unforgettable you | h.s.

beginning

the memories come in waves. waves so big and powerful i fear i might drown.

he had been so captivating, addicting even. sparkling, green eyes and a smile that could enchant anyone. especially me, i thought.

years had passed since our hands last brushed, fingers trembling at the feeling of one another. an unusual, unfamiliar feeling. i had never trembled at the sight, let alone the feeling, of him.

him, in all his perfection and beauty. he was everything i'd hoped and long for, arriving quickly and leaving just as fast. two years of my life had been consumed by him, his reckless nature and unrelenting humor.

i guess to make sense of this, whatever this is, we have to start in the beginning.

—

three years earlier

the world was quiet. a beautiful, fall morning, leaves falling one after the other. there were a few other people scattered throughout the park, mostly partaking in silent activities such as reading or picnicking with a lover. i sigh contentedly, admiring the view before me.

fall was my favorite season, mostly because the air was slightly cooler and the leaves were prettier. oranges, yellows, and shades of red made up most of the tree line. i adored it.

i hadn't necessarily noticed the time passing, 2pm quickly turning into 5pm. i was astounded at the amount of time i could sit here, completely entranced by the beauty of seasons changing. as the sun began to approach the horizon, i decided it'd be best for me to head home. i knew better than to stay out too late, living in the city taught me that.

after a short walk back to my building, i was happy to finally kick off my shoes and change into more comfortable loungewear. it was near 6pm when i finally settled into my evening, racking my brain for dinner ideas – a process that was quickly interrupted by the ringing of my phone. i check the caller ID, quickly pressing the green button and holding the phone to my ear.

"you've reached emerald, how may i assist you today?"

"em, you've just about run that greeting into the ground," my friend, esme, comments over the phone. "anyway, i was thinking you and i could hit up the new bar downtown. you know, support local business and all."

"you know i'm always down to hangout!" i exclaim, standing up immediately from the couch i had found myself sitting on. "give me a few to get ready, i just got home from the park."

"alright, i'll be over to get ya in an hour and a half!" i can basically hear her smiling. she loves going out on the weekends, and i was happy to tag along.

"alright, sounds perfect! i'll see you in a bit, love you to pieces."

"love you, girlie. i'll text you once i'm on the way!" and with that, the line went dead and i had a new task: figuring out what to wear. my evil plan was to look good enough to not have to pay for drinks, and most of the time, it worked like a charm. i had men and women tied around my little finger.

after deciding on a sparkling, red dress, i sat down to do my makeup. deciding to somewhat match the energy of the vibrant dress, i applied a bright red eyeshadow to my eyelids and paired that with bold, winged eyeliner. i removed the braids from my hair i had been adorning all day, allowing my curly hair to cascade over my shoulders. to rejuvenate my curls, i applied some lightweight curl cream as well as a bit of gel. it took me the entire hour and a half to get ready, finishing up just as esme rang the doorbell.

"coming!" i chimed, grabbing my phone and wallet before heading to the door.

"hello, beautiful!" i gleamed, greeting my friend at the door. "you look amazing!"

"i was just about to say the same thing!" she gushes, clapping her hands together. "you look great, i love the eyeshadow. really brings out the color of your eyes."

"thank you, i wanted to match the dress." i explain, doing a brief twirl so she can get a 360 view.

"woooow." she laughs, fanning her face jokingly. "hot."

"thank ya, thank ya. just tryna get some free drinks if you know what i mean." i wink, finally stepping past the threshold of my front door and joking her outside. i quickly lock the door, following her to the taxi. both of us knew we would be too plastered to drive home, therefore took precautionary steps prior to arriving at the bar.

it was a short drive, as we lived only about ten minutes from the downtown area, so we arrived at about 8 o'clock – right when they were opening for the night. already, people were wrapped around the building to get in. makes sense, seeing as they were probably tired of frequenting the same three bars every weekend.

"geez..." i say under my breath, stepping out of the taxi and tugging my dress down a bit. "might be standing here a while."

"that's fine, you know the fun doesn't start until after 10 anyway." she laughs, grabbing my hand and leading me to the end of the line.

we stood in line for about thirty minutes, not long at all, surrounded by a majority of women. a few of them appeared to have pregamed before arriving to the bar, alcohol clearly swirling through their systems.

a few hours had passed before esme and i could officially declare we were wasted. heading toward the dance floor, i kept a secure grip on her hand while simultaneously cutting through the maze of people. the tequila in my system completely overtook my body and caused me to truly dance freely. this had, apparently, caught the attention of a man just across the way. he was handsome, i could admit, with striking green eyes and hair that fell just into his eyes. he looked a bit disheveled, which is to be expected at a bar.

"harry." he extends a hand to me, a rather large hand i might add. i'd be remiss to pay no attention to this thick, British accent. it took me by surprise, seeing as we were currently not in the U.K.

"emerald, like the color." i greet, accepting his offer and shaking firmly. "nice handshake!" i comment.

"thank you, you as well." he laughs. "can i buy you a drink, or are you too incapacitated?"

"i'd love a drink!" i graciously accept. "esme,
i'm gonna head to the bar! if i'm not back within thirty minutes, come looking." i say quietly into her ear, receiving a nod in response as she kept dancing. although slightly preoccupied, she still followed me as i headed toward the bar and was no doubt taking in this strangers appearance should she have to recount it.

"so, what brings you here?" he asks after ordering me and him a beer.

"my friend," i point to esme on the dance floor. "she loves checking out new spots and i love tagging along."

"well i'm glad you chose tonight." he smiles. "and might i add, your dress is stunning as are you."

"why thank you, kind sir. i can't say you look too bad yourself." i wink, taking a sip of the drink.

he laughs in response, following suit in taking a sip. he sets the bottle down, clearing his throat.

"tell me something, emerald. anything."

"anything?" i clarify, furrowing my eyebrows and racking my brain.

"well the first thing i can think of to tell you is how pretty your eyes are."

"my eyes?" he questions softly, a small smile appearing on his face. i nod, glancing at his eyes once more.

"it was the first thing i noticed when i saw you." i reply honestly, taking another sip. "now you tell me something, stranger."

"okay." he says softly, clearly thinking of something. "i'd like to get your number if you'd let me."

bold, i thought to myself. yet still respectful. i allowed myself to think over the request for a moment before extending my palm toward him.

"if you'll allow me to put it in your contacts." i agree to his proposition, smiling gleefully as he places his phone in my hand. i quickly enter my number, putting it under the contact name 'girl from the bar.'

and that was how it started. two of us drinking a beer, completely unaware of our surroundings and engulfed completely in one another.