After I left

II

The wind blew her hair in swirls, sending her mind into a frenzy.

The wind stopped for a second, but the chill never left her arms.

The train stopped, and she rolled up the window.

After Nate got off, she knew she would be alone. The only thing was, she didn't know she would be this lonely.

She expected at least one person to stop and sit with her. Her mind was going crazy, overthinking everything. With no one to talk to, she was slowly driving herself crazy.

"Hi, stranger."

She glanced up at the familiar voice, her heartbeat jumping through her chest.

"Nate," She mumbled, scooting over for him to sit.

They shared glances, neither of them uttering a word as the train pulled away from the stop it was at.

"I thought you got off back there," She mumbled, looking out the window.

The trees passing by became a blur as they sped down the tracks.

"I thought so too, but I didn't want to leave you all alone," He said, smiling at her.

For a second, words weren't forming. His smile brought her heart beat to a new level of fast. She could swear it would burst, but wouldn't admit it to Nate.

"I was a little lonely," She admitted, smiling sheepishly.

The trains speakers rang out, her eardrums ringing for a few seconds afterward.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there will be a long stop ahead, if you are planning on getting off of the train please get your stuff. If you are planning on getting back on the train please be back by 12:00. Thank you."

Nate smiled, glancing at her. She still had her hands over her ears to block out the scratching of the speakers.

"She's done talking," Nate said, nudging her to gain her attention. 

"What'd she say?" Callie asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. 

"Should've listened..." He said, attempting to aggravate her. 

"Come on, Nate. Tell me what she said." She said, trying to be serious but failing when her lips tugged into a smile. 

"Please?" She pleaded, smiling even wider. 

"Fine, she said that we are going to be stopping up here, in Fort Worth. If we want to get off and get lunch, now's the time," he said, standing from his seat.

"Well, are you coming?" He asked, holding his hand out for her. 

She thought for a second, accepting his generosity.  

"So, where are we going?" She asked, throwing her old duffel bag over her shoulder. 

"Esperanza's."

She didn't know what "Esperanza's" was, but she didn't honestly feel like talking about it. She just wanted to shut up and eat. 

"We gotta take a taxi," He said, walking towards the road. 

The train station was crowded with people, coming and going. 

She bumped into a few people, mumbling apologies as she followed closely behind Nate. She watched as he flagged down a taxi, opening the door for her. 

"Where to?" The man asked, glancing back at the two of them before focusing on the road ahead. 

"Esperanza's, please," Nate said, closing the door to the car.