Delicacy

FIVE

"I may not have the softest touch
I may not say the words as such
I know I don't fit in that much but I'm yours"
—The Script

Third Person

     "Hey," Reid's masculine voice hums through the phone. Reid walks up the steps of his home, passing by fellow mafia members and the infamous boys.

Meredith blushes. "Hi."

"What are you doing?"

Meredith sighs and lays back on her plush bed. She stares at the ceiling and plays with the fringe of a throw pillow. "Trying to figure out why everything bad happens to me."

Reid laughs. This girl, that he's known for such a short time, has already managed to wedge her way into his life. "And have you come up with anything yet?"

"Hm, nope." Meredith pop her plump lips to the 'p' and smiles. "What are you doing?"

"I just got home from running. I've been trying to get my workouts in order for a while. Schools been a bitch so I guess it's just a way to let off steam."

"Yeah . . . " she murmured. In this moment, Meredith could curse herself for being so damn awkward. Her antisocial social skills were horrid, and she's just moved into a new town where being social is what gets you friends. Meredith's mind is screaming, 'Why can't I just have one normal conversation?'

"You seem nervous," Reid says trying to lighten the mood for a nervous Meredith.

"Can you blame me?" She says while sitting up. "You intimidate me."

"I do?"

"Yes." Once again, she bites her bottom lip and contemplate whether she should actually open my mouth again.

"Reid?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel it too?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, but she couldn't help it. This question has been circling her head for the whole day.

"Care to elaborate?" Reid knew exactly what she was talking about. It was as if a sudden string was tethered to each one of their hearts. When they were apart, it tugged and pulled to get back to the other.

"Well, don't get weirded out or anything when I say this . . . but I just—I feel like I can trust you."

"And you can. I know we've just met, but like I said I'm here for you."

     Meredith's smile slowly fades and tears prick her honey eyes. She sniffles into the phone and whip her tears. Reid curses himself. "What's wrong?" He asks when the pause was too long.

    "I'm scared." Meredith breathes out as she lowers her head in shame. "I'll—I'll tell you about . . . her . . . " he softly shushes her as tears fall freely from her eyes. In this moment, Reid wishes for nothing more than to be with her right now. However, he doesn't want to scare her away. He's possessive. It took everything in him not to explode when Vivian pulled such a bitch move today.
Meredith doesn't want to be alone, and for some reason, she feels as if she never will be again.
     "I'm here. Shh, I'm not leaving you, okay? Not tonight. Not ever. If you want to talk about . . . 'her', you can, I'll listen. But I'm not forcing you to tell me." Reid says, cooing Meredith. He doesn't know who 'her' refers to, but he figured it was someone close to her. She nod, not realizing that he can't see her.

    "Another time?" She whispers.

"Another time." He instantly responds.

Meredith looks over and checks the time. She gasps and cover her mouth. How did it become so late? With her mother, she always went to bed at a certain time. When she didn't, mother would punish her into going to sleep. She'd force Meredith into a sleep filled with nightmares and demons.

"What is it?" Reid asks when he heard that beautiful gasp on the other line.

"It's so late!"

Reid smiles. Meredith sure was something else to believe midnight was late. "Mere, it's only midnight."

"That's late!"

He chuckles while Meredith lays under the covers. Her bed is warm, yet so cold.

"Are you going to sleep?"

Meredith sighs and rubs her slightly swollen eyes. "I'm not very sleepy."

"Hm, I think you are," He says with a small chuckle. "I can hear it in your voice."

"That's a close observation."

She puts the phone on speaker and places it beside her head. Closing her eyes, she try and will myself to fall into slumber. However, it doesn't come.

"I can't sleep," she whines, knowing that Reid is still on the phone.

An idea pops into Reid's head. "Would you like to hear a story?"

"Like the ones for children?" Meredith asks with slight humor to her voice.

"Not necessarily. This one is different."

"Okay."

Reid clears his throat and begins this oh so special story. Meredith snuggles deeper into the sheets.

"This story is one that inspires me, and could inspire anyone," Reid starts, thinking of his angel. "An angel that was cursed with a mind full of demons. Every night, she prayed for an escape from the hellish world she grew up in. She wanted to be free from her demons. She wanted to spread her beautiful wings and fly with the rest of the free souls. She wanted to move on." Reid sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at the picture of his mother between his finger tips. She'd always been so proud of him.

Meredith's eyelids began to droop, but she had to stay awake to hear the end of his story. "Then what?" She asks, ending her sentence with a yawn.

"It took courage and bravery. The angel wanted to escape so badly, that she took battle wounds for it." He stops and stands on his feet. Walking over to the window in his bedroom, Reid stares out at the stars and imagines his mom holding his shoulder, telling him to never question his bravery, for it is stronger than fear.

"Do you want to know what happens to the angel?"

"Yes," Meredith says as her eyes flutter closed. The slumber was so close as it wrapped around her frail body.

"She did it," Reid said. "She escaped. And it was the biggest achievement she's ever made."

Then, the slumber took hold of Meredith. The last thing she heard from the phone was Reid saying, "She was finally free."

__________

Sorry for such a short chapter, I have lots of homework to do, but I'd figured I would update lol.
Thank you for reading! The story will get better!

Xoxo,
rrosebudd