Say you'll stay - Channing Tatum

P.10

"Here you go." I smile towards the older lady in front of me, giving her a small paperbag and coffee.

She smiles back and thanks me before she leaves.

It's Monday again and I'm back at work. Somehow, it seems like these last two days disappeared behind me in a second. I can't even remember what I did last night.

"So, how was your weekend?" Amber asks me. I turn around and is met by my blonde friend. She's been working here as for long as I have, or maybe a month or two less, but has been one of my closest colleagues since the beginning. I enjoy working together with her. She's a fast thinker and is always wearing a smile.

I pull the coffeebeans out from the drawer, opening the lid.

''It was great," I smile. "I was the opposite of sober for most of the time, but of what I can remember - it was great." I admit honestly and she laughs.

I look out through one of the big windows covering the walls, when a couple is walks by. He's holding her to him as she's laughing at something he's telling her about. I can feel my own smile spread as I watch them walk by.

"What did you do?" I turn towards her. "And don't say you spent your whole weekend with Mike," I joke. Mike is her boyfriend of, what can it be, three months now? He comes in to buy coffee from her at least four times a week and always steals a kiss from her over the counter. They're cute, I won't deny it.

I turn around to see her smiling down at the floor, cheeks flushed. I roll my eyes jokingly at her before I put the coffebeans back.

"Do you know who closes today?" I ask her as I walk out from behind the counter, grabbing the empty tray to fill it with dirty cups and plates from the tables.

"I think Jasmine is." She nods towards the table where she's seated.

It's only forty minutes until we're closing so the amount of people is starting to thin out.

I think I'll talk to Martha about taking extra shifts. I need the money if I'm ever going to be able to buy an apartment. 

"Brooke, it's fine, you can go if you want. I'll fix the rest." Jasmine tells me from three tables away, giving me a quick smile before continuing wiping the surface.

"Are your sure? I can stay and help?" I put the tray down.

She just shakes her head, laughing. "Yeah I'm sure. It's my turn."

I give her a thankful smile before I walk over to the counter to lean back against it. Pulling my phone out from my pocket, I've gotten a new text message from an unknown number.

I hope you got home safely. I did.. after an our or two and directions from a taxi driver.

The corners of my lips tugs upwards, leaving me with a crooked smile. By reading the message one person comes to mind, but it can't be.

Who's this?

I type before I press send. Only a second passes before I receive a new line of text.

The one that also believes love never disappears.

I can hear him say it in my head, a sarcastic tone to it of course.

It's not clear anywhere, but the memory of me rambling on about love in the drunk state I was in comes to mind and I don't think anyone but him would remember what I said.

I don't believe you 

I send. The sentence said more to myself than to him. Surely, I wasn't sober before, but now when I am, I can't avoid to ask myself the question I want to ask him.

My phone vibrates in my hand and a picture is seen on the screen.

It's of me standing on the railing of the bridge, holding the wires as his hand is seen tighyl gripping my dress . The sky in the back is in a beautiful blue, not as I remember the color at all.

You took a picture?

I ask.

Do you believe me?

My fingers quickly tap over the keyboard.

Yes

I send.

Yes

I get back.

I have no idea how he got my number. I don't even remember mentioning my last name to him.

I look up at Jasmine who's at the last table by now. She's doing what she's supposed to, but her mind is somewhere else. Her gaze occasionally drifts out over the people passing by, watching them come and disappear, but not actually seeing them.

My phone vibrates again.

I don't know if you remember what I told you before, but if you do, please let it stay here. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do and I don't want anyone else to do it for me. Also, thank you for the very good advises you probably don't remember giving. - Channing.

I breathe out after I've finished reading. I honestly feel nothing but relieved by what I just read. I hope for their sake that they'll fix this. And god do I pray that it isn't true, that she has cheated on him. I can't think of anything that would hold him together if that's true.

Slowly moving my thumbs over the letters, I create the last message I'll send for a while.

Your secret is safe with me. And why, thank you very much for your kind words. You're a very good listener

I know it's already tearing on him so I use his own method to make it less meaningful. I want him to know that I'd never sell parts of his life, but I don't want him to overthink it either.

A simple Thank you Is what pops up on my screen after I've locked my phone. My smile is still there, not intending to leave anytime soon.

"Hey, why are you smiling like that?" Jasmine mocks me, a wide grin covering her face. "Who are you texting?!" She lightly hits me on the leg with the cloth she's holding.

I loose the knot on my apron, taking it off and jumping down from the counter.

"No one." I smile. "No one at all."