Endlessly (Jamie Dornan) *COMPLETED*

Chapter 1

It was the week before finals and I really needed to write my last paper that I had no interest in starting. Should've known I couldn't escape my English degree without a Shakespeare class. There were too many distractions at my apartment. The dishes needed done, the floors needed swept, I had laundry out the wazoo, and there was always something on TV or my iPod far more interesting than William Shakespeare. So, I decided to take my procrastinating ass to Starbucks to hopefully drown myself in caffeine and bust the paper out.

I shoved my laptop into its zebra print tote and unplugged the charger from the wall before slipping on my Nike flip flops, grabbing my keys from the hook by the door, and heading out.

"Beautiful day, Miss Taylor," the elderly woman across the hall said as I locked my door. I turned to face her. She smiled warmly at me, with a paper bag of groceries under her arm.

"I need to get out and enjoy it!" I smiled back at her. "Have a wonderful day, Mrs. Turner."

The old woman joked when I moved in two years ago that they assigned all of the T last names the penthouses. I had to admit, my top floor apartment was beautiful and a lot larger than most I'd looked at in Manhattan. It had an incredible rooftop patio with a view of the Empire State Building. I was lucky; my parents afforded me the apartment, and the funding to study at New York University. It was a long way from quiet suburbia Ohio, but that was a good thing.

Although it was late morning on a weekday, also known as the best time to get a cab in Manhattan, I decided to walk. Mrs. Turner had been right, it was a beautiful day and I'd been locked up in my apartment avoiding homework for far too long. I decided to walk to the Starbucks a few blocks off campus in hopes that it'd be less crowded with students on the caffeine diet, cramming for finals.

I was wrong. It was just as slammed as the ones on campus usually were. Whatever. I had to get it done sooner or later, and wandering to another Starbucks would only get me lost in such an amazing city, further avoiding the task at hand. Luckily when I walked in, I noticed there was an empty table near the back of the café, beside an available outlet. A rarity even on a normal day.

I had a thing about charging my laptop while I worked on it, even if it was already fully charged. I tended to get lost in my work effortlessly and had an irrational fear that my computer would die right in the middle of a good thought and it'd be gone forever.

I set my Shakespeare textbook on the table to hold my spot and proceeded to stand in the line that was out the door. Even if someone did steal my spot, they could also steal that horrendous book and I could use it as an excuse to get out of my final. In a perfect world.

I aimlessly scrolled through my phone checking Facebook to see all the ins and outs of the small town life; the drama of the people I was glad to be distanced from. Suddenly the phone jumped from my hand as someone tripped into me. Thankfully I caught it before it fell to the ground, and I hoped the person who fell into me caught my glare.

"Ma'am, I am so sorry, I need to tie these damn shoes better."

I looked up at him; he was an elderly gentleman with a disheartened look on his face. I had a soft spot for older people, so I let it slide.

"It's fine, sir."

"Are you okay? Here let me pay for your coffee."

"Oh, no, that's not necessary, I'm fine. Promise." I smiled at him in hopes he believed me.

"I insist," he said as he pulled out a five-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Thank you, but you don't have to do this."

"Have a great day, miss!" He smiled and gave me a wink before walking away.

I stuffed the five in the front pocket of my jean shorts as the line moved at a painstakingly slow pace. Fifteen minutes later, I finally had a grande blonde roast in hand as I headed back to my seat. I leaned under the table and plugged my cord in, then opened my laptop and stared at the screen.