UNCONDITIONALLY YOURS

Just what I needed // 12

Parker

On my doorstep stood one of the last people I expected to see again, especially on a wet winter's evening at my doorstep. She was soaking, and I inferred that she had come all the way to my house on foot during the storm and the cold night. She was wearing a big, back hoodie, it was like a wet towel hanging over her shoulders and completely useless to keeping her warm. Her luscious brown hair was dripping, and messy. She had black smudges around her eyes.

"Riley?" She looked up at me, and I could never forget the look she gave me that night. She looked so utterly drained and entirely miserable. She gave me a face like she thought herself to be such a burden. She just looked like she felt so unwanted and lonely. "What happened? Are you ok? What on earth are you doing here?"

She was having trouble getting her words out, which was unlike her and she was usually so confident. "I-I'm so sorry to show up here. I know I must be spoiling your evening. I hate to be such a difficulty it's just-"

"Shhhhhh. You are welcome here any time. But I have to ask what brings you here?"

She began to tear up again and then she did something that surprised me more than anything else, something I never expected from her. She leant forward and collapsed into my arms. Her knees buckled so I was holding up her full weight, but I did not mind. She was light as a feather. Her being in my arms felt so right, though I prayed for better circumstances.

"Just...please just hold me, just for a few moments."

Riley

I felt safe in his arms. My problems somehow melted away by just being close to him. I was, of course, still afraid of what it meant that he made me feel like that, but in that moment I did not want to worry about it. I just wanted to enjoy being in his arms. He acted like he cared, something that had been all too rare in my life. He tolerated me when I was rude and miserable. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he could still like me despite my emotional baggage.

He tangled his hand in my hair as he held me close to his chest. He understood me, he understood words were not needed. Though, he still occasionally whispered 'it's ok'. As much as I wanted to stay in his embrace for longer, I eventually pulled away. I sniffled and tried to hold back my tears hopeful not to ridicule myself further. He noticed.

"It's ok, you can cry. I don't mind." He looked at me with the softest, most caring eyes I had seen directed at me in what felt like a lifetime. And I knew he was being honest. He didn't mind me crying like a baby, he wanted me to let it out. It was in that moment as I stepped away from our embrace reluctantly that I looked at him properly. The other times I had seen him he had been so smart and professional looking. It could be expected from such an important and high earning full-time business man. But when I looked at him, I noticed his hair was messy and unstyled. In contrast to his usual shirt and tie, joggers and a t-shirt made him look like a different person. He looked good to say the least.

"I will leave you alone." I sniffed. "I just really need a room, just for tonight. I will be out before you even wake up and I'll wash the sheet, it will be like I wasn't even h-"

"No." He interrupted not giving me the chance to continue rambling. What else could I have expected? He had already been so kind to me, I was surprised he hadn't lost his patience with me already. For just a second I believed that maybe he would let me stay for one night, just because of the way he look at me but I was probably expecting too much. I felt pretty stupid for showing up at someone's house and just hoping they might let me stay.

"Alright." I said trying not to sound too disheartened. I feared I was too emotional to hide how I was feeling whilst I was speaking. "I'll just go, sorry for coming." As I began to leave he caught my arm. I tried not to flinch at he put a small amount of pressure on the bruised part of my arm. As he turned me around my face twisted in pain.