Lumière

Sept

"So what is your vacation for?" He asked out of nowhere, her heart raced. No, not because he still looked handsome under the dim lights the bus. But because despite him not knowing her, her reason was just personal.

"Can I not answer that?" She asked, her smile now forced. "Sure." He said so casually, and smiled.

They fell into silence once more, the only noise is the wheels of the bus and the snore of someone sitting somewhere near them.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He asked, and such a question shocked her. Why would someone tell his secret to a total stranger? Is he even in his right mind?

"Shall I take that as a no?" He asked with a chuckle. "Well, if you want then tell me." She said and smiled. "Okay." He said and gave out a sigh.

"I don't want to go home too." He said, and for the first time she knew that he was like her somehow. Full of regrets and maybe even of pain.

"Why?" I asked as I took my gaze off from him and landed it out the window. "Somehow seeing my family hurts me much more than being apart from them." He replied, his voice tinged with regret and somehow there was disgust.

"Don't hate yourself." She said, and reached for his hand and squeezed it. But her eyes were still staring outside the window.

"Am I horrible for feeling like this?" He asked once more. This time she faced him.

"No you are not." She said, and somehow he felt safe that he was not being judged.

How can she make him feel so safe? He thought. Who is she even?