You Can Trust Me (Keith Powers Story)

6

Bad timing, that's all

Manhattan, NY

• October 21, 2017 •
• 10:02 pm •

I'm just not ready yet,
and I don't know if I ever will be.
That's all.

__________

I've never in my twenty-two years of living, have held a gaze with someone for so long. It was like we weren't simply looking into each other's eyes but we were actually getting lost somewhere along the way. Now of course that sounds like something that would be presented in one of those romance novels where two people experienced love at first sight. That wasn't the case here though. It was a bit awkward but comfortable at the same time and I can't for the life of me, rap my head around why this is happening in the first place. I couldn't help it though. It was like his eyes had so many secrets and insecurities that wouldn't dare be shown to anyone because they still hold the insanely hard brick wall that possessed them when we were back in high school. And I'm even more frustrated with it now than I was before because it's still there.

Therefore, I feel like I need to know why. I have no idea why I feel this way but it's making me wanna pull my hair out.

I broke our thousand yard stare and attempted to shoo away the intense air that's been surrounding us for a while now.

"You've changed a lot, Keith."

His face loosened up as his serious demeanor changed. He grinned while pointing at me. What'd I do?

"You said Keith!"

"So what? I thought that's what you wanted anyway."

"Yeah but I assumed your professional ass would never stop."

"Yeah yeah. Like I said before, you've changed a lot."

I maneuvered through people while taking glances at the incredible artwork on the walls while Keith continued to follow closely behind me.

"Sassy are we?"

I focused my attention on him just to roll my eyes and focused back on the giant painting that consisted of a huge white rose. Those are my favorite.

"You know I'm really glad I got rid of those cuts in my eyebrows." Humor fills his voice as he stares at the beautiful painting with me.

"Yeah me too. I still wonder why girls actually thought it was attractive."

Did I say that out loud?

"How'd you know that?"

"Well uh. A lot of them would talk about you twenty-four seven so everyone was bound to hear what they thought about you."

"I had it like that? I ain't know allat."

All of a sudden I felt myself getting uneasy. I've been out and about for a couple of hours now and I'm not used to this at all. I'm uncomfortable and at this point I just want to be alone.

However, I wanted to know something about him before I ask Veronica if she can take me home.

"So...how come you left after a year?"