ELAYNE

Out of time

A smile formed on my lips as I saw his face. My brain neglected the surroundings while my feet pushed me towards his booth. I was just happy to see his face again. Something inside me felt so euphoric at the sight of his face. I could feel Clave and Lola watching me. I walked towards his booth and everyone who were laughing suddenly became silent. There were nearly seven people including August in his booth. I smiled at him asking :
" Remember me?".
He just stared at me and then he looked at the guys sitting around him. My eyes also searched through each face. They all looked quite shocked.
"I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have ruined the mood." I immediately spoke and turned to go back to my booth. Embarrassment was sinking me and I was cursing under my breath. Suddenly a hand stopped me.
"Sit down Ina.." August said.
The guys were looking straight to my face. I couldn't decipher what they were feeling.
My gaze turned to August who was now smiling at me.
"it's okay.. I just wanted to say hi. I won't make you guys uncomfortable. I'll see you around." I said, before it was getting awkward.
I could hear him sighing.
He passed me his phone number but none of the guys noticed it. I straight up walked back to my booth and sat comfortably on the seat.
Clave and Lola was going to ask me something but I cut them off by speaking first.
"I met him a few days back. He's a friend of mine." I was blushing as I said this.
"I kinda figured.. " Lola said, shrugging my shoulders lightly. Clave and Lola giggled and started teasing me.
I really wanted to talk to him but he seemed busy. I took out my mobile, saved his number and immediately texted him a greeting asking him to save this as my number.
I tilted my head slightly to watch his face. He was blushing when he looked into his phone.
"Well... I guess that's for my text. " I thought.
Almost thirty minutes later, Clave got a text and told us that he was heading home.
I somehow got surprised when Clave asked me if I was planning to spend time with him. He really IS my bestfriend. Lola and Clave decided to leave together since I decided to stay back .
I faked texting for some time and ordered some more coffee.
Finally I saw the guys as well as August getting up from their booth. A sudden anxiety stirred in me as I thought he was about to leave without talking to me.
He went outside the shop without even glancing at my direction. I put my phone down and I could feel the disappointment in the form of water droplets filling the corners of my eye.
I kept my head low and let out a sigh.
A hand tapped on my head gently yet forceful enough. I lifted my head and saw him standing infront of my booth.
"Did I make you wait?" he asked.
I nodded my head sideways and immediately gave him a smile.
"I thought you were leaving... I wanted to talk to you " I explained.
"me too." he replied.
"Can we go somewhere else? We've been here for hours. I'm hungry too."he added.
"I would like that." I replied.
He took me to his car and I got into the front seat. He fastened his seatbelt and looked at me.
" Where do you want to do? "
"ummm... Somewhere quiet."
"Do you remember going to the haunted caves?"

"Haunted Caves?"

"yeah.. Will you be scared if I take you there? "

"No."

He kept both of his hands on his face and started giggling into it.

"Well.. your answer was quick."

"Why should I be afraid? It's not like ghosts exist."

"Are you that fearless?"

"No... even if they do exist, I'm pretty sure that they will be less scary than human beings."

"I can agree with you on that."
He said and started the engine and headed towards the destination he had in mind.
I was gazing at him from time to time.
I found a dimple on his right cheeks. His side profile looked sharp and chiselled.
He had long eyelashes too.

"I'm honoured to be stared by you " he chuckled.

"oh jeez ishh" I muttered in my mind. I quickly made up a response to get out of my embarrassment .
"Your hair... it's good. ahh..I n..notice good hair."
I was talking random words.
He grinned when he heard my stuttering.
I looked outside the window and didn't dare to look at his face again.
I was feeling sleepy. I watched the rain pouring outside. I pointed at the row of trees standing beside the footpath.
"They are running backwards", my voice came out higher than I expected. I laughed at my own words. I quickly turned to his side to know if he heard it.
He was staring at the road.I turned my head again to the window and chuckled.

"They are racing towards our houses to rob it when we are away." He said and started laughing lightly.

I turned to him again, almost shocked.
"Hey... who told you that?"
he just smiled, facing the road, not answering my question.
I was about to ask him something but he cut me off.
"We're almost there."

I looked forward. There was a narrow passage into a dark place. It looked like we were going inside a den or such.
We got out of the car and he led the way.
I followed each of his steps. I could hear birds chirping. The sound of running water was also heard.
"Wow... I think I've been here before " i said.
"Maybe.." he replied.
There was a small stream running through the way. We crossed it and reached a lower lying plane, where a big branched tree was situated.
He took me near it and sat on the big root. He tapped on the ground beside him, calling me to take a seat.
I felt overjoyed and sophisticated at the sight I was seeing infront of me.
It was a dark way but inside, it looks like heaven.
I sat beside him on an another root of that huge tree.
"Aghhhhhh.... I missed you." he said looking at the tree.
I watched him as my eyes filled with adoration. He looked sad a while back but now that he's here, I could feel the elevated energy he was giving off.
He slowly turned his whole body towards me.
"I used to take her here. She was the happiest when she was near to nature."
He was looking straight into my eyes and I could feel the corners of his eyes filling with water.
" I can see why she liked it here. I felt so happy when I came here. All of these feels like heaven. ".I said, turning my head away from him. His gaze was so strong that it was making my heart beat faster.

"Are you happy to be here with me?"
he asked me, keeping his eyes fixated on me.

"From what I can remember, I've never been this happy ", i smiled with my eyes and turned to face him.

He kept staring at me. He slowly moved closer to my face and kissed my lips.
I kissed him back knowing well enough that this kiss wasn't for me but for the girl I reminded him of.
Something in me really wanted him. A part of me fell for him. I never noticed the intensity of those feelings I suppressed until this moment.
Why does he feel so familiar?
why do I feel so comfortable with him?
Is this what you feel when you talk about soulmates in movies and books?