Dear Reader...

Chapter Six

~Noah~

She walked out. Before I could make any plans. Just grabbed all of her notes and left without saying anything. I was stupidly hoping she'd forgotten to turn a tap off or left the hob on or something. Because if there wasn't a reason that meant she didn't want me to make plans. Maybe she felt pressured into agreeing. Didn't want to piss me off. God knows there's guys out there that would take rejection like an asshat. I wouldn't have. If she'd have said no, I'd have dropped it. Nothing would have changed. I'd keep watching her from afar, I'd let her do her thing, eventually move on with my life and wonder what could have been forever. She'd never know that of course. I'd make sure she never felt awkward about it.

It's almost midnight and I'm laid staring at the ceiling as freezing rain pelts the window. I've had a few beers to numb the shit going through my head a little but even my usual unwind playlist wasn't doing its job at quieting my overthinking mind tonight.

What if I'd misread the whole thing and she was just being herself? It wasn't flirting when she handed me the post it or when she said I was easily flustered. Or when she said I didn't want to give her the power to call me whenever. No, it was just her engaging in conversation with a total stranger, in a strange country where she has no one else, in a strange village where there's only 2 coffee shops and the other is almost always closed and 'm in the only other option.

She doesn't want it to be awkward. That had to be it. She didn't want to turn me down and it be awkward but she doesn't want to go out.

My phone lit up beside me, turning my room that horrible shade of blue, white that gives me a migraine.

Juliette- Hey, sorry I know it's late. I just wanted to apologize for bolting earlier. I'd give you an excuse but I honestly don't have one. Hope the rest of your shift went okay :)

Holy shit.

Oh my god.

I sat up, re reading the message 3, 4, 5 times.

Oh god, she didn't leave because she didn't want to go out.

Me- Hey!
Me- Don't apologize. It's fine, really. Everything okay? You're up late?

The three dots appeared. The bubble dancing across my screen in time with my stomach.

Juliette- Yeah, everything's fine. I swear. Just one of those days, you know? How was work?

Me- Fine yeah. Better for having company today. Did you manage to work out the problem you were having? With the million post its?

Juliette- Oh god no. It's giving me a major headache rn. I'll sit on it for a few days and it'll hit me at 4am in the middle of a dream and I can get to character design and then everything will run like clockwork. I just hope this whole thing doesn't push back writing by too much. This deadline is a little tighter than I was expecting.

I have about a million questions. Character design? Writing? What is she writing? What deadline? When is the deadline? What does she need to do to get there? Who's the deadline for? But I say nothing. Just stare at the bubble dancing on the screen as I lay back down and turn to my side.

Juliette- Okay that was deffo too much information. lol I should probably go before I embarrass myself more.

Shit.

Me- No, don't go.

Sent. Delivered. Read. Ah fuck, what now?

Me- Is it true you guys only eat Maple Syrup?

Juliette- What?

I DON'T KNOW OKAY? I just don't want you to go and that was the first thing I could think of that would make you reply. I know you don't only eat Maple Syrup. I'm not a fucking idiot. Okay maybe I am. But I'm not that stupid.

Me- Joking.
Me- I'm joking
Me- Wanna play 20 questions?

Juliette- I feel like 20Q gets outta hand real fast

Me- Purely PG I swear!
Me- Oh! Before I forget. Dinner tomorrow night? I can pick you up at 6?

She read it. Didn't reply. Each passing second had my heart pounding so heard I couldn't hear the rain anymore. It was just the thudding and watching my screen for seconds, minutes, hours.

Juliette- Dinner at 6 :)

Oh, THANK GOD.

Juliette- Question 1- Favourite book and why?

Me- That's hard...

Juliette- If you don't read that's going to be a massive deal breaker...

Me- I read! I can give you a photo of the bookshelf across the room from me if you need it.

Juliette- Well now I'm curious...

I flicked my light on, sending her a quick picture of my collection of books piled into the shelf so tight you had to fight to get them out.

Juliette- You weren't even kidding...

Me- I do not kid about books.
Me- Is it sad that my favourite is probably a cookbook? Does that even count?

Juliette- It counts. Why?

Me- I'm a chef. I like cooking, experimenting. Cookbooks give me new recipes to try and then to put my own spin on it. I can learn stuff from them which gives me something to do outside of just reading the story behind them. Plus, it's just fun and mostly pictures of food. Who could hate that?

Juliette- I mean, I wouldn't hate it but I'd definitely prefer a romance fiction.

Me- Ah. A romance reader.

Juliette- Author.
Juliette- A romance Author.

Me- You're an author?

It makes sense now. The papers, the character building. Everything. But romance? Ally reads romance books. I've heard her and mum talking about some of them and they sound filthy. Maybe I should grab some. Just in case.

It hit me then. She's an author. She writes. She probably has books out there I could read. I brought up Google but the search for her name brough up nothing.

Juliette- Yeah but I write under a pseudonym so good luck with that quick Google ;)

Me- You caught me.
Me- Why the pseudonym?

Juliette- My parents are very very religious. They found out what I was writing and well, it didn't end well. So, it just keeps me anonymous. Plus, I can camp out in coffee shops without anyone knowing who I am so it's a win win really.

Me- So are your books big then?

Juliette- I am not telling you that lmao

Me- Why not :(

Juliette- Because I don't want anyone who knows me reading the shit I write. I like playing Wizard of Oz thank you. Next Question.

Me- Okayy... If you were in a room with everyone you've ever met, who was the first person you'd go looking for?

Juliette- Riley. No question.

Me- Who's Riley?

Juliette- My best friend. She's like my sister. My best friend soul mate.

Me- So you believe in soul mates?

Juliette- Eh Jury's still out on that.

Me- Fair enough. Your go to ask.