Oblivion {James Rodriguez} {Book ONE}

wise sayings of confucius

"So, how have you been, girlie?" Chirps Melissa excitedly, placing the two steaming cups of coffee on the table in between us both.

I smile at her gratefully for asking that question. It's been ages since someone showed genuine concern over my emotional turmoil that's been taking a massive toll on me for the past few days.

I don't know what's come over me, or what's causing me to suddenly feel nostalgic. I guess it's the fact that the Kerensky case reminds me so much of the life I used to be living with Carter.

It seems like I've been lost in my own depressing thoughts for quite a while, because Melissa cocked her head to the side and snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Earth to Mia?"

I snap out of my thoughtful vacuum as the blurred sounds of the cafe switches back on.

"Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking really hard."

She raises an eyebrow at me. "About?"

I open my mouth to quickly brush the sensitive topic off, but she leans back in her chair with a knowing expression and a slight smirk.

"Oh, let me guess," she starts off, tone already sarcastic and bitterly hostile. "Your Carter Adams decided to make a James Bond entrance back again?"

I drop my head into my hands and nod silently, embarrassed that I could ever be this obvious. Or maybe she's just really good and linking X and Y.

She shakes her head at me sympathetically, as if I was a sick, lost injured puppy in desperate need for shelter. I look away, no longer able to challenge her intense gaze that is making me feel more ashamed for my feelings by the second.

"I mean, on the bright side..." She tries after she's done scrutinizing me.

Bright side? How is his sudden unwanted appearance considered bright? I'm already an emotional wreck because of the toll the Kerensky case is taking on me, I don't need my ex-boyfriend of four years to joyfully insert himself back in.

But wait - he didn't even come see me, so why am I assuming that he's trying to come back in again? I guess it's my paranoid nature that has entertained my worst assumptions. When I think about something unpleasant really hard, it almost always ends up happening.

"There is no bright side, Mel. Besides, I didn't even see him." I reply after a thorough internal debate. I finally looking her in the eye after all the embarrassment has worn off.

"Yet. You didn't see him, yet." She reminds me as she takes a sip of her coffee and inspects my reaction from the brim of her mug.

I don't know how I'll feel when I see him again - if I do. I probably would try to avoid him as much as humanly possible, because with the sight of him comes the memories of my past, haunting us both like the force of a dozen torpedoes.

It would be awkward, as well. We didn't exactly end in the sweetest way. It all happened too quickly - the yelling, the crying, the screaming... The breakdown.

I shudder slightly as goosebumps appear on my skin because of the sudden recollection of memory. The amount of feelings I am going through this afternoon is overwhelming. I need to stop thinking so hard.

"I swear, this is the third time you've gone alien on me." She groans.

I chuckle at my stupidity. "You're right. There's just so many things running through my mind."

She places a comforting hand over mine and looks at me with a warm glint in her eyes.

"I'm not going to say I understand, because I don't. But I'll leave you with this - don't ever run away from the inevitable. It will catch up with you eventually, and when it does, you'll never know what hit you."

I let her words sink in for a while. It has been ages since someone's genuine advice affects me this deep. In this moment, she couldn't have been more relevant. If run away from Carter, he'll eventually run towards me instead, and then we both go spiraling down the tunnel to nowhere.

But I don't want to approach him first either. What am I going to say? "Hey, it's Mia from four years ago. I just popped in to quickly check how you're doing, considering that I totally didn't ask you to leave and never come back the last time we spoke. Oh, and I think I also told you I hated you. A lot. See you soon!"

Yeah, the Hell I will.

"I have to go." I mumble distractedly. I noticed Melissa hasn't snapped at me for zoning out for the fourth time. I guess she tried to give me a chance to decipher her words.

"Yeah, me too. It's already four. I've got to pick Jimmy up from soccer practice." She says as she shoves her phone back in her purse.

I stand up, straightening my light blue, comfortable dress that reaches just above my knee. We both walk side by side, as she chatted on about how she predicted the glum weather is going to ruin her family trip to the beach tomorrow. One thing I do not understand about Melissa is that she's always thinking about the near future ahead. I do it as well, but I wonder how many plans she had to cancel simply because of an alarmingly grey, cloudy day. Must be exhausting.

We depart our separate ways after a few minutes of cluelessly wondering around the parking lot, trying to remember where the hell we parked our cars.

"Found it! Finally!" Exclaims Melissa, running to her Porsche like it is suddenly the most valuable item in the world. And it is. A Porsche compared to my minimalist Ford is literally nothing.

I wave at her as I swerve out of the parking lot and into the highway.

The wind is blowing through my hair and the warm, mild late-afternoon sun shines on my face. I extend one arm out of the window, feeling the exhilarating wind go through the gaps between my fingers; smooth as silk.

I smile to myself contentedly.