alright, Em?” Isla posed as she finished off the last crumb of the cake she had ordered, her eyes narrowed on her friend who’d been oddly quiet, even for her. It was their usual thing, a trip to the café not too far away from the store where Emilie worked, but Isla couldn’t help but notice the odd way that Emilie was acting, something which concerned her. Emilie wasn’t talkative, it wasn’t something she had ever been, but she was still too quiet for Isla and it concerned the other girl slightly. The last thing Emilie needed was something causing her to take a step back in the recovery she had been working so hard on perfecting.

Emilie, who had been absently staring at her coffee, blinked, her blue eyes peeking up at her best friend. “Huh?” she posed.

“Are you OK?” Isla stressed “You’re not thinking about Jer…”

“No” Emilie interjected, shaking her head firmly “Of course not. I just have something on my mind” she mused, her nose wrinkled slightly.

“Is it something terrible?” Isla posed “Is everything OK with your parents and Oscar?” she added.

Emilie nodded her head. She knew that she was being silly, what had happened with Sergio hadn’t been anything major, but still it bothered her. She had worked hard, she had perfected hiding away in plain sight, and she couldn’t quite believe that she had let him get so close. He was sweet, Emilie found him nice and kind, but she couldn’t see it ending any other way than with her hurt. He couldn’t want her, Sergio had his choice of women and Emilie doubted that she had even crossed his radar, and she wanted to put space between them. She was too attached and she didn’t like it for a second.

“Em” Isla noted, nudging her friend’s arm “What’s going on with you?” she pressed.

Emilie sighed. “I like a guy” she murmured.

Isla’s face slackened a little, amazed by the words that had fallen out of Emilie’s mouth. “You what?” she posed.

“Please, don’t make me say it again” Emilie complained “It’s already bad enough that I think it” she added.

“You met a guy?” Isla posed, earning a small nod from Emilie “And now you’re all spacey because you think you like this guy?” she added.

“Yes” Emilie mumbled.

“How did you meet a guy? You hardly leave the house” Isla posed, leaning a little closer to her friend.

“I didn’t exactly have to go a mile away from home” Emilie quipped, her hands tearing the napkin that she had been given with her drink “I never told you that I spoke to my neighbour, did I?” she added, her blue eyes peeking up at Isla in search of a reaction.

“No” Isla squeaked.

“A couple of months ago I was walking home from work and I found him on his front doorstep, drunk, crying and having lost his key. I gave him a room for the night and in return, he tried to cook me breakfast only to burn it. He then showed up with take out and for the last 3 months, we’ve had dinner once or twice a week” Emilie explained, chewing on her lip nervously.

“You’re dating your neighbour?” Isla pressed.

Emilie shook her head. “No, I am not. I am spending time with him, but as friends and friends alone” she insisted.

Isla frowned a little. “Then why are you freaking out?” she posed, a little confused. She was thrilled for Emilie, making a new friend was a big step for her, and Isla couldn’t help but be a little proud. Slowly but surely, Emilie was becoming the girl she had been before ‘that night’. “If he’s a friend, why are you so concerned?” she added.

“Because of the way he is” Emilie mused.

“And how is he?” Isla posed softly.

“Very sweet” Emilie noted, a faint smile on her face “He’s very nice, easy to talk to, he can make me laugh…He’s a lovely man, Isla, and that’s what worries me. He’s single now, very much so, and I worry that I am developing feelings on a man that couldn’t want me” she murmured, her fingers gently pushing the red hair out of her eyes.

Isla frowned. “You’ve got a crush on him?” she noted.

Emilie offered a firm nod, not wanting to beat around the bush.

“And you’re worried that Sergio might not feel the same way?” Isla quipped.

Emilie nodded.

“Have you asked him?” Isla posed.

“Yes, because that’s a conversation I can have” Emilie returned, her tone a little sharp and sarcastic.

Isla shook her head. “We’re not in high school anymore, Em, if you like the guy, you ought to tell him, otherwise you just leave the door open for him to find someone else and end up hurting you in the long run. You clearly like him, I didn’t miss that smile when you thought about him, and for what it is worth, I can see no reason why he couldn’t like you too. I don’t pretend I am an expert on him, but I know you and once you crack through that shell, you’re someone he’d be very lucky to have in his life” she enthused, her hand gently squeezing Emilie’s which sat on the table.

“What if I screw it up?” Emilie murmured “He’s the first friend I’ve made in a while” she added.

“And he’s proof that you can make another” Isla encouraged.

Emilie shook her head and opened her mouth to protest, but Isla was quicker, placing her hand over her friend’s mouth. “You don’t know what goes on in his head, Em. For all you know, when you close the door on him after your little dates, he could go home thinking about you. I get the hesitation, but you deserve something a little special and your handsome neighbour has all the potential to be it” she grinned.

Emilie rolled her eyes. “He’s really not that handsome” she commented.

Isla scoffed “And my mother’s the queen of England” she mused.

Emilie smiled a little. “He is pretty good looking” she mused.

“And just think, he could be all yours” Isla enthused, earning a small blush on Emilie’s cheeks.

“Or, he could be a friend I once had” she mumbled.

Isla shook her head. “Take a chance, Em. You haven’t in years and I think this could be a good chance to. So what if he doesn’t feel the same? There are other people out there, you just need to put yourself out there” she enthused.

Emilie merely nodded her head. She could only hope that Emilie was right.