Tricks of Fate

Chapter 9

[Barry]

As I waited outside the building for the lectures to end, my mind kept going back to the conversation that occurred that morning. How on earth did I find the strength to keep my composure in front of her? I might have seemed confident on the outside but on the inside I was a complete mess. My emotions were all over the place! I was scared that she'd think I was weird, nervous to ask her out, enthralled by her beauty, excited to have a second chance with her and underneath it all was a feeling I couldn't quite place. It was a sort of warmth deep down. A longing, to hold her close. To be around her. To make her happy. To keep her safe. There was just something about her that felt special to me. A mysterious energy that surrounded her like a bright light and like a moth to a flame I was drawn to it.

It was almost a life line. Like I couldn't live with out her. People started shuffling out of the building and I prepared my self to ascend the stone steps when she walked out and stopped me mid step. She was talking to someone with a smile so radiating that my heart fluttered. She noticed me staring and got a little flustered. She said goodbye to her friends, occasionally darting her eyes my way, and when they left she gave me her full attention.
"Hi." I said, once I reached the top of the stairs and she looked up at me and smiled.
"Hi." she answered shyly, tucking a strand of hair between her ear.
"I see you stayed true to your promise." she observed.
"Yeah, would you have preferred I didn't?" I asked, suddenly worried that she might not want me around.
"No!" she exclaimed then lowered her voice and continued,
"I uhhh just don't want to put you through so much trouble."
I smiled and said,
"It's no trouble at all." she smiled back at me and for a few minutes we just stood there staring at each other and smiling.
"So are you ready to go?" I finally broke our comfortable silence.
"Um yeah... Oh shoot, I forgot my textbook in the lecture hall. I'll be right back, one second." she said then quickly jogged back into the building. I descended the staircase and waited for her.

Most of the students had gone and those that were still there were either getting picked up or waiting for their walking buddies. When Iris finally came out I was standing there alone with my hands in my jacket pockets to keep them safe from the winter cold. I watched as she came down the stairs, the wind ruffling her hair a little making her look like something out of a painting. Suddenly she slipped and was about to tumble down the stairs. My heart beat quickened, and my body came alive. My mind was trained on her and with my soul purpose being her safety I propelled my self forward with all the energy I could muster. Within a matter of seconds I was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Iris safely in my arms.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked concerned while putting her down.
"No not at all, thank you, but...how did you do that?" she asked and with the confirmation that she was alright I allowed my mind to process what had just happened. There is no way I could have ran that fast and caught her in time. It just wasn't humanly possible.
"I have no idea." I answered sincerely.