One Small Step | ✔

Soren

"I've never seen you around here before."

His voice,

teasing, flirty but

curious.

Blond,

blue-eyed,

tall,

with a relaxed smile.

"I'm new." I say,

staring at him.

He nods at me.

"Margaret's niece, eh? I'm Soren."

Soren.

What an odd name.

As if I should talk.

My brother is named Ambrose.

"Tallulah." I reply shortly.

He's definitely hot,

and the moment I think that,

I cringe.

This is the type of thing Carina and I talked about,

late at night,

Whenever she was home from college,

her first question was never,

"How are you Lulu-Bear?"

but,

"Any hot boys, Tallulah Bay?"

She would raise her eyebrow at me,

Daring me to answer.

Always, I would respond,

"Nope."

Popping the 'p'.

She'd smile at me and call me a liar,

but I never dared to ask her,

if she had a beau.

I should have.

Maybe he broke her heart,

beyond repair.

Maybe she cried over him for days.

And I never called to ask how it was going.

I'm 

         drowning

                           in 

                                  guilt.

I focus my eyes on the boy's.

Warm blue eyes meet mine,

and I look away,

shocked by the intensity of his stare.

"So, Tallulah," 

he begins our conversation.

"How are you liking our little town?"

An easy smile on his face.

I wish I could have the 

confidence

this stranger

possesses.

"It's quaint." I say,

choosing my words carefully.

Stranger danger.

Right?

"That's one way to describe it."