Catch

Chapter 1: Feeling

|Chapter 1: Feeling|

Riley disliked the notion of loving. In her mind, love took too much energy out of her barely functioning body. To love was to think, and to think was too painful.

This man made her think.

Even if she disliked thinking and loving, she could not dislike this man for the life of her. She missed him and ached for him as she lay in bed, watching her ceiling fan turn uninterruptedly for hours on end. Why should she eat when she could think? Why should she sleep when she could ache for him?

Why was he so damn cute?

She could only smell the perfume he'd used, slightly diluted by the scent of pizza. Riley reminisced the time he once brought pizza to her door, smiling in the boy next door kind of way, with his twinkling eyes and his heart-melting grin. The way he looked in his black uniform, just coming from work. The Domino's shirt looked good on him.

Laying in bed seemed like the best use of her time. Mr. Gollan could wait tomorrow for her English assignment; what couldn't was the delivery boy. Markus, she thought. That was his name tag.

In a few hours, she'd see him. In a few hours, he'd be by her door, smiling with a garlic - no, Hawaiin? She couldn't remember what she ordered - pizza in hand, taking out the EFTPOS machine.

At precisely 8pm, he'll be at her door. He was always so damn punctual. "Just 29.95$," he'd say in his English accent, lifting the small machine to her. Her heart leapt to her throat, imagining the proximity Markus would be.

Just a hand away. Bare millimeters would separate their fingertips. The small girl couldn't breathe. How sweet smelling and warm and safe must it be to have him hold her, to lean her head on his shoulder-

Ding Dong.

Riley jumped, almost falling straight out of her bed. It was him! 8pm! No, even earlier. She dodged magazines and lego pieces that scattered her floor, racing to reach the door faster. For shame, if she made him wait when he arrived a minute earlier than expected.

Coming to a halt, she recollected herself and checked the mirror, making small adjustments to her slightly disheveled appearance. Once Riley found herself somewhat more presentable, she opened the door.

"Just 29.95$- Are you ok?"

Riley blinked, stunned. She didn't register that he'd just asked her a question and just looked. He was... something. For her heart, she wasn't sure if that was a good something or a bad something. Donned in black skinny jeans, black uniform shirt and the necessary gear for pizza delivery, the man played every bit of her imagined fantasy.

Riley silently handed him her card, too worried her voice would shake from her abundant nerves.

"No really, your legs bleeding," He said, putting the pizza to the floor and lowering himself. "You might need to get this cleaned before you get an infection."

Riley blinked, finally noticing the sting emanating from the place he was now inspecting. Confused, she examined the suddenly existing fresh wound, the blood taunting her as it made its way down her calf. The short woman looked around, trying to spot her assailant.

"You don't happen to have an emergency kit or anything?" He said, finally meeting her eyes. "I've never studied medicine, but my brother does, and you learn a thing or two when you live with a nerd like him."

Riley's breath halted, her cheeks heating up. She could hear wedding bells in the distance. In her scrapbook, she'd have this moment as their first time actually seeing each other.

Like truly, deeply and fully seeing each other.