Untitled Story

Chapter Six

"Lexi, can you please tell me where we're going?" I whine into her ear, painfully aware that our hands are still entwined. We had been walking away from her apartment for the last ten minutes, and although I have no idea where we're going, I find that just being in Lexi's company has already lifted my mood from earlier.

I hear her sigh again beside me. "Has no one ever told you patience is a virtue?" We both smile when we look at each other at the same time.

"They have, but that doesn't mean I'm any less impatient." I wear a somewhat cocky grin.

"Just as well we're here then."

We turn a corner, where the buildings fall away, and greenery opens up before us. On the other side of the small field is the East River, with the Brooklyn Bridge to the right. People are dotted around in makeshift picnics, while others roam with no urgency under the setting sun.

"Wow," I breathe out, taking in the views. Some of the skyscrapers of Manhattan filter the light from the Sun behind them. The rays stretch for miles, until they hit the ground of the park we find ourselves in.

"Have you never been here before?" Lexi asks with surprise.

I shake my head in response. "I always meant to but..." I let the rest of my words burn away in the orange rays of light.

"It's not exactly an exciting surprise, but I like it here." Lexi takes a seat on the grass, looking out at the world in front of her. I join her on the ground, doing the same thing. "If you don't like it here, we can go somewhere else." She looks across to me, slight concern knitted between her eyebrows.

"No, it's beautiful and peaceful. I don't think I ever really stop long enough to enjoy the peace. At least I haven't for a few years."

I lean back onto my hands and just observe what's around me. I can still hear the faint hum of cars as they pass through the nearby roads, birds announce their presence every once in a while. The Sun's rays bounce off the water in every which direction, making it look like a kaleidoscope of colour. Blues become orange, and then green, and then pink. People chatter softly and engross themselves in their own worlds.

This is exactly what I needed. I didn't need to be taken to a noisy café, or bar, or even a quiet bookshop. I needed a space where I could breathe and concentrate on everything except myself. To ground my senses to the real world, the physical.

I look to my left, and see Lexi laying on her back, watching the sky above her. She looks relaxed in her quirky, paint covered clothes. She looks contemplative while also somehow appearing not to be thinking of anything at all. Her delicate yet skilful hands link together over her stomach, her right leg crossed over the left. If her eyes were closed, I could assume she'd drifted off. She notices me watching her and looks back at me, a kind smile making its way to her lips.

"Thank you." I say after a moment. "It's beautiful."

She hesitates for a moment as if debating if she should say whatever she's thinking. After a second or two, she decides to voice it. "You're beautiful." She says it so softly, I almost don't catch it. I watch her, trying to establish if I maybe misheard her. She offers me a weak smile, before sitting up and running her hands through her hair in distress. "Shit, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She steals a quick glance my way, before resting her arms on her knees and looking back out into the distance.

I fight the blush creeping into my cheeks and place my hand softly on her back. She looks at me nervously. "It's okay, you should voice your thoughts. And thank you." Her features soften slightly as she watches me.

"Ava, you're married."

I shrug my shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with paying someone a compliment."