Talia's Tradition

3. Winter Wonderland

❆ Winter Wonderland ❆

"Tell me I'm normal."

"Well, you're friends with me so I don't think we're off to a good start." Gabby's bubbly laughter echoed down the phone.

"I've gone crazy haven't I? I must have imagined it," I said, more to myself than to Gabby.

"Imagined what?" Her tone turned to confusion.

"No it was him. He's here for some goddamn reason," I said. "Or maybe it wasn't him and I was just hallucinating...I had just walked up those spiralling stairs."

"Are you drunk?"

"No."

"Because you're talking as though you've had ten tequila shots."

"I could do with a shot right now. I don't think I would have been able to run away from him as quickly if I had though," I said pulling my hood up over my head to shield me from the cold wind.

"From who?" Gabby asked, her patience running thin. I took a deep breath.

"Jacob, Jacob's here."

Pause.

"Fuck."

"That's exactly the word that popped into my head as well when I saw him." I laughed nervously.

I wrapped my coat closer to my body and pulled my scarf tighter around my neck. The first of December should definitely come with a warning that temperatures will drop rapidly at any given moment. Bruno calmly trotted along beside me as I walked around the nearly deserted park.

"Why is he there?" Gabby said after a long pause.

"I have no idea!" I said, raising my voice.

"Okay, okay in this situation it is important to stay calm," Gabby attempted to somewhat coax me. It didn't work.

"One look at him and I'm a bumbling mess. You should have felt my heartbeat; he could probably hear it from across the room, it was like a freaking beating drum."

"Slow down Talia!" Gabby raised her voice, "You're talking way too fast. Did you talk to him?"

"No! I ran."

"Did he say anything to you?" She pressed.

I thought back to the moment I had seen him. The look of relief and sadness spread over his face when he had looked over at me stood in the doorway. How my heart had leapt in my chest when he had called out my name.

"He only said my name," I mumbled quietly.

"Oh Talia," Gabby soothed; she knew exactly how much the memories meant to me. How much they hurt me to think about.

Just as I was about to start another lap of the park a familiar voice called out my name.

"Talia!"

I turned around and saw Nick striding over to me, Bruno barked happily at the sight of him.

"Gabby I'll have to call you back."

"Okay, take care though. I'll be waiting for more juicy gossip," She replied before hanging up.

"Hey, Pumpkin." Nick said, stopping in front of me.

"Don't you think your nickname for me should be something a bit more festive?" I said grinning at him.

"Okay, Snowflake," He replied with a wink.