Unforgettable

Part 36

Casey

"If you could go anywhere, right now, where would you go?"

I take her glasses off of her face, laying them on the table as she rubs her tired eyes.

"Chicago, to see my grandparents, or Italy. I've always wanted to go there. I'd drown myself in gelato." I laugh, placing her glasses back over her eyes. My fingers skim over the silky hair blocking her ear, my thumb running circles over her cheek.

"What about somewhere closer to home?" I urge, closing the heavy book of classic literature spread in front of her.

"Our park. I will fall over and die if I hear one more 'thou shalt'." Natalie groans, placing her head against the textbook. I close my own textbook before reaching out, softly pulling Natalie back to a sitting position.

"Let's go then." Natalie's eyes flick down to herself before trailing over to me.

"It is socially acceptable to wear this or should I change? Do I look like too much of a slob that hasn't showered in  week?" she asks, gesturing to the loose pair of sweatpants and one of my old hockey sweatshirts that she's currently wearing.

"We're college kids doing finals. Anything's acceptable." I reply, looking down at my own day-old sweats. "And anyway, you look beautiful, you always do." She scoffs, standing from the table to stretch her back. She grabs a hair-tie from her wrist, throwing her hair into a limp ponytail while I pull myself from the table, my hip in dire need of a stretch.

I walk into the kitchen, grabbing my phone, wallet and keys off of the countertop, sliding my feet into a worn pair of crocs. Natalie grabs her own things, stuffing her fluffy-socked feet into a pair of birkenstocks. I take a step towards her, kissing the edge of her nose while my hand weaves into her closest one. She giggles softly, leaning into my side as we exit my apartment.

We take the elevator down to the carpark, our hands swinging as warm sunlight hits us. I've been so cooped up inside for the last week or so studying that I've almost forgotten what sunlight feels like. Giving word being almost.

Natalie and I jump into my car, and in no time we're at the coffee shop. Our coffee shop. The coffee shop where I first found out she loved tea instead. The coffee shop we ran from while it was pouring rain outside. The coffee shop that lead me to experiencing one of the singular best days of my life.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't walked in that particular coffee shop that day. What if I'd walked into one of the three other shops around campus and completely missed her. Sure, we were talking on the phone most days, but what would have happened if we hadn't spent that time together? That day was the first time I'd walked into that coffee shop, ever. I remember loving the taste of the coffee, better than any other café, which is why I went back there the day Natalie was attacked. What if I wasn't there that day? What would've happened to her? How differently would everything have panned out?

Thankfully, I don't have long to mull over the 'what if', as I feel Natalie tugging at my hand from outside of my car door. I hadn't even realized I'd taken the keys out of the ignition, or that she'd gotten out of the car. I look across, slight worry pulling at her eyebrows.

"Are you okay?" she asks, placing her hand against the top of my arm.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about the first time I came here, when I saw you." she smiles sweetly, the corners of her mouth turning up. She tugs on my arm again until I ungracefully fall out of the car, bringing my keys with me.

We trudge towards the café, our footsteps seeming heavy against the pavement. I take a quick scan of the bustling tables as we enter, thankfully not seeing anyone odd looking. Call me paranoid, but ever since that stupid Jason guy came here and found Natalie, I've been more on edge, more careful of who's around and what they're doing.