UNEXPECTED

Chapter 1 - Annalise

Walking to the bus station, Annalise tried not to think too hard about why she was leaving. She had been dating Max for 4 years, and at this point they even owned a small apartment together, but then he decided it would be a good idea to cheat. With one of Annslise's best friends, Marie. God, she should have caught it earlier. She knew that they had 'vibes' when Marie was over, but she thought it was just paranoia. When she had gotten home early that afternoon, since she had finished her exams earlier than expected, she walked through the door, ready to sprawl on the bed and watch some Netflix. When she walked in, though, her eyes immediately caught on a small t-shirt thrown on the couch, which she vaguely recognised, and some jeans carelessly strewn onto the kitchen counter.
When Annalise knocked on her bedroom door, she heard Max ask who was there and a female voice whispered something. Then she put it all together, realizing who the voice belonged to, and quickly made her retreat. She pulled her phone to her ear, trying to supress oncoming tears, and dialed her mother's phone number. Annalise's mother said she could come back home as soon as she needed, which was now, and they both said goodbye.
Now, Annalise was waiting for the bust to pull up and take her away from this wretched town. Her family was a 7 hour train ride away, and she wasn't looking forward to all of the time she would be alone with her thoughts and sorrows.
When the train finally arrived, she huffed a sigh and slowly stalked to the open doors. She thanked the conductor by nodding her head, found a small window seat with a fold out table and a cup holder on both armrests, and sat. It wasn't the most uncomfortable thing she's sat it, but she was really hoping to take a nap, and that might be more difficult than she thought. When the train was almost boarded and he had gotten as comfortable as possible, she got out her cell and some earbuds, starting her audiobook and staring out the window and the drab grey walls.
When she turned back to look next to her, she immediately jumped, not expecting to find a man. He was very tanned, with black hair and a bit of stubble and black clothes. His most breathtaking feature was his ice-blue eyes. He gave her a small smile, raising his thick eyebrows in question.
"I- sorry, I just didn't notice someone sitting next to me. I guess the volume was too loud," Annalise says lamely.
"Oh, don't worry about it," he said, and she realised he had a slight english accent. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What are you listening to?"
"Um, it's a new audiobook I just started. It seems good so far." She was trying to hint that she would prefer to just put her earbuds back in and fall asleep, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.
"So, what's your name?"
"Annalise," she replied. "What about yours?"
"Oliver," he said simply. "You have a nice name, but I think I'll go with Anna. You know, it's a bit more simple, easier to remember."
"Oh, please don't," she throws her head back onto the head rest and looks up, "Ma- someone I loved once called me that."
"Well then, how about Anne? Or Annie? Are those better?"
"Oh, not those. I hate those names. They're so... basic."
"Better a reason to call you one. I think you look more like an Annie than an Anne," Oliver said, failing to suppress a smile.
"Must you?"
"Yes," he answered plainly.
"Fine. But that means I get free rein to call you Olive. Or Ollie. I think they're both fitting names. It's something about your face." Now she was smiling, and it made the past few hours feel less weighing.
When she made eye contact with him, she tried not to laugh. He looked like calling him 'Olive' or 'Ollie' was the worst insult someone could give him.
"That's not funny," he says, shaking his head hard, looking extremely offended.
Finally, Annalise burst out laughing and she threw her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles.
When she looked up again, he was staring at her, and Oliver's face had softened and he had a small, crooked smile. At that moment, she saw that he had dimples on both cheeks, and she realized how attractive this stranger really was. Then, he glanced away. There was another long silence, and the air felt thick with it.
"Okay, Ollie, where are you headed?" she asked.
"Actually, Anna, I'm on my way to meet some online friends."
"Oh, is that right?"
"It is," said Oliver, "and what about you?"
"Ah, I'm just visiting some family. I've been really busy with school and haven't seen them in months."
"What are you studying?"
"English. I want to be a writer, so I'm going to get my bachelors," she shakes her head, "it's been my dream since I was 5."
"That's a good career choice, though I'd be too scared to try that. It takes a big jump of faith and a lot of courage to be a writer. And I admire your bravery."
Though this man was a complete stranger, Annalise was touched. Her mother and father always told her she should try settling on something more definite and safe. But she followed her dreams, and she hasn't regretted it yet.
"Thank you," she replied, not knowing what else to say. But she could see that Oliver saw her appreciation.
"You're very welcome," he said, and his accent sounded a little more prominent.
After a second, she turned and looked out the window. Then, the days earlier events hit her like a train. Her boyfriend, the man she loved, cheated on her. And not only that, but with her friend. Suddenly, she wished Oliver would just leave her with her feelings. There was a pressure at the back of her eyes, and she tried to keep her tears back, but they wouldn't obey.
In seconds, she had tears rolling from her eyes and her shoulders were shaking, but she kept looking out the window. God, she'd barely known Oliver for an hour and she was already crying in front of him. She would just stay turned towards the window and refuse to turn away.
"Hey, Annalise, are you okay?"
Damnit. He'd noticed. Of course he did, Annalise was a mess. A damned mess. And there was nothing she could do to conceal her frail shoulders and sniffling.
All she did was shake her head in response, trying to get him to realize this wasn't his place.
"Anna?" He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, then turned to him, tears still falling.
"Don't touch me. It's been a long day and I am in no mood to tell a stranger I met on the bus 45 minutes ago why I'm upset. And no, I am not okay." The words had more of a bit than she intended, but she wasn't entirely upset about it. Yes, she was aware that she was being extremely sour right now. But Annalise had to admit it felt good to put her grief into doing something.
But then, his face fell, and she felt a sudden pain in her chest, and slowly inhaled.
"I- okay. Would you like me to move to another seat?" Oliver looked disappointed at the idea, but he also looked willing.
"No. No, I'm sorry. There's no reason for me to be so rude to you. I'm just angry at myself right now." He keeps trying to catch my eyes, but I ignore it.
"Would you mind telling me why? So I understand?" He asks softly.
I take a deep breath, then look out the window and start talking, "My boyfriend, Max, and I have been dating for 4 years. And I loved him. I still do. But when I came home from school early, there were my best friends clothes strewn across our apartment, and Max and Marie, my friend, were.... together." I suppress the tears trying to fall again. "And I am mad at myself for putting so much time into both of them. Because I've never felt like this before. And I hate it."
When I look back, he's looking at me. Really looking at me. Like he can see right into me, like he can see all of my feelings and emotions and my entire character. It makes me feel naked in front of him. His bright eyes bore into me, and all I can do is stare back.
"Why would he do that?" He simply asks, but it's hard to miss the anger in his powerful voice.
"How am I supposed to know? He did this to me and I immediately came here. I'm going to see my mother. I was too cowardly to face them.''
"Please don't blame yourself. You did absolutely nothing wrong. They were the ones who made a fool of themselves. They are losing something valuable."
Though the situation really was horrible, the compliment made her blush.
"Do you really believe that?" Her voice was impossibly quiet, and she was almost surprised that Oliver even heard her.
"Annalise. I know I just met you but I can already tell they made a grand mistake."
"Thank you." They were making eye contact now, and Annalise saw a glimmer of something she couldn't place in his eyes. They didn't talk for what felt like hours, and Annalise felt like she's known Oliver for her entire life. They seemed to understand each other in a way no one ever had. "Thank you," she said again, though she didn't know why.
He just nodded, not breaking eye contact.