Impractical (1)

2

The cameras followed him until he was completely out of sight, moving away from the area to sit on a bench. With his elbows propped on his knees, he kept his head in his palms and sat completely still. At the feeling of someone taking a seat beside him, he glanced up. The beautiful woman was only inches away, sitting with her legs crossed to his left.

When she spoke, his heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach.  Years of questions and regret imprinted in the back of his mind resurfaced in an instant, her voice was music, "I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to, but --."

"You're the only person I want to talk to," he interrupted, his voice was slow and his eyes widened as he met her glance.

She was more beautiful than he remembered, "Where were you?" He asked her with disbelief in his voice. He didn't want to move his eyes away from her – He was afraid she would vanish.

"We had to go home," she answered, slightly shrugging her shoulders as she nervously shifted her body to face forward. He could tell she wasn't comfortable, "I'm sorry I ran off." 

"What brought you back?" She noticed as his eyes suddenly widened in a panic and dropped down to look at her stomach. Horror filled his features and his figure froze beside her, "Please tell me there isn't an eleven-year-old waiting in the car to meet me!"

"She's twelve."

"Twelve!" His heart dropped and his sweaty palms moved to rub down the front of his black pants.  He hung his head into his palms and shut his eyes, but glanced up as he felt her hand tap against his knee.

"No!" She exclaimed, a small smile pulling at her lips, "Sal, I didn't leave because I was pregnant! Is that what you thought?" He shrugged his shoulders and avoided her eyes as his heart slightly lifted. His body language answered the question, and her voice was broken as she continued, telling him seriously, "Sal, I left because my father was sick."

"I'm so sorry," he replied quietly, his heart still pounding in his chest, "How is he?" Dread spread across her features and she looked down at the ring on her finger. His heart dropped and he had no words, but he felt the need to speak, "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her, saying seriously, "I would have gone with you. I would have been there for you."

"It was too difficult." She said, avoiding tears as she forced herself to look in the opposite direction. Her head hung to look down at her hands and she took a deep breath, saying, "With everything going on, it was easier to run away than face you."

"I'm sorry."

Silence fell over them and he fidgeted in his seat, "How long have you been in New York?"

"Almost two years," She told him hesitantly, finally looking back to meet his eyes. She watched as he hung his head and felt her stomach turning, "I was afraid to reach out again," She said hesitantly, telling him, "So much has changed since high school and I was afraid you would be angry with me."

"You've been in New York for almost two years and didn't tell me?" He sighed, a bit of aggravation in his tone as he looked forward and wiped his palms against his pants once more, "Who found you?"

"Quinn called."

"Of course," He almost growled, sitting up taller to lean back against the bench. He nervously cleared his throat before asking, "How long are you staying?" 

"I don't know," She said, waiting for him to look in her direction. The smallest hint of a smile pulled at the corners of her lips, "Do you want me to stay?"

He was quiet. Everything in his heart said yes, but his mind was contradicting. He had a good life on his own, and she had already broken his heart once – Would she do it again if he gave her the chance?