Cafés and Strangers

•Tři•

"Who was that, Fae Michelle Evans? Should I be jealous?" I felt him wrap his arms around me tightly, squeezing me in what our small group of friends have come to call a 'Phillip hug.'

"Phil, it's been two days, stop acting like it's been forever." Despite my attempt to sound angry, I was smiling - I needed one of these hugs.

"But it felt like eternity!" He whined, "and you didn't answer my question."

"You, my dear, are too gay to function," I squirmed in his grasp until he let me go.

"I would pretend I'm insulted, but I know you've been waiting to use that line," he smiled, linking his arms through mine and Belle's, leading the way into our building. "Have I ever told you ladies how much I love you?"

"Too many times," Belle laughed, "since when do you let strangers from the café walk you to school?"

"What? You met him at the café?" Phil looked down at me with a gaping mouth.

"He showed up this morning," I shrugged, sitting between the two in our first class. "I didn't think he would, but there he was, smiling like he does and flirting like there's no tomorrow."

"He can't have my Fae," Phil folded his arms over his chest, glaring to the front of the classroom. "I love my Fae."

"I love you, too, Philly Cheese Steak." I smiled over at him, patting his back in faux comfort.

Phil moved to Orlando in forth grade from Germany, instantly becoming my best friend. It only made sense that he'd jump at the opportunity to enroll at the college with a business program partnered with a university in his home country.

"You better," he grumbled, "so, who's the guy that's not Drake?"

I cringed, the name accompanied a face I had vowed to forget after he caused me so much pain: "No, it's not him."

"Phillip," Belle chastised, shooting him a glare.

"Sorry, babe, forgot," he smiled at me, poking my side.

"Totally fine," I lied, "I'm over it." If only...

"Right, and my dad is an orange unicorn."

"Shut up," I stuck my tongue out at him, "the guy is Trevor and he has a girlfriend."

"Oh," that was the last thing either of my friends could get in on the topic before the class started.

I welcomed the distraction, I didn't think about him or my Stranger until three fifty-two that afternoon, when Belle and I were walking through the café door.

"Trevor," yes, I was surprised to see him sitting at the booth from yesterday - though, I don't think I should've been.

"You seem surprised to see me," he smiled, standing up when I got the the booth.

"I don't know why I am," I smiled, setting my books down and kissing his cheek before sitting down.

"Do you have homework?"

"Nothing I can't do here," I responded, ordering a cup of tea.

"Need any help?" he offered after he ordered the same thing.

"No, I think I've got it," I smiled, enjoying the way it felt to be with him.

"Okay," he nodded and looked out the window. His lips were pursed and his grey eyes reminding me of a tumultuous storm.

"Why did you want to meet?" I asked, getting out my laptop and trying to ignore the creeping migraine.

"I-" he paused, knitting his eyebrows together, "don't know. I just wanted to see you, I guess."

"I'm flattered," I teased, "but that's not an answer."

"Trick questions have no right answer."

"It's not a trick question," I waited for WORD to pull up, spending the time looking over the top of the machine at a brooding stranger who'd stolen what was left of my heart.

"I just wanted to see you, okay? I felt like I might explode if you didn't look at me with those eyes of yours and smile at me like you do."

I sighed, trying to rub away the pain in my head,"Trevor, you have a girlfriend. Whatever you're thinking-"

"I'm not thinking anything," he interjected. "I just like spending time in the company of a beautiful girl."

I tried to fight the smile, tried to tell myself that he was just a silver-tongued Casanova who would hurt me beyond repair in the end. "So, we're friends?"

"Friends," he agreed hesitantly.

I should be happy with that, I should be perfectly capable of continuing in my life as friends with this guy, but I wasn't. Somewhere in me, I wanted him to be the one to fix me, I wanted him to be the one to hold me and ease away all of my fears; I'd come to believe that it would be a privilege to get my heart broken by my Stranger.

"Good," I gave a small smile.

"Will I ever be able to put a name to a face?" He questioned, his eyes burning into mine.

"Maybe," I smiled, hoping that he was around long enough, "I sincerely hope you do."

"I will be back everyday between now until the end of forever if it means that I get to talk to you." His eyes didn't leave mine.

I was frozen there, frozen in his gaze, drowning in everything I felt. My heart started to hurt, struggling to stay afloat in the ocean of things we didn't want to feel, but did.

Belle broke my trance, asking us if we wanted anything else. He shook his head, but I looked up at her, begging for an escape. She smiled sadly and walked away, glancing back to see my hopeless expression.

"What are you working on?"

"Not getting my heart broken by you," I responded, instantly regretting the words.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt you," he smiled, pressing the mug to his lips and sipping on the steaming drink.

That's what they all say...

We stayed there for another two hours, deep in conversation, cups of tea, and homework. By the time six o'clock rolled around, my Stranger wasn't much of a stranger.

"I suppose we should head back to our respective places of living," I sighed, putting up my work, what little I'd gotten done in his company.

"Would you oppose to some company? I'd love to walk you home." He stood with me, shrugging on his blazer and offering to carry my things.

"Your company is always welcome," I smile, allowing him to be a gentleman.

He paid for what he'd ordered, along with two to-go teas.

"Ladies first," he held open the door, motioning me through.

"Gentlemen don't exist anymore," I studied him quizzically, resting my hand on the inside of his elbow like I'd done this morning.

"They should, a beautiful lady like you deserves nothing less."

I smiled, pressing myself closer to soak in his warmth. He laughed quietly, moving his arm to wrap around my shoulders. I sighed in comfort, happy to pretend that we were a happy couple on an evening walk through town. There was small talk, laughs, and teasing, but not once did his arm leave my shoulders.

It was the happiest I'd been in a while, which might be why it wasn't his cheek I kissed that night - I never regretted it, either.