Where Two Collide

Chapter Fifty-One - Cat

Chapter Fifty-One

Cat

I am digging through a pile of discarded clothes looking for something to wear to work, when I come across a pair of sunglasses which aren't mine. I picked them up and analysed them thoughtfully, that's when I remembered, Addie had given them me when I'd had to make a quick getaway at work. I opened the frames and sat the sunglasses on my head instead of pocketing them, so they wouldn't break. It was the least I could do after she helped me.

When I walked into work, I'd all but forgotten the sunglasses. Addie gave me a funny look as I approached.

"It's a bit dark for those, dontcha think?"

I tilted my head at her, coming to a stop a few feet away. "Huh?"

Addie smirked, closing the distance between us. She reached on top of my head and pulled down the sunglasses, covering my eyes. It's only the briefest of touches, her fingers brushing my hair, but after my evening with Travis it feels like fireworks going off in my chest. The feeling is different, so epically different that I'm surprised by myself that I hadn't been sure before.

I cleared my throat and took them off, folding up the frames and handing them to her. "Yours I believe?"

She took them from me and turned them over in her hands, her eyes sparkled with realisation. "These aren't mine," she said, looking up and setting her sparkling gaze on me. "I got them from the guy sat at the bar that night. I traded them for a kiss."

I go completely still. Then brought my hand to my jeans and start playing with the belt hooks. "You did?"

Addie smiled wide. "He didn't specify where though. I kissed him on the cheek and then ran away with his sunglasses. He seemed a bit miffed, but oh well, I had to look out for my girl." She shrugged and I immediately felt that fluttery butterfly feeling in my stomach. She held them out for me. "Guess they're yours now."

I pursed my lips, trying to gain my composure. "Why don't you keep them."

"What for?"

"How about a memento of our first dance?" I replied, giving her a wink which I immediately wished I could take back. I was trying to sound cool, but it was just coming out kind of weird and desperate.

Addie flipped out the frames and put on the sunglasses. "I like it," she said, still smiling. "They make me look super snazzy too."

I ran an awkward hand through my hair. I'd brought my final piece with me too, I'd wanted to show her the work I'd completed that morning, but now that I was here, I felt too embarrassed. "I guess I should get to work," I said, smiling back at her as I moved to hide my work behind my back.

She spotted my failed attempt at being sneaky and grabbed my arm. "What are you hiding there?"

"Erm, it's nothing," I stuttered, jerking my arm away.

She wasn't convinced and we proceeded to tousle back and forth until she tickled me at the waist, which made me squeal and release my grasp on my work. She snatched it away and stepped back under the light at the door to the club to look at her prize.

Under the light, a crystal edged ring piercing her nose lit up like a beacon. "Did you get a nose ring?" I asked, transfixed by the change in her appearance. It made her look wild and untameable, but she was always remarkable in the way she exhibited herself, it shouldn't have surprised me that much after the whole tattoo debacle.

"Yeah. It looks awesome, am I right?" she said, catching my eye briefly, then shook her head. "Don't change the subject though. Is this your final piece?"

I nodded and shuffled my feet awkwardly. Her opinion was important to me, and I'd spent so long working to get to this point. I wasn't sure what I'd do if I failed at the next hurdle. All I could do was try my hardest, and if it still didn't work out, I'd at least know I'd done everything I could.

"It's not exactly what I was expecting," she said, holding the corners of my piece carefully with her fingertips. "It's way better actually. It's flawless. I kind of want it for myself though, would you mind if I just stole it?" She looked up, grinning.

I laughed and took it off her. "Yes, I mind."

"Figures." Addie threw up her hands. "Well, I think you'll definitely get in, your submission portfolio is aces."

"I hope so." I give her a thumbs up and the expression on her face makes my heart squeeze. I take a calming breath before I speak again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing," she said with another flourish of her hand.

"Your ex, Piper," I began, tucking my fingers through my belt loops. I watched as she stiffened slightly at the mention of Piper's name. "What happened with her, like, why aren't you together anymore?"

She smirked and leaned back against the wall. "I thought you said it was none of your business, and that you didn't want to get involved?"

"I did say that," I said slowly, "but now I'm asking."

Her smirk slipped from her face and she tipped her head upwards as if she were thinking it over.

"Sorry," I apologized reflexively. "If that was too nosey. You don't have to say if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay," she sighed wearily and crossed her arms. "She was my first real love, we met through friends and it was just so easy and light and fun. She was really adventurous, like she would wake up one morning and decide to go off on a road trip, or she'd pull me along to go see a random band play somewhere that I'd never heard of before. It was fun."

I nodded. "Sounds like she rubbed off on you a bit," I said, thinking of how much Piper reminded me of Addie.

"Maybe she did a bit," she said, laughing a little. "We were going to travel the world. I pushed back my college start date a year to go and we had all these plans, it was going to be awesome. Then one day, she disappeared off on one of her random adventures and it turned out she'd run into an ex, and they just sort of, picked back up where they left off."

"What an idiot," I said, then blinked a couple of times, surprised by my outburst.

Addie reached out and ruffled my hair. "Damn straight she was. Obviously, the trip was off, which is why I ended up here."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, that must have sucked." I hesitated, thinking back to the first time I'd seen Piper. "What was she doing here? Has she been trying to get back together?"

Addie scrunched up her nose. "Yep. Her thing with her ex turned out to only be a casual fling and as soon as it was over she-"

"Came crawling back on her hands and knees?" I interjected.

"Something like that," she chuckled. "But I'm nobody's second choice, I'm too good for that. If you want to be with me, you better know for certain because I'm an all-in kind of person, you know?" She gave me a purposeful sort of look and I couldn't help but blush.

I looked away. "How do you feel about her now?"

"So done, I literally couldn't be more done."

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