When a stranger calls

4.

So with all the papers signed for and safely put away in Michael's briefcase, they pulled up outside Michael's house and got out his car. 

"I'll just put these somewhere safe" He said as he held up his briefcase. "I'll park the car and then we can get a taxi to the local bar if you want?" Michael suggested. 

"Is it far? Your local bar I mean?" Lou enquired. 

"Erm... no not really. About a 15 minute walk maybe slightly longer. Why?" Michael wondered.

"Well I was just thinking what a lovely evening it is and thought it might have been nice to take a stroll together to it." It was a lovely warm summer's evening and the sun wasn't setting just yet. Lou loves taking walks. Sometimes when it just gets too busy back at Stephen's and Suzie is ready to explode, she slinks off and takes herself for a walk. She really just enjoys the fact that it's quiet, she can hear herself think and the fresh air is filled with the smells of all the different flowers. 

"Are you sure?" Michael asked. "I don't mind taking a taxi." Lou shook her head. "I love taking random walks. Especially during the summer." She insisted. Michael shrugged. "Ok if your sure?"

Michael didn't waste much time putting away his briefcase and parking his car in his garage. He wanted to be able to spend as much time with Lou and getting to know her as possible. 

They walked all the way to Michael's local bar, chatting away and laughing. Lou felt like she had known Michael all her life. She felt care free around him and didn't feel as though she needed to hold anything back from him - He really was just this amazing human being. Lou had noticed that Michael hadn't once taken his eyes off of her since they had started walking. She smiled to herself.

"What are you smiling at?" Michael asked her out of curiosity. He had the biggest smile on his face. He hadn't a lot to smile about lately but Lou, in less than 24 hours, had put him back on cloud 9.

"You," Lou had teased. She smiled back at him. Michael noticed a small scar on her left eye.

"I don't mean to pry, but how did you get that?" He asked, brushing her soft hair out of the way of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. Lou didn't know if she felt ready to let Michael in yet fully. She was so broken inside and even though she had come to terms with her childhood and past, would Michael understand? Would he be able to overcome everything that had happened to her and accept her? She just didn't feel ready for that kind of choice making. She was enjoying whatever it was they were sharing. But then her mind started going into over drive. What if she and Michael where soul mates? Did she even believe in soul mates? What if 12 weeks, 8 months or 2 years down the line and Michael and she were so madly in love and wanting to make it official and she had to tell him just how f****d up her life had made her?! What if she had wasted all that time falling in love with him, opening up to him for him to walk away? Lou shook her head and a tear escaped her eyes.

"Oh my days! I'm so sorry Lou. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just curious by nature. Oh s**t. I mean it Lou, I'm so so sorry!" Michael wanted to embrace her and let her know that everything would be ok. That whatever it was that had upset her, he wouldn't let it happen again. Not while he was around. Lou shook her head more vigorously and tried to stop the big sobs that she could feel trying to escape her throat. But she couldn't control it and before she knew it, all sorts of memories had come flooding back to her. She was loosing control. Nearly a year she felt 'stable' and free from everything. Lou had worked incredibly hard over the past 10 months to help her deal with her past and all the things that had left her with a broken childhood.