Coffee & Cigarettes

Part 15

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"You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone."

-Roy T. Bennett

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Daniel's P.O.V

"Thanks for coming," Emma said as she held open her house door.

She had texted me an hour earlier asking me to come by. After what she said at the party last night, I was surprised she had texted me at all.

"No problem, I was surprised you called," I answered honestly.

She smiled. Her newly cropped hair falling into her face.

"I promised I'd teach you braille."

"Right." Of course. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.

I just...I was hoping she had changed her mind.

I walked into the house. Emma shut the door behind me.

"Yeah" She mumbled softly as she turned to me. Her hands were hidden under the oversized sleeves of the large yellow sweater she was wearing.

"So" I mumbled back softly as I looked around the living room.

In one corner there was a box for a crib and next to it was a box for stair gates.

Her parents were having a baby?

"We can go up to my room," Emma said breaking my train of thought.

I didn't say anything as we walked up the stairs and into her room.

"So the boxes in the living-" I started but she cut me off. "Yeah, sorry about all that. My dad is redecorating his office and he and my mom have been going crazy lately with new furniture for it." She said with an eye roll.

You don't need a crib for an office.

They were lying to her. I frowned.

I looked around the room. Everything looked the same as the last time I had been here.

I walked over to the window to see the sun still shining against the rapidly yellowing leaves.

"Is that Elliot?" As I spotted him talking to a woman next door.

She didn't answer right away. I turned to her to see a book in her hands.

I would recognize that pale yellow book anywhere. It was Eleanor and Park.

The last time I had seen that book was... It was the day we first started talking. That day at the bench.

"Probably, he lives next door." She said finally as she traced her fingers across the spine of the book.

We both jumped as suddenly my phone rang. I pulled it out to see a text message from Ashley.

'sorry if I was a jerk last night -Ash' the text message said.

'k there really is no if about it, forgive me?' -Ash a second message read.

I rolled my eyes. As I put my phone back in my pocket.

I still wasn't sure what to make of Ashley after last night.

I had thought we were friends. She was the only person who was there for me.

I wanted to be pissed after what she did, but the moment she started crying I knew I couldn't be.

Something about seeing her like that for a second time made me realize that I never wanted to see her like that again.