Red Strings Of Appriciation |PHAN|

4|Connections

The man took a while coming back down to the main shop. It was probably shock of finding my mental scrawling,  he seemed so bother when he discovered it was mine. He did come down eventually nonetheless. He walked causally down the stairs, glancing over and giving me a pleasant smile once he reached the bottom. I smile back, acknowledging him as he makes his way towards the desk I am stood at. He hands me the book and some money. Our hands made brief contact; sending a shiver down my spine. He must have felt it to, I noticed a slight pause in his actions and a distinctive change of colour in his cheeks; ranging from a cool pale to a rose glow. We made eye contact, he chuckled and I looked away, my breath hitching in my throut. Then the connection was gone, almost as fast as it had appeared.

I put the money in the till and handed over the change to the man; he stopped me halfway, raising his hand and looking down, "keep it," he said calmly a small smile still situated on his face. I smiled back, placing the man's change back in the till. "Thank you," I said, genuinely suprised of the sudden act of kindness. "Don't mention," it he said ,"Oh and just one more thing."
'Oh no,' I thought worriedly, 'he's going to say it. God, why do all the 'nice' people ask me this? I suppose he's had a second look into it though. He's read my journal. He's going to ask me the boring same old, 'do you need help Dan? A therapist? Someone to 'talk' to?'
No. I don't need help, I don't want a therapist and I there's no point in talking to anyone. No one understands anyway. It'd be pointless. I'd waist their time. Just like they are talking to me.' I mentally finished, angry with myself that I thought I had found someone I could trust. My smile from before had dropped, my mouth left stoic and unmoving in a hard solid line. "Here's my number," he concluded, snatching a pen and a note pad out of his back pocket and scribbling down the number. My face remained emotionless for a few passing moments after the phrase left his lips. Then it showed nothing other than pure astonishment. 'A...number...' I thought, still slightly gobsmacked that anyone would want to 'keep in touch" after the whole Journal incident. He passed over the finished note and grabbed his newly purchased book of the edge of the desk. "Call me if you want to er-hang out sometime? As friends?" He asked, unsure how I'd respond.
"Of course,"I said grinning, masking my shock from earlier. "I'll be in touch." We shook hands and exchanged nods, then he turned his back and opened the door, the bell ringing as he did and left into the night.

Five minutes till closing.

Hey I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Happy New Year! ~Lucy