November 20th, 2019・Anaya
I fanned my face as I walked through the streets of Sydney, finally stopping at the bus station. As hot as it was, I knew better than to think temperatures couldn't go any higher. Unfortunately, autumn was still far away, though leaves falling in the middle of March was still something I had to get used to. I sat under the shade of the awning on a blue metal bench, twisting open the cap of my water bottle. This place is so different from home, I thought before reminding myself that this was home now. Home was somewhere you can always come back to. Sydney was home now, because I didn't know where else to go.
"Penny for your thoughts?" A voice said beside me and I flinched in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Unless you want a boring story, my thoughts are useless." I said, absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of my shirt.
"Not to me. How've you been, Anaya?" I frowned in confusion and looked up to see the first familiar face I've seen in over a year, breaking into his trademark grin.
"Jai!" I wasn't sure how to greet him, so I smiled brightly. "It's been a while. How are you?" I asked him, looking down as I remembered the last time we saw each other.
"I asked you first." He paused, so briefly I almost missed it and smirked, resuming his behaviour, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"I've been good. I just started working for the United Daily News. Well, interning, actually, but I've been selected for an actual position and I start in February. It's a small job, not much investigative journaling to be done, but it's enough for now. You?"
"I'm still in California, in the IT field. I work for Cabbage Corp."
"How predictable."
"You didn't let me finish. I took some classes, and I write in my free time."
"Not bad, Jai, not bad. Can I--"
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm asking."
"No, you may not read my work."
"But why bother writing if you won't let people read?"
"You can read if I ever start taking it seriously, okay?"
"Fine. What are you doing in Australia?"
"Taking a vacation. I love warm weather, and when temperatures started to dip, I came over. I get to work from home anyways, so as long as I'm productive I can be anywhere I want." He said, shrugging.
As I saw the bus coming closer, I had an idea. "Since you're here, do you want to come over?" I asked.
"Why not?"
"Well, this is my place." I unlocked my door and gestured to my living room. "Make yourself comfortable, I guess." I told him, shrugging
"How welcoming." He said sarcastically, flopping down on the couch. I stared at him for a moment, wondering how it was possible to know someone so well while barely knowing them at all. Here was Jai, who by all accounts isn't supposed to be a friend, especially after all we've been through, inside my home, settling in as if he'd visited countless times before.
"What are you looking at?" He asked, standing up.
I shook my head. "Nothing. Do you want something to eat?"
"Sure. Any ideas?"
"Nope."
"Good. You go relax, change, do whatever. I'll make something."
YOU ARE READING
Please Don't Say You Love Me
Romance"You also think you know my 'type', do you?" I raised my fingers above my head gesturing for quotation marks. "Well then, let's hear it. What's my type?" He didn't say anything, just stared me down. I continued. "Say it. Is he smart, or funny, or ro...
