Bullet Wound

Chapter 14: Feelings

Not even 5 minutes passed when Evan heard a voice call out to him.
" You're awesome!" she said sitting next to Evan, " William looked like a thunder cloud, what did you say to him?" she asked eagerly.
" Nothing important," he lied. He rested his head on her shoulder as she ran his fingers through her hair.
He felt her hand play with his hair, ruffling it up or simply just patting his head. It was comforting in a way, and it made Evan relax just a little bit. " You have such nice hair, I'm kinda jealous."
Evan laughed and stood up locking eyes with Red. He felt breathless, as he stared at the woman across from him. He felt like he was looking at painting, something that belonged in a museum.
All the colors in her face overlapped gracefully. He took in every detail, as if it was sculpted by the hands of God himself. Her vibrant red hair gently moving with the slight breeze, her signature golden hoop earring glistening in the sun's glow. Her entire face casted with the sun's warm shadow, not a single hair out of place.
Evan stared into her mesmerizing eyes, shining like the gem they were. A small smile twisted onto her lips, that had a glossy goat of lipgloss. The sight was breathtaking, a picture that he would never forget. A picture so deeply ingrained in his brian, that he couldn't forget it. Not in this life, not in his next life. Evan was type to always feel cold, but a certain warmth was crawling up his body. And blood rushing to his face, he felt so fuzzy inside. It was a slight sensation, but it was comforting in a way. Part of him wanted the feeling to stay, to stay and never leave. Maybe he wanted to be stuck in his moment for the rest of eternity, he wouldn't have cared.
" You're gorgeous," he said quietly, his amazement clear in his flushed face. Red let out a soft laugh, " I'm not the only one," she said sweetly.
Evan sucked in a breath, wondering if this moment was really happening, He'd dreamed about this, only once. But it had happened, and he was glad it did. " I really like you."
Her smile grew, and so did Evan's anticipation. He waited for her to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. Only sweet silence, which was scary. Red wasn't the quiet type, his heart began to race.
" Okay," she said softly, her voice lost in the slight breeze. Evan's mouth hung agape, his breath hitched.
" Okay"?! What does that mean? He thought, the feelings slowly disappearing inside his body. He felt part of his heart being ripped apart, crack by crack. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it was not that.
It's not a rejection? It's not anything, he thought confused, hurt and overwhelmed. The world seemed to lose its glow, his head began to spin. He was puzzled, but more importantly hurt. Perhaps it wasn't a rejection, but it felt like it.
He got up and walked down the steps, " Where are you going?" she asked. " To my apartment," he answered.
Ignoring the questions that followed he turned the corner out of sight. His legs moved on their own and he let them, he didn't understand anything in his life. At one point he stopped trying, maybe for the best. Maybe for the worst.

_______________

Evan stared at the familiar pattern of his bedroom ceiling, the sound of notifications echoing through the empty space. He glanced at his phone screen, all his messages from the same contact. No strength to be bothered to respond he turned to his side.
The messages had begun about 10 minutes ago, nonstop with no end in sight. He was just beginning to fall asleep after hours of trying when he received the first message. The sun was barely coming up, the crack of dawn. He groaned as he got out of bed, 7:13
He did his regular routine then headed for the door, he cracked his door shut so as not to wake up his neighbors. His building was deathly quiet, so much so he could hear the sound of his footsteps echoing in the stairwell. He walked outside of his building getting hit with a rather strong wind. Suddenly he was very thankful for the warm turtle neck on his body, along with a jacket. The morning was cloudy, and cold. Great start to my day, he thought sarcastically, and stuffed his hands into his pocket.
His eyes landed on a small cafe, it was probably if not the only place open. His stomach rumbled, and that was all he needed to start moving in the direction of the quaint establishment. Evan took a sigh of relief as warm air hit his skin. The place was nice, with a theme of pastel colors. Cozy and warm, just what Evan needed. He walked up to the counter looking up at the menu, and soon a worker came up to him.
" How are you this morning?" she asked cheerfully, " I'm fine, thanks for asking!" he said, matching her tone. " Ready to order?"
Evan nodded, " A cinnamon latte please," he said. He didn't usually drink caffeine, but he was craving a hot drink. " You got it, anything else?" He shook his head and paid.