"Yes, yes, try to persuade yourself."
I knew how I behaved when I was falling in love. But that's exactly why I didn't understand how Riley came to these things. I was like always.
"Riley, it's enough."
It was convenient that there was a knock on the door. Maybe I could escape this situation.
"I wonder who that is.", came from Riley's side.
Shaking my head, I ran to the front door. I tiptoed slightly so I could peer through the peephole.
It was actually Arthur. He looked nervous. I hope nothing bad had happened to him again.
I turned the doorknob to the right and pulled it open.
"Arthur," I said, expecting some reaction from Riley behind me.
"Lila, I have a question." He ran his fingers through his back-combed hair.
"Tell me." I leaned my head against the door.
"Would you like to have a coffee with me as a thank you?"
I could feel the blush in my cheeks. "Yes of course."
Arthur smiled. "When do you have time?"
I didn't have to think twice to answer.
"I always work until five o'clock, so at half past five, what about you, do you have settled times?"
He shook his head.
"No, unfortunately not, I'm always booked for different times, but if you want we can do that spontaneously."
I nodded. "Alright, just fetch me if you can, I'm staying here most of the time anyway."
"Okay, see you." Arthur turned and left.
However, I stood at the door for a moment longer.
"Lila, he's gone, you can come back."
I totally forgot about Riley's presence.
Arthur's POV
Directly I sat down at the table behind the kitchen counter and wrote in my diary.
"I did not laugh, I didn't have a nervous twitch. Why am I so relaxed around her? I do not know, but it feels great. I really hope our meeting will be good. Maybe it's the beginning of a wonderful friendship. I hope it so much. I don't always want to be alone. Lila doesn't seem to be someone who runs away when it gets difficult and that's exactly what I need. By the way: Today was a good day. No one beat me or shouted at me, for the first time in a long while. I didn't have to come home limping or painfully. This time I didn't have to hope I don't die. Do you think it's a sign that everything is now getting better?"
I put the pen aside and lit a cigarette. Slowly I leaned against the back of the chair and stayed there for several minutes.
I sat down with my mother, who had meanwhile sat down in the bedroom to watch the Murray Franklin Show.
I didn't say a word about what happened. My mom didn't seem to care too, so I smiled to myself.
For the first time in ages, I didn't even imagine sitting in the audience. I was happy to be home.
Lila's POV
I closed the apartment door.
"We can't do anything together in the next few days, can we?" Riley asked when she noticed my smile.
"I'm sorry, because I have to think every day now that Arthur got time."
She nodded understandingly. "Then I hope it will be an unforgettable date."
"Riley, please stop interpreting so much, you're not a teacher, and I'm a bit stressed."
I dropped onto the couch.
"I don't want to, I just want you to be happy with someone again, I know you do not like being single." She replied.
She was right. Riley and Abigail were both in a relationship.
"Thanks, Riley, but I don't think he's the right one, especially since I saw him looking at another resident. It was not a normal look like mine, that was different."
I looked back to the TV where the Murray Franklin show started.
"Well then ... I should be on my way, take care of yourself." Riley said as she got up to put on her jacket at the apartment entrance.
"You also." I waved goodbye.
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