You Look Lonely - F1

I. before

Raindrops slid down my eyelashes as my eyes instinctively blinked. I hugged myself tightly, feeling a shakiness in my voice as I murmured "I think I'm okay."

Both of us turned our attention to a white car approaching, his tires screeching on the wet asphalt.

"We should pull over to the side" he suggested. I nodded in response, trying to steady my hands on the steering wheel, then I took a deep breath. It was a challenge, but I managed to park the car. As the passing taxi whizzed down the road, I opened the door and stepped out.

The rain was harsh on my skin and I felt as if little cuts were forming on the surface.

Inspecting both our cars, mine appeared unscathed, and his grey BMW, adorned with the "Share Now" light blue sticker, showed no damage.

As he approached, I involuntarily clenched the keys in my fist, though I felt my tense shoulder begin to relax. Dressed in elegant attire now soaked by the rain, he moved with an air of composure, every movement deliberate.

"I have no damage in my car," I stated, lips drawn thin. He paused a few steps away, his attention fixed on inspecting the vehicle. In his eyes ran a mist of fear.

"I'm sorry If I put you in danger ,"he murmured, his tone tilting with regret "I was... I've been... Well, I wasn't thinking" My eyebrows frowned.

"I'm the one that needs to apologize, I wasn't paying attention to the street and..."I stopped myself mid-sentence. Something clicked in me the moment our eyes met briefly, an unspoken understanding passed between us.

His dark, messy wet hair and reddened cheeks framed his miserable features. I tilted my head and stepped closer to him, feeling a lump in my throat.

You're having a rough time too, ey? I thought.

"We probably don't need to exchange insurance details and such, do you think?" I suggested. He ran a hand through his hair and nodded "I'm sorry, I sho-" "All settled then. And stop apologizing, please" I urged, taking a deep breath.

"You should get going. Aren't you cold?" I glanced down at my lightweight homeware, realizing how the fabric had chilled and clung to my body after being exposed to the rain for so long. My skin was now numb from the low temperature.

I shifted my attention to his figure, looking from above downwards.

"You should warm up too," I said firmly, observing his black suit. A bowtie loosely hung from his neck and the top two buttons of his white shirt were undone.

As we exchanged nods, I began retracing my steps toward my small car, only to find myself impulsively glancing back at him. He was fiddling with his dead phone, a veil of surrender hanging over his face.

I then suddenly realized: he couldn't take the Sharenow car back without any battery left on his iPhone.

The icy fingers of the night were congealing around me, rooting me to the ground and I exhaled a shaky breath. The humidity was now stuck to my bones.

"Shall I call you a taxi?" I offered in an attempt to ease his situation.

He turned towards me, a faint smile playing on his lips as he shook his head "I don't have my wallet with me, I think I'll just walk, but th..." his words trailed off as I interrupted.

"I can take you" I blurted, the suddenness of my own words making me flinch. He looked at me with his lips parted, unsure and momentarily speechless.

I gulped and, summoning more determination, I continued, "It's late, no trams are running, and it's freezing. I don't mind at all." After a few moments of uncertainty, he reluctantly moved to the passenger seat, attempting to shake off the water droplets that clung to his suit.