Over the next couple of weeks Milia and I grew closer, it was like we saw each other, everywhere we went, which was probable we did after all, live right next to each other. Because of this we ended up talking more and more. I was finding out there was a lot I could talk to her about. It was like she completely got me.
I found myself thinking about our newfound friendship while I passed time in the park, feeding the fish in the fountain, a weekly routine that Eliza had introduced me to before we drifted apart.
Feeding the fish every week helped me keep calm and centered, it was also as I grew to learn, a good place to be alone and just think.
Well.. usually it was.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Kaleb smiled at me and gestured at the open seat beside me.
I nodded and moved over for him, “Never seen you around here before, what brings you to this neck of the woods?”
He shrugged and played with the earphones that hung around his neck. He, like I did, hated headphones.
”You come here a lot.” It both answered and didn’t answer my question.
“So basically you came to stalk me?” I laughed and threw some more of the bread crumbs to the fish.
“You’d like that, huh?”
I blushed to my roots and ducked my head whilst he chuckled, “Nah actually I’ve been hearing loads about you from Millie. I think she might be in love with you.”
” Ha. Yeah right,” I snorted and popped some of the bagel into my mouth. “She’s waaayyyy out of my league.”
He leant over and grabbed half of my bagel, his palm brushing over mine, eliciting a quiet gasp out of me. I silently prayed he hadn’t heard.
“Oh I wouldn’t say that. You’re beautiful.” He wasn’t looking at me as he said, so as my cheeks flushed further I was given the opportunity to look at him and think about what I’d lost.
Kaleb had always been such an amazing boyfriend, we’d had the best kind of relationship, one where he let me be completely myself. It just.. hadn’t worked out and I ended things. The toll it took on me… wasn’t pretty to stay the least.
I cleared my throat. I was never comfortable getting compliments, it was rare when I actually believed them, any other time and I felt like I was being lied to.
”You were saying? About Milia?”
Kaleb looked back up, his signature smile back again on his lips. “Yeah I.. I just wanted to thank you.” He saw my confused face and continued. “For hanging out with her and stuff.”
I laughed suddenly and shook my head, my hair falling in my eyes, “It’s nothing, she’s actually pretty cool you know?”
“Yeah, she is.” There was something about the way he was looking back into my eyes, that set me on edge, and not in a pleasant way for once.
I was about to ask him if everything was okay when he took looked briefly at his watch and stood, effectively shutting me up.
“I gotta go but I’ll call you later? There’s some stuff we should really talk about.” His voice softened and he leant down to hug me gently, his earthy scent enveloping me. He let go after a few seconds and smiled before walking off in the direction of the car park.
I sat on the bench, the bread crumbs falling from between my fingers. A million thoughts ran through my head and only one stood out.
Was it actually possible Kaleb still had feelings for me?
