Obsession [s.m]

eighteen

Marie

"Ruel..."
I whispered to try and wake him.
"Ruel"
Still sound asleep...
"Ruel!!"
Seriously...nothing...
"RUEL HELP! HELP!"

"BABE! BABE WHATS GOING ON."

"Good morning my love."

He picked up the pillow from behind his head and whacked me in the side of the head.

"Let's go, we have a flight...remember?"

"Actually...you have a flight. I have to get some things that need to be situated for tour coming up but i'll meet you there tomorrow and I promise I'll be at the show. Okay?"

"Okay." I pout my lips and give him a kiss.

"Get going so you don't miss your flight, I love you."

I grab my luggage and walk out of our hotel room..."I love you" the words got caught in my throat. He said...I love...you. He loves me? Really? I hope he doesn't expect me to say it back...I'm not really sure I want to. I thought we agreed on "I like you".

7:30am

"Shit, shit, shit. I'm gonna miss my flight!"

"Flight to New York at 7:45 is now beginning to board, please have your ticket out and available before boarding the plane." The flight attendant announced to everyone over the loudspeaker. My heart sped up and I bolted.

I'm running as fast as I can and I'm the last person to board to the plane, I made just in time.
There were no seats left so I had to sit some guy. He wore a black sweatshirt with the hood on, a white baseball cap, black sunglasses and gray joggers. Personally I love when boys dress like that...but maybe not creepy ones who keep their hoodie strings pulled all the way and don't speak to you...

"Hello sir? Can I sit here?"

He nodded his head and continued to look out the window like he was doing before.
The flight attendant spoke with us about the basic flight rules and we were off.

I tried to make conversation with the man the whole flight because I knew he wasn't sleeping. He was on his phone, or reading books, or writing in a journal. He seemed to be pretty busy the whole two hours we were on the plane... I guess i'm just an extrovert.

"So...what're you flying to New York for?"

Crickets. Absolute crickets.

"Cmon! I don't bite."

I tried to make it funny but he just wasn't laughing.

"Okay then, not a social. Got it."

I hear a faint cough from the mysterious man...

"A girl..."

I could hardly hear a word he was saying.

"What? Did you say something?"

"A-a girl. I'm going to New York to see a girl."

"Aw that's so sweet. Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

He was still facing the window and his head was down towards the floor, understanding what he was saying was a challenge but I had 4 more hours to go.

"That's nice. I have a boyfriend."

"What's his name?"

"Ruel. He's a singer."

"Are you happy?"

"Um...not that it's any of your business stranger! Who might I add I still don't know the name of but yes i'm happy...Well except today he said "I love you" and I just didn't think we were there yet."

"Do you feel the same?"

"Listen dude you're asking a lot of personal questions."

"I-I'm a couples therapist...yeah...therapist."

"Um...Okay?"

"So do you?"

"Oh right, um I don't really know. I mean I don't think so yet."

"Why is that?"

"A part of me misses my ex...but that ended horrendously and I wont go back to that. Ruel makes me so happy too but I think it's too soon for me."

"What's too soon?"

"The 'L' word."

"Why won't you go back to your ex?"

"He abandoned me. Stranded me in Italy."

"Listen about that, I'm so-"

"-Excuse me?"

"Huh? What?"

"Sir, can you look at me?"

"No ma'am."

"Sir now i'm not asking anymore, i'm telling. Look at me."

"I cant do that-"

I grab his face and turn him toward me. Hoping and not hoping it was who I expected. Hoping it was him so I didn't just grab a strangers face and not hoping it was him because he's the last person I want to see.
     He looked at me with his hood on, hat on, and sunglasses on. I took his hood off his head slowly, and then his hat. By this point I could tell by the hair and the scar in his cheek. My blood with boiling, there was a lump in my throat, my heart was racing, my palms were sweating...but my stomach...my stomach had butterflies. Butterflies like it used too. That's how I knew for sure it was him.
I took his sunglasses off and looked into his eyes with confusion and disappointment.

"Marie..."

"Shawn, I can't believe you."

"Please let me explain everything. Please."

"You have four hours, and I have a feeling it's gonna take a lot longer than that but go ahead. I think I deserve an explanation."