Ineffable ꕥ Joost Klein ꕥ

13.

Being stood up made Elke realise two things.

One, maybe she needed to be single for a little while. Going on a date the day after breaking up with Roan was unlike her. Even though Elke had been unhappy in their relationship for some time, she was a firm believer of spending time with herself as her own person. A relationship combined two people and when you cared enough about someone, you took on their troubles and worried about their problems. She needed time to make sure that she had everything she wanted.

Maybe being stood up by Joost was a good thing, because the second thing Elke realised was how much she didn't think of him when she wasn't actively looking for him.

When she left for work in the mornings, Elke walked past where Joost's car would usually be. She stopped acknowledging the idea that he could have left for work early or was leaving later. The same went for when Elke got home.

If the Impreza was there, she didn't know it. She walked to the lift without turning her head and would be in her apartment without looking to Joost's green door.

She didn't hold it against him that he never came around to apologise or provide an explanation. Elke figured Joost was either embarrassed or was going through something of his own. Instead, Elke continued with her days; single and seemingly unbothered.

This went on for two weeks and Elke was feeling good. Work had slowed and her team was returning back to their efficient and friendly selves. She didn't have to worry about deadlines or new and complex hiccups. Elke could say that she came out of the busy time okay and was ready to lead her team to the next hurdle.

She decided that she was going to buy herself lunch one day. A small treat for someone who almost always brought meals from home. Elke walked from a cafe that was popular amongst her coworkers. Her office building was one of the many that joined the Amsterdam's skyline and she was just like all the other buisnessmen and women that took a walk on their lunch hour.

She didn't take notice of the car that pulled up beside her at first. It was just another loud engine, probably being driven by some tech CEO. But as it parked on the side of the road and footsteps hurried against the pavement, Elke's ears piqued and she turned around in curiosity.

'Roan?' she looked the man up and down as his pace slowed. 'What are you doing here?'

'I-I thought I would come and see if you wanted to get lunch. I can see that you already have something but maybe I could drive us somewhere?'

Roan looked awful. His t-shirt was creased and his hands circled each other restlessly. The tightness of his belt told Elke that he had lost weight in a short space of time. His eyes were wide and shifting as he talked. While his WRX sat on the side of street as immaculate as always, Roan looked like he hadn't slept in days.

'I'm okay, thank you,' Elke said, taking a step back with an arched brow. 'How did you know I'd be on my break?'

'Lucky guess!' Roan laughed almost hysterically for a short second. 'Did you want a ride home today? It's going to rain this evening.'

'No. I drove today.'

Something swirled in Elke's stomach when she saw Roan's jaw tighten. He looked angry and his circling hands paused in their fidgeting. In a uncharacteristic change, Roan was replaced with a stranger that Elke was uncomfortable to be around. He reminded her of when she would catch the bus and everyone would be avoiding the backseat. A homeless man or drug-addict woman would be causing a scene, creating a radius around them of those who feared to catch their eye.

With Roan so close and having already met his gaze, Elke felt trapped. So, she clenched her lunch and unconsciously took another step towards her office building.