If You'd Let Me

Chapter 7

By the time afternoon blended into evening, I had worked through a shit load of work. Content with the work I'd done, I shut my laptop.

Eliza looked up and smiled, "Heading out?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to get that coffee now, or another time?"

"Actually, I was gonna grab a quick bite. Do you wanna join me?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Let me get my things and I'm ready to go."

A few minutes later we both walked out the library side by side.

"So I was thinking noodles. How does that sound?"

"Very good, actually."

We talked and laughed all evening.

"No way! Really?" I laughed.

She could barely speak from laughing so much. "Yeah. He was so drunk. It was hilarious. We were at a bar and they really called that professor asking," she burst out laughing again. "They really asked him 'Is this the bird professor?'" She imitated a guy's voice. "Of course they were very loud and nearly screamed it through the phone."

I cracked a grin.

"So the phone was on speaker and the professor answered with a hesitant 'yes'. So they guys ask him this: 'Do hummingbirds have feet?'"

We both cracked up again.

"Of course they screamed way too loud and that man answered yes again. The guys went out of their minds, cheering and stuff at the answer."

I doubled over laughing, "Fuck that's wild."

"Oh yeah, it was quite a wild time."

We both laughed again.

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After we both separated ways, I was going to the organisation. She had invited me over, but I had declined, explaining that I worked the night shift.

Luckily she understood and wished me luck, after inviting me for lunch tomorrow.

I enjoyed the time we spend together. She was such a great person to hang out with.

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The next day I came over to her apartment for lunch. She had a very cosy looking apartment.

"Do beavers even know what they're doing?" I asked her. Apparently we had both watched the same TV show about this beaver exploring the river growing up. Which we both a agreed on was a very cool TV show.

"I know right!" Eliza exclaimed exasperate. "Like do they know what they're doing or do they just see water flowing down the river and think 'absolutely not'?"

We both burst out laughing, tears streaming down our cheeks.

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We ate noodles together, went for coffee together, hung out at her apartment or were in the city.

A few weeks passed by. Life was good to me. Our friendship blossomed and we spend a lot of time together.

I even met her parents when she'd invited me to Sunday brunch with her parents. They were very nice.

I actually felt more alive than I had in a long time. I was still drowning, but the sea was just a bit calmer and I had managed to inhale just a little bit of air. Maybe I would get through this.

Shore was still out of sight — I was still drowning — but it was a little more bearable. I could hang in there for a bit longer. That alone was enough for now. More than enough.

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It was another Wednesday, we both had taken a day off to spend together. We were lounging in Eliza's apartment, when she got a call.

"Yes, what do you want now?" she answered after checking the caller ID, shooting me an apologetic smile.

I smiled back at her.

'Brother' she mouthed. Her brother said something, after which she responded snarkily, "Yeah well that's fine. I do have a friend over though, so you better behave," she threatened him. "Alright see you. Bye," she dragged out the 'bye' and then cut the call.

She smiled at me. "My brother," she explained. "He left some paperwork here last night and he needs it now," she mocked him, stressing the 'now'.

I chuckled at her dramatics.

"So, I hope you don't mind him dropping by later."

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Nah, it's fine. I'll finally have a chance to meet this elusive brother of yours. I'm curious I must say."

She grinned at me. "Alright, so beavers huh? If you were a beaver would you build a dam?"

I laughed, "What kinda question is that?!"

"Just answer the question," she grumbled, pouting at me.

I chuckled, "You know that won't work on me." I gestured to her pouting. "But to answer your question. I just might have build a dam if I was a beaver."

We broke out in a fit of laughter.

"Why though?"

I pursed my lips, thinking about it. "Well you see... water. Why wouldn't you build a dam? There's water coming from everywhere, which you wanna stop and you immediately have a goal for your entirely life. It sounds great honestly."

She threw her head back, laughing out loud at my explanation.

There was a knock on the door, which sobered us up, just enough for Eliza to call out 'who is it?', being to lazy to get the door.

"It's me," a male answered. I tensed, I had heard that voice before.

"It's open."

Any expression left my face, my muscles tensing slightly in anticipation of a possible threat. If Eliza noticed the change, she didn't comment on it.

The door opened and and a male walked in.

I had been right to put my guard up, because I had correctly recognised the voice. We had met before.

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