Crash Into Me

Chapter Three: Alli

"Eli?" I say, pulling out my earbuds and stopping mid-run. I see him sitting underneath the tall hearty oak tree in the same park I met him at a week ago. It's dark out and there's no one else around, except for the occasional dodgy fox. I'm almost certain it's him. It has to be him. The tall tree branches cast a shadow over his face from underneath their arms. 

He looks up drunkenly, trying to see who called his name. I'm afraid he might not remember me. "Allison?" he says. I walk towards him slowly. As I get closer, I can see a small whiskey bottle in his right hand and dark circles hugging the underside of his eyes. I'm relieved he remembers my name. I was almost certain he would have forgotten about me by now. He looks exhausted, but still as hot as ever. 

"Are you okay?" I say, now standing within feet of him. I'm still kind of shocked to see him. I kept secretly hoping I would see him again when I went on my morning run the day after my fall, but I was disappointed day after day to see the same usuals or other uninteresting strangers instead. I definitely wasn't expecting to find him drunk under a tree at ten o'clock at night on the weekend. He straightens up as I get closer, his same messy brown hair falling over his forehead.

"Isn't it a little late to be running?" he asks, leaning against the massive tree trunk.

A black sports jacket is tossed to his side on the ground. He's still sexy, even when he's drunk and seemingly miserable. His black tie is lying loose around his neck and the top two buttons of his white shirt are undone, revealing some of his bare smooth tanned chest. I try not to stare and instead I focus on his face. He looks up at me, green eyes tired and worn with five o'clock shadow making its way over his cheeks. I know that look. That's the look of someone who's just lost someone they love. Even though he's a complete wreck, my mind wanders to places it shouldn't. Thoughts flash through my head. Him shirtless. Him kissing me. Him tugging on my hair.  I quickly remind myself that that isn't going to happen and remember he's talking to me. 

'What was your question again?" I snap myself back to reality.

He laughs, brightening up. "Isn't it a little late to be running?" I can smell the mixture of his same sweet cologne blended with alcohol.

I shrug my shoulders, "I like the quietness. It's peaceful. Plus, I have this," I say, holding up a pink bottle of pepper spray. 

"Well I'm glad you have some sort of protection," he laughs again. "There could be creeps lurking out here. A girl as beautiful as you shouldn't be out this late alone."

"I think I can take care of myself," I tease.

"You really are beautiful." He gently reaches his hand up to touch my face. His rugged hand hugs my cheek, making it flush with warmth. I can feel him looking at me, but I'm too embarrassed to look back. I stare at a lone dandelion instead of making eye contact. I know he's drunk and probably acting more loosely than the doctor I met a week ago would.

"Eli," I let out a quiet breath of nervousness. He starts to move his thumb lightly over my lips, staring at them intently. I feel myself becoming weak and want for him to keep going, but my damn brain reminds me that I don't know this guy. I hate when my brain overrides what I actually want. 

"Eli," I repeat, trying to get his attention. He's absorbed in thought as he moves his fingers down to my chin. My heart starts to race in the heat of the moment. I should probably be weirded out that this guy I barely know is making a move on me in an abandoned park, but I'm not...not at all actually. I don't want him to stop, but I also know he's drunk and apparently still reeling over some other girl. I lightly turn my cheek away. His thumb stops and he looks back at my eyes before quickly looking away in embarrassment.

"I'm...I'm sorry." He pulls his hand away and shakes his head, more aware of how he's acting. He takes another swig from his whiskey, before holding it out to me.

"Oh, no thanks," I say, waving my hand softly. My heart finally starts to return to its normal pace and my cheeks start to cool. "You wanna talk about it?" I ask.

He leans his head back against the tree, exposing his smooth, freshly shaven neck. "About what?" He pretends to not know what I'm talking about. 

"This girl you're obviously not over."

"Not really," he replies, putting the cap back on the half-empty bottle and dropping it at his side on the grass. We sit there for a moment in silence and I wonder what, or who, is going through his mind.

Suddenly, he huffs and turns onto his right knee, before pushing himself up from the freshly cut grass. He picks up his sports jacket and then reaches out his hands toward mine, gesturing for me to grab them. I hesitate for a second, before extending my hands out toward his. Even in his drunken haze, he's still incredibly strong. He helps me up to my feet, still holding onto me. I look down at my hands entwined in his. I should probably pull away, but I want to stay there in that moment. He releases his grip slowly and gestures for me to walk with him.

We silently walk toward the gravel path under the silver moonlight, the summer air hugging us in its warmth. Even though we have barely spoken, I feel a connection to him that I've never felt with anyone else, not even Sam...

"Alli?" he says unexpectedly, looking straight ahead while still walking. I have to look up at him because he's so much taller than my five-foot-five self. He's at least six-foot-one with the body of a Calvin Klein model.

"Yeah?" 

He looks down toward me, and we stop underneath a lamppost. "I'm in a really shitty place right now, obviously," he starts, "but I also couldn't stop thinking about you since I met you last week."

I'm surprised by what he just said, but it's also everything I hoped he would say. I bite my lower lip and try to come up with a clever reply. I don't even know what to say to that. He's clearly heartbroken and I don't want to be his rebound, but the truth is, I couldn't stop thinking about him either. My mind starts filling up with different thoughts while I'm stuck there looking stupid with nothing to say. I'm mad at myself for not being this easy-going, confident girl who can come up with the perfect response at a moment's notice. The silence fills up an invisible space between us.

He slowly nods his head knowingly. "Annnd you're not interested," he says. He rubs his face into his hands. "I'm so stupid," he laughs, tilting his head back. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I thought you would be into me. Why would a girl like you be interested in a guy like me? I mean look at me," he gestures down toward his disheveled appearance, his tie still hanging loosely at his neck. "I'm drunk and alone at a park at ten o'clock at night." He looks aggravated with himself. "I'll let you get back to your run," he waves a defeated hand.

He turns to leave, but before he completely turns away, my hand reaches for his before I can stop myself. He stops abruptly and looks down at my hand gripping his and turns to look up at me with an unclear combination of emotions.

"I am," I say. I feel like I'm not in control of what I'm saying or doing, but I don't try to stop myself. All I know is I don't want him to leave. He raises an eyebrow, his soft green eyes looking into mine. "Interested, I mean."

 His eyes gently light up and he grips my hand harder before stepping closer toward me. We stand there in the quiet for a moment before he says, "Tomorrow night. Let me take you out." He lifts my chin to look up at him.

My head starts to spin again as I feel the same familiar sense of nerves combined with uncertainty in what to say or do, so I say the first thing that comes to my lips, "I'd like that."

He reaches into the pocket of his sleek black slacks, and pulls out his phone. Looking down at the screen, he types what I'm guessing is probably his passcode, before handing it to me. "Put your number in. I'll text you."

I type my name in at at the top. Allison Smith. I add my phone number before clicking "save contact" and handing it back to him. My hand rests in his for a second and the electricity between us is undeniable. I pull away as he slides the phone back into his pocket.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asks, grinning handsomely.

I nod my head, "Tomorrow."