Chapter 4
1149 Words
Vivienne's POV
Reading my thoughts like always, Sia bumped my shoulder. “Relax, they stock Twinings everywhere here, but I went ahead and ordered your usual stash. It showed up on the doorstep this morning.”
I hadn’t even considered the small comforts I’d be leaving behind when I booked that one-way ticket. We’ve always had overlapping tastes, so when she swears a certain deli will become my new obsession, I trust her completely. She swears I’ll lose my mind in the British section of the corner shop a few blocks over and promises we’ll go soon.
I cling to that hope like a lifeline. That this city, this fresh start, might actually help stitch my broken pieces back together.
We wandered through the strange October warmth, her arm looped through mine, and somehow she kept the laughter flowing. She dove into stories about a massive case she was buried in and all the little adventures she and Theo had been squeezing in.
I had to stop her and ask her to rewind. Guilt twisted in my gut. I'd been so wrapped up in my own fog that I hadn’t really asked about her life in months. It made me feel awful, like I’d been a terrible friend.
She caught the look on my face immediately. “Hey, knock that off. You’ve been through hell. No guilt allowed. Let me start from the beginning.” She halted on the sidewalk, cleared her throat dramatically, and drew in a big breath.
“It was one of those freezing, snowy Wednesday mornings. I’d beaten the rush and made it to the office stupid early. A few of us early risers piled into the elevator, heading up to our floors. We were chatting, going higher and higher, when suddenly the lights flickered and the whole thing shuddered to a stop…”
I pressed a hand over my mouth, fighting back a smile. She was really committed to it.
“Help! We’re trapped!” she cried in a mock-paAdrianed voice. “No one can hear us ”
I couldn’t resist. “Don’t you work at a fancy law firm with cameras and emergency buttons everywhere?”
She huffed, rolling her eyes. “Fine, yes. The security guard came on the intercom and said there was a glitch, we were stuck between floors, and help was coming. Happy now? Can I finish my story?”
“Please do.”
“Thank you. So the minutes crawl by and I’m starting to sweat. After what felt like six hours ”
“Sia!”
“Okay, ten minutes. We hear voices, tools clanging, scraping metal. The car jerks, the doors get pried open, and guess what I saw?”
I played along. “What did you see, Sia?”
“The most intense blue eyes attached to the most ridiculously handsome face I’d ever laid eyes on.”
“Wow.”
“Right? Wow. Here, look.” She fished out her phone and lit up the screen with a glowing selfie of her and Theo, both of them stupidly photogenic.
“He goes, ‘Hey folks, we’ll have you out soon. My name's Theo just hangs tight.’ Then he starts directing the other firefighters like a pro, rigging ropes, forcing the doors wider. It was seriously hot.”
“I bet.”
“My panties were basically ruined on the spot.”
“Sia!” I burst out laughing. “You could’ve skipped that detail.”
“What? At least I didn’t say ‘kAdrianers’ that word is criminal. ‘My kAdrianers are flooded’? No way. I switched to ‘panties’ the second I cleared customs and never looked back.”
I shook my head, still grinning. “Can we fast-forward to the part where this heroic firefighter becomes your boyfriend?”
“Ugh, fine. His eyes did this slow, appreciative sweep over my designer dress, and when he offered his bare hand to help me onto the ladder, he basically swept me into his arms, said he’d never seen anyone more beautiful, and kissed me right there with the other passengers watching.”
“He did not,” I snorted.
“You’re no fun. Just roll with it. Anyway, after the dramatic rescue, I figured that was it. But when I left the building that evening, he was waiting outside and asked if I wanted coffee. I said yes, obviously. Coffee turned into dinner, more dates, then breakfast the next morning…” She winked and elbowed me. “…and sixteen perfect months later, here we are.”
“That’s one hell of a meet-cute, Sia. I’m really happy for you,” I told her sincerely as she glanced down at her lock screen photo again, smiling softly.
I’d been so caught up in her tale that I didn’t notice we’d stopped in front of a massive store. She tucked her phone away and practically skipped inside. I pulled out my wallet, already knowing we were in full sleepover-snack territory.
•••
Back at the apartment, she shooed me straight into the shower. I didn’t argue I still felt gritty from the long flight. After rinsing off, I twisted my damp hair into a messy bun, smoothed on lotion, and wandered out, noticing she’d already dialed back the air conditioning just like I’d predicted.
“Damn, you smell like a piña colada,” Sia teased as I dropped onto the couch beside her. She’d showered too and was in matching pajamas.
I nudged her with my shoulder. “And you smell like vanilla heaven. Did you order food already?”
“Thai. Sounds good?”
“Perfect.” I was relieved it wasn't that Chinese Thai spots were rare back home, so I’d always begged for it during past visits.
She grabbed the remote, scrolled through Netflix, and landed on our old favorite series. We’d seen every episode countless times, so it hummed comfortably in the background while we talked. It felt like slipping back into our old rhythm, the one from before everything fell apart.
Eventually my yawns grew bigger. We hugged goodnight and headed to our rooms. I brushed my teeth, crawled under the fresh covers of my new bed. Exhaustion pulled at me, but sleep still came in fits and starts these days.
I’d ditched the sleeping pills, which explained Sia’s heavy hand with the gin earlier. I lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, unsure how much time had passed when the door creaked open. Soft footsteps padded across the floor. The covers lifted and her small frame slid in beside me.
I rolled over. Our eyes met in the shadows. She reached out, and I took her hand, squeezing gently. For the first time in a long while, peace settled over me.
I’m going to be okay. That was my last conscious thought before sleep finally claimed me.
- Writer
