Colorless Hearts

n i n e

The next day, she brought her journal again.

He noticed the way she glowed even brighter when she wrote, and curiosity gnawed at him. When the band took a lunch break, he swiftly made his way to her table.

"Hi, Rose," he greeted her, and she smiled. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Yes," she replied, nodding.

He blinked. "You do mind?"

"Oh, no! Sorry, I–I meant yes, you can sit," she said quickly as her cheeks flushed. She had been so focused in what she was writing that his presence had completely caught her off guard.

"I hope I'm not bothering you."

"You're not," she assured him while he sat down. As a hesitant afterthought, she added: "I, um, like talking to you."

He grinned, his teeth shining like the stars. "You do? More than you like my music?"

"Well..." she trailed off, smiling playfully, and he chuckled.

"I like talking to you too."

She gulped nervously, feeling her heart soar at his words. He called over the waiter and ordered some food for himself. He offered to buy her another drink, but she politely declined.

He laid back in his seat, and cocked his head at her. "So, what do you write about in there?"

"Life in general. What I've learned, what I want to learn, my thoughts, and other things," she told him before pushing the journal aside, shrugging. "Nothing interesting."

"Seems pretty interesting to me," he countered, and she met his eyes. He had to be the most genuine person she'd ever met, because every word he uttered seemed like it came from the depths of his heart. She found that incredibly inspiring.

"No one's ever read my journal before. But maybe I'll let you take a peek one day," she said, her dimples showing.

The musician grinned. "I'm looking forward to that day."

"What about you? Have you written any music that no one's ever heard before?" she asked him, and a sheepish smile crawled onto his face.

"I have," he admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "But it's still pretty raw. It lacks spirit."

"That's hard to believe, considering how you seem to have so much of it when you play."

"Well, writing music myself is different for some reason. I don't know what I'm missing," he sighed.

  She offered him a comforting smile. "I know you'll figure it out. When it comes to music, I really believe you can do anything you dream of."

  Her words ignited something in him, and he seemed to admire her even more. She barely knew him, yet she had so much hope for him. It made her all the more mesmerizing.

  "Thank you, Rose," he said, his voice soft with deep appreciation. "I promise you'll be the first person to hear it when it's ready."

  The two of them smiled at each other. They had forged a new connection that day, making intimate promises that alluded to the future that approached them.

  Neither of them knew what to expect, or expected much, but they were excited to find out.