her remedy

6

There is something about the darkness of the night that brings me comfort and security.

I stand outside my front door, holding out my hands and feeling the cold, soft raindrops fall onto them.

The wet grass glistens as the bright moon shines down upon it. I direct my attention from the rain to the moon.

Everyone sees that moon.

My friends, my family, the people I've hurt, the people I've helped, the people who have broken my heart, they all see that same moon.

Alex sees that moon.

And so does Simon.

My heart feels torn. I'm still so broken because of Alex, but I'm also so intrigued by Simon.

The way he made me feel when I kissed him is a feeling I only imagined in my dreams.

I've realized that it's not that I don't like him, it's that I'm afraid of liking him. If I allow myself to like him, then I will fall in love with him and only get my heart broken.

Nothing good lasts forever.

I close my eyes and feel the rain against my face for a minute, song lyrics inevitably escaping from my mouth.

"When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case..." My voice cracks with emotion. "I could offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my-" I feel tears threatening to consume me. "...love." I choke on the word.

Love.

It's such a beautifully haunting word to me right now.

Crying, I walk back inside and break down. Alex was the one who held me in the rain, he was my everything. He kept me safe.

I don't have anyone to console me, to keep me safe, to love me. It's such a devastating, lonely feeling.

As I cry softly to myself and question if love will ever find me again, Louie comes over with a piece of paper in his mouth.

I hold him in my lap and pry the paper from his mouth.

Oddly, it's Simon's number.

Because it's so strange for Louie to bring me things I have dropped, I take it as a sign that I should call Simon.

It's been a week since we met and then, well, made out.

I dial his number without thinking first. He answers rather quickly, as if he's been waiting for my call.

"Hello?" My gosh, his voice.

"Simon? Hey, it's A-"

"Adele!" He interrupts. I smile at the fact that he recognized my voice before I could even say my name.

"I'm just calling to..." I stop. Why did I call? "To see if you wanted to..." I pause again, shutting my eyes in disappointment at myself for messing up already. "Go out."

He doesn't answer for a moment and then says, "I would love to. Is tomorrow too soon?"

"Um, no, not at all!" I promptly respond.