A Forbidden Forever

Chapter One-Coffee

"Darce?" My mom walked hurriedly from the kitchen, her long brown hair flowing ever so effortlessly, fingertips balanced subtly on the front door frame.

"Hm?" I muttered tiredly.

"Where are you going?" She bounced.

"Coffee..why?" I adjusted my scarf and tan jacket.

"Well, I thought we could go shopping today. It's been a while, ya know? Maybe you could hurry back?" She nodded as she talked.

"Sure. You want anything?"

"No thanks, but be back soon, I'm leaving in an hour."

"Kay!" I flipped my sunglasses over my eyes and walked out the door, turning right out of our alley and walking a block to the shop.

"Name?" A new worker asked, grabbing a cup and a pen.

"Tall Iced raspberry mocha, Darcy Styles."

Her hand shook a little as she looked up.

"Um..that'll be seven dollars.." She stared nervously.

I lifted up my sunglasses and placed them on the counter, flipping through my wallet.

"Wow." She mumbled.

"What?" I asked, unsure of what I'd heard.

"Nothing..it's just, you look a lot like Harr-"

"My father." I finished.

"Yes, um, your father. How is he? Is he still with Hillary?"

"Yeah, my mom. They're okay, I think!" I smiled, practically feeling my own dimples.

"You're really pretty." She handed the drink to another worker. "Have a good day."

"You too!" I smiled, sliding a twenty to her awkwardly.

"Oh, um, you pay down at the other end.." She handed it back.

"For you." I smiled, handing a ten to the coffee maker to pay.

I took the drink and walked over to the door, dropping my straw in the process.

I leaned over to pick it up, and as I wrapped my fingers around it, the door slammed into me, knocking my balance and sending my drink down my shirt.

"Oh, uh..I'm so sorry!" The culprit shouted, lifting the sunglasses on top of his head and reaching for napkins.

Not gracefully, though. He knocked over the napkin holder as well as a hundred straws, sending both buckets on top of my head. "Uh.. here.. Let me help."

"You've done enough." I growled, wiping the last of it off of my shirt.

"Come on, at least let me buy you another!" He flashed a golden smile.

"Okay." I gave in, allowing him to help me up as worker attended to the mess.

The line was now empty, and workers were changing shifts.

Must have switched hours, because the regular cashier, a larger man reminding me vaguely of Mario, was taking orders. We walked right up to the counter.

The man looked up. "Oh, here you are! The usual, Mr. Tomlinson?"

Tomlinson.

Of course.

Leo's POV

Woah. Those eyes. Those deep, glowing, emerald eyes that matched so familiarly with her bright smile.

"The usual, Mr. Tomlinson?"

The color drained from her face.

"Yeh, and whatever the lady here wants." I leaned casually on the counter as the cashier stood on tiptoes to see the girl.

"Oh, Miss Styles." He muttered, beginning the drinks.

"Styles?" I mumbled.

"Huh?" 'Miss Styles' regained the color in her face.

"Um, since we haven't officially met.."

"Yeah. I guess slamming a door into me and pouring a mountain of raspberry over my head isn't 'official'." She said sarcastically.

"Right. I was wondering, what's your name?"

"Darcy."

"Oh."

"And you?"

"Um, Leo. Tomlinson."

"Right."

We stood awkwardly and both began to laugh, piecing together the puzzle of our background.

The irony, mostly. That two people coming to the same coffee shop seven times a week for three years had never run into each other.

That those two were previously connected by strange circumstances.

That those same two would have to hide their friendship, and anything else it became.

Still Leo's POV-

"Favorite color?" I asked, still laughing at the last question.

"Pink." She continued laughing as well. "Okay, okay. My turn."

"Yyyyyyes it is!"

She was doubled over laughing from the last half hour of questions.

"Um..any siblings?"

And just like that, my smile was gone. It was something I had tried not to think about. "Um.."

"Oh, I'm sorry if it's-"

"No, it's fine-"

"Really, you don't have to-"

"Darcy, I-"

"Leo, don't answer if-"

"I'M FINE." I half shouted, and she looked shocked. "Yeah, I do-did. I did." I looked down.

"I'm sorry-"

"I don't need your sympathy Darcy."

"Okay." She looked down awkwardly.

I had gotten so tired of people's sympathy throughout the last year. Always-"I'm so sorry. I'm here for you. If you need to talk,.here's my number."

They didn't really wanna talk to me, they were being polite. And I sure wasn't gonna talk about it to them.

After about two minutes, I start again. "Her name was Darcy."

"Oh.."

"And she died last March."