"Detoxify"

A poetry.

"Erin, I love you !!!
 He stared at her face, which was hinting a shade of pink
"Steven!!she looked down,the only word that managed to come out of her lips

"Erin,come on, do you love me?"Her silence was unbearable for him ."Tell me Erin !?"

She looked lost,the broom she held was left on the ground motionless.

With her eyes facing the ground she said"Steven! I am sorry but I do have someone else!"saying this she vanished

He got up with a start,it was 2:40 am.He looked around for her ,though he knew it was a dream.

"I saw you in my dreams  again,it felt so real!!"
 
He grabbed a bottle of water and walked towards his balcony ,the cool air of July felt fresh against his face. It was a quite a night with no dogs barking ,no cricket chirping. It felt as if the sleepy earth was preparing itself for yet another day . However,the moon like a cherry on top was romanticizing  with the stars silently.
  
He suddenly feels a strong desire to write  poem, a poem for Erin .

       "   I didn't fall in love with you
              I walked into love with you
            With my eyes wide open
            choosing to take.   
            Every step along the way
           I do believe in fate and destiny
                 but I also believe
            that we are only fated
              to do the things
              that we would choose anyway
             And I would choose you
              in a hundred lifetimes​
              in a hundred worlds
               in any version of reality,
              I would find you
                      and I would choose you"

It was 5:45 am,the silent sky had departed and now the place seemed to take life
He looked down at his poem. It wasn't his first poem but it was  the very first poem he had written with such deep and pure feelings.
     He decided to gift it to her today !!
He knew that she is there in her cafe now, possibly cleaning the kitchen or sweeping the floor.
Without a second thought he got up and changed into his sweats,took the poem and headed out.

She was there, dressed in an elegant cream dress with her hair tied in a messy bun with strands falling on her face.Erin was busy brushing the window panes of her cafe , too busy to notice Steven .

  Steven was flushed by her innocent charm and beauty .. knowing nothing of her horrifying past.

He walked up to her cafe and knocked on the door.!

"Sorry,we are not yet open!"Erin said without turning
"Not even for me ?" Steven said

"Oh!Steven,Hi I didn't expect it to be you !"

"Who else did you expect it to be?"Steven remarked curiously fearing that his dream may come true.

"No one,for sure!"Erin laughed

Steven was a bit relaxed  by that ."Umm, should I help you with anything?"

"Won't you go for your jogging?" Steven got answered by another question.

"No, I figured out that this would be a good exercise!"

"You are sure?"

"Hundred percent"

Soon,Erin and Steven both were engaged in arranging plates and trays. One teaching the other and at times playfully scolding each other. Lauren seeing Steven bought a jar of hot chocolate that she had just prepared with three vanilla doughnuts.
     Steven instead of shedding weight ended up adding calories but he didn't care about it.

It was now 7:30 am the cafe was ready for the day.
 Steven and Erin stood outside the cafe seeing a group of kids going to school.

"Do you know Steve , I do miss going to a school for studies, though I have outgrown that stage but it was the only place I went for any education..!"

Steven was silent,pained by the words that Erin uttered .

He asked "Why don't you go to a college?"

Erin smiled , a reaction contradictory to what Steve was thinking.

She said, " if only I had a father like you, maybe I would carry a bag like you and walk proudly to my college , but now I have a different lifestyle than most of the girls of my age, I can't leave her alone"! She looked at her mom who was serving coffee to their first customer.

Then she looked at Steven ,air swiftly passing throigh her brown hair...she looked pretty!!

It was time ,Steven heard his sub conscious speaking.
He fished out his poem from his pocket and handed it to Erin .

Erin silently opened the page and started reading,
"   I didn't fall in love with you
              I walked into love with you
            With my eyes wide open
            choosing to take.   
            Every step along the way
           I do believe in fate and destiny
                 but I also believe
            that we are only fated
              to do the things
              that we would choose anyway
             And I would choose you
              in a hundred lifetime
              in a hundred worlds
               in any version of reality,
              I would find you
                      and I would choose you"
Her eyes were fixed ,it appeared to him that she read the poem again, it made  him  nervous.

She looked up,he could tell her eyes were glossy and her cheeks very pink.

He thought about his dream, wishing it to be fake.

She was looking at him now,"it's wonderful"

"You liked it?"

"Yup,it's..it's really..umm.its really mesmerising!"

"I love you Erin!"

Erin felt her heart beating faster than ever,she was unable to utter a word.
In the most deepest chamber of her heart she knew she loved him too......but?

"Steve, I...I   don't know"
She knew that if she accepted this , she would be defying all her responsibility,all  her duties and would be eloping to a world  she thought she would never enter.

She was calm for a moment,
Then she looked at him and smiled "I love you Steven!".

He achieved everything!!!!

***plz don't forget to vote***
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Hi all, sure I am updating this chapter after a long and unwanted break. I am sorry for the delay.Hope you enjoy this chapter...do drop in your suggestions
Love you all❤