~What if you find your soulmate but he's already dead?~
Charlotte is a last year Psychology student, hating the dorm-life she moves into an apartment. She considers it a blessing that she got such a quiet and decent place in such a cheap rent. And...
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"I apologize, Char, I can't. I—" Alex abruptly paused before sighing. "I'll be busy tomorrow night."
Charlotte frowned.
In the face of her friends' continuous demand, she'd finally decided to throw that housewarming party. Although it was not going to be anything huge or rowdy, not how other college going people loved their parties to be. Charlotte didn't like such ruckus in the name of celebration and she definitely didn't like to clean up the mess afterwards. Her home was her sanctuary and she meant to keep it that way.
So, she'd decided it was going to be just Tina, Rita, Andy, Sammy and they could tag along with them plus ones should they find themselves any dates. And there would be some beer and wine and food. What more did she need?
She didn't know anyone from the other floors of the building, and because she wished to keep her party a short but cozy one she chose to opt out from inviting unknown people.
Alex wasn't someone unknown, however. In fact, it felt like the exact opposite.
And she had truly thought that Alex would be there at her housewarming tomorrow. For he was always there in most of her waking hours right from the moment she would come back home. It was just that she had gotten so used to seeing him either on his balcony, or hers, or out there at the corridor from the evening hours always that she had thought he would be easily available for her party.
Secretly she'd been hoping to introduce him to her small group of friends. Just to extend a bit the bubble of companionship she and Alex were in.
But her invitation faced a refined rejection.
Alex sighed. "I truly would have if I could, but—"
"Do you have a date tomorrow night?" it slipped out her mouth too fast.
Alex looked taken aback. His brows crunched and he was shaking his head the next moment. "No, no. I don't have a date."
"Then?" she asked, clearing throat, feeling odd relief sip into her chest.
Alex looked away and narrowed his eyes at the slice of moon above.
As she changed her position to look better at his face the coldness of her balcony's railing scrubbed against her palms.
"I've got some work," he said after a while.
Of course, he could have other works, priorities that could be more crucial than a small housewarming party.
"You can come late, or you can stay for a while and then leave when you would need to. It's just a small party anyway, more like a get together and only a few of my closest friends would be there." She still tried, despite feeling embarrassed for sounding so desperate.
Alex looked helpless, staring at her like he was being cornered mercilessly. It did not make her feel strong, it made her feel like she was reducing herself into a petulant child. And he still was about to say no. She could very well see that in his eyes as he prepared to voice it with politeness yet again.
