Just one last breath

chapter 2

Glistening rays of light beamed through the freshly cleaned glass windows, touching my warm skin. I was fascinated as I watched small particles of dust float around in the air. How I enjoyed the morning sun, it wasn't too hot, nor was it too cold, it had just the right temperature to be in the standards of acceptable.
But this was rare to me nowadays, I'm more a afternoon bedhead, meaning I only officially wake up at 12:30.
Now that I have moved out of my parents house, I no longer have the need to wake up early.

I looked down to my hands, as I reminded myself about the warm cardboard cup held between them. Taking a sip of my steaming foamy beverage, I drifted back into thought...

"It's 9:30, where is she?" I sat in my chair, crossed arms, "she seriously ditched me?" I said in a faint whisper, not wanting anyone to realise how abandoned I was, but adding a bit of rage to my voice, as i wanted to confirm how outraged I am that the person I call my best friend, decided to not show up to her own scheduled morning breakfast.

I looked out the large windows too see if she maybe, by any chance, was running toward the coffee shop, remembering that she had made me wake up way to early to 'catch up' in one another's lives

I noticed people walking with many shopping bags full of supplies twisted in between their fingers, to stop the bags from crashing to the floors
I also noticed a small girl pulling on her mother's arm, directing the mother on her small heels, to the large candy shop at the end of the street.

There were people everywhere, but no Catherine

'If she doesn't come in the next five minutes, I'm leaving!' I thought to myself as I gazed upon my once full cup of coffee, tapping my fingers on the hard wooden table out of frustration.

Okay, that's it! I gathered my bag from where I had placed it, and flung the strap around my right shoulder, holding onto the chair arm for leverage to lift myself up onto my feet.

Just as I was about to stand up, a body sat into the chair on the opposite side of the table. Catherine! Took her long enough! Where the hell has she been?

I gazed up to give her a look that explained how utterly mad I was that she was so extremely late.

As I raised my head, all my attention fell onto the figure, as it was not Catherine.

A man...
He just sat there, his styled brown hair complementing his shining hazel eyes that were now locked onto my stunned face

He had a grey jacket on, that matched him perfectly as it got tighter around his muscular arms.
To be fairly honest with myself...
He was stunning.

I was about to say something when his voice overpowered mine "is this seat taken?" He said pointing towards his lap as I assumed he was talking about the chair he was comfortably rested in.

"No, you can have it, I was on my way out anyways"

"Leaving so soon? You have been here for over an hour now, so I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to spend another few minutes?" He said as a grin spread across his face.

"I would much rather get back to my apartment, I have some hate mail to send to someone, explaining how I did not appreciate their absence" I said, referring to Catherine, as I smiled back at him.

"Well at least let me walk you, it's a dangerous world out there you know".

"Isn't that what people say before they rob you?" I raised my eyebrow.

He giggled at my comment "you're quite funny, I must say. So maybe you could give me your number, I would hate for someone as funny as you to slip through my fingers".

I raised my eyebrow yet again "slip through your fingers?"

He went all red in the face, obviously realising how bad his flirting methods were, "I didn't mean..." he looked away in embarrassment. I giggled and reached for a pen in my bag, looking around I found a napkin on the table, I then carved my number into the material like paper, as it was too soft too properly write on.

"If you really are that interested in meeting again, then you wouldn't mind a bit of a search, right?"

He turned back towards me in confusion. I laughed and handed him the napkin. He looked at it, then back to me as I was rising from my chair onto my feet

"You left out the last two digits" he said, signalling to me as he pointed to my unfinished phone number.

I looked at him, and smiled "I know" and then turned my back and slowly walked away

I heard the welcome jingle go off from a small electronic device planted above the door as I exited, which I thought was quite ironic. The fact being it was made to welcome you into the store. All it knew was once the door opened, someone came in, and it had to start its little tune, not knowing that there is a world, far bigger out there, than its little jingle job situated at the entrance of a coffee shop.

As I walked down the paved road, I couldn't help but smile, as I thought about the strange man
Then I remembered....Catherine!

A tear fell as I stared at the coffee brought to me by the nurse. I had been holding it for what seemed like forever, not taking a sip, as I was thinking back to when we had first met in the little coffee shop, the freezing cup shivering in my hand the more I thought about him.

The nurse looked at me "sir, you have to eat or drink something" she said in a concerned voice

I blankly stared at her, then back at to the coffee.
How? How could I eat or drink anything, when my insides have been emotionally ripped from me by the person I cared most for, that I still care most for

Another tear escaped my eye, as it fell into my lap.

I felt my grip on the cup loosening, when all of a sudden it fell to the floor.
I could here sounds of people in the background gasping at the mess.

I hid my face back into the bundle of jacket still in my lap as I was now sitting in a waiting room, waiting...
Hoping...
Crying...

How...