The Space Between Us | L.S

Decisions

"You stupid woman!" Jonas groaned as I threw my body, face first into the couch.

"I don't need reminding!" I groaned, feeling the humiliation pricking at my every fiber. It had been two whole weeks since I saw Louis and all I had heard from him was radio silence. Finally, after a whole thirteen days of acting weird, Jonas forced the truth out of me, and I found myself confessing like a catholic school girl; everything except what led up to why I was at the woman's clinic. I just told him I went for a check-up. I don't know why I lied, probably because I wasn't sure how to take in the whole Morgan situation. I had been avoiding Morgan like the plague, similar to what Louis was doing towards me. After Louis had dropped me off, Morgan called me text me asking to stop by, I came up with a very clever lie about having a tooth ache and from then on, a string of lies had saved me from reuniting with him. I didn't even tell Dr. Ricks; hell- I didn't tell Dr. Ricks about running into Louis again. Not quite sure what I'm paying him for if I decided to keep everything from him.

"You were just getting over him! What's the point in shagging that tool if you're just going to get back with your ex?" I parted my mouth about to defend Morgan, when I quickly slapped it shut which made Jonas' eyebrows raise but he didn't comment on it. "Why would you even go up to his flat?"

"I told you, I was feeling out of it after my check-up, he offered and I just needed to sit for a moment."

"Then you sit on the sidewalk, you don't go up to your ex-boyfriend's place."

"Okay well, I can't change what happened! I already feel like a complete buffoon."

"If he texts you do not answer, wait actually no, answer him but tell him to go fuck himself. Wait no, better idea tell him to shove his dick up his b-"

"Okay, fuck I get the picture, please save me the details."

"Don't text him Wen." He firmly states. 

I looked directly into his warm brown eyes. "I will not text him." I reassured. "He's probably never going to text me again." I said with a sigh. Just as i flopped my back to the cushioned backrest, my phone pinged on the table. Jonas' and I comically looked at each other before looking at the device. I leaned forward, slowly grabbing my phone from the coffee table, peaking at the screen.

The color from my face drained rapidly and I muttered, "It's him."

Jonas threw his body next to mine on the couch, leaning over my shoulder to get a better look at the message. "Are you free? That's it. That is what he is going to say?" Jonas scoffed. I stared at the message, re-reading the three words over and over again.

"Do not reply Wendy!" Jonas ordered once again, plucking the phone from my hand and tossing it to the empty cushion next to us.

"Psh, I'm not going to. Do not worry about me." I said but my actions were a complete contradiction, as I side-eyed the discarded device.

I left him on read for another twenty-six hours before I was alone with my thoughts at work and the curiosity of what would happened gnawed at me.

I'm free after seven. I simply typed, chucking my phone across the table I was sitting at as soon as I pushed send. My phone buzzed almost immediately and I waited a few moments before retrieving my phone.

Where should I pick you up? Want to chat.

I looked down at my work polo. Out with someone, I will meet you somewhere.

Are you sure?

Yes. I quickly typed back, feeling smug for some reason. Let's meet at Chaps.

Chaps was a diner we would often frequent when dating. It was shit food but was very cheap which meant Chaps was always packed. Which I thought would be a perfect place for Louis and I to 'chat'. I was surprised there wasn't a wait for a table as the flustered hostess sat me in a tiny booth in the middle aisle of the place, she quickly jotted down a drink order for me before murmuring a waiter would see me soon and scurried off. I glanced around the busy tables; taking in a group of young women in their thirties collapsing with helpless giggles, a lone mother trying to calm down her infant across from the women, an elderly couple sat across from the mother leaning into one another to hear themselves other the booming air. My eyes glanced up from the couple just as Louis walked through the diner's door. I studied him as he scanned the sea of people in a rush before his eyes softened as they placed me in the sea of people. I quickly looked down at the black table as my ears picked up his approaching feet landing inches away from me.

"Sorry 'm late." He said sincerely, sliding across from me in the leather booth.

"No worries." I shrugged, looking up at him. "I ordered you a cup." I said, only realizing I probably shouldn't of until that moment. A small smile creeped on his face as he looked down at it.

"Cheers." He said picking up the hot beverage and taking a quick sip.

"So, what did you want to chat about?" The word chat came out awkward and foreign in my mouth.

"Right to business are we? Was thinking we could just sit for a moment, catch up?" He suggested and I couldn't mask the confusion in my eyes as I stared him down.

"Uh sure I guess?"

He asks me to catch him up on my life. Skipping over the narrative of my life that resulted after he cheated on his girlfriend with me. I told him about how I got promoted at work, my classes and the fact that I am nearing graduation and that is quite scary. I found myself rambling but he listened as if my words are golden, perhaps some elixir he's been waiting all his days to hear. I finish my ramble with an awkward trail off as my eyes glanced down to the empty cup in front of me. "What have you been up to?"

Almost in complete contradiction, he pulled a classic Wendy and simply said "This and that.", and began asking questions about certain talking points I had made. Louis was always up to chat, that was one of my favorite things about him; he could go on for hours about a lamp if asked enough about it. His lack of wanting to discuss his life made me feel sad. I wasn't quite sure if it was sadness for him or sadness for me because the man who was sitting across from me wasn't the same Louis.

"What did you really want to chat about?" I finally questioned after his questions started to cease.

"Nothing really. Just wanted to see you." It was his turn to shrug and awkwardly glance around the diner. 

"Hmm." I was not buying it. No matter how much he had changed, there was always a reason for everything with Louis. 

"Listen," He leaned forward, his hands folding over the table. " Won't fuck around it any longer. I miss you. I know I fucked up and I don't think there are words to tell ya' how sorry I am. I want you to be in me life again, I miss not having you in it. It's odd." I stared at him silently, not entirely knowing how to respond. "It's odd missing someone that you barely had in the first place." 

I sat for a moment shocked, my lips parting and closing like a flounder fish as I observed him. His eyes were almost monotoned, not allowing any emotions to ink through to give me a clue as to what his intentions are with this sudden confession. 

"What exactly are you implying?" I finally ask. 

"However I can take you."

"Like mates?" I questioned looking at him.

"Mates?" He snorts. "If that's what you want then sure."

A few cups clatter next to us, and my eyes snap to the panicked waiter reaching down to grab the stumbling serving tray.

"Can we get outta here? Somewhere more quiet?"