Always You - 2
933 Words
They met in college.
He was a Senior taking up Business Management. She was a Freshman Culinary Arts student.
Chad preferred to take up a course in Music Production to pursue his passion but his Dad pushed him to take Business Management instead to prepare him for taking over their family's chain of restaurants business.
Nic was following her father's dream. He dreamt of being an International Chef but didn't have enough to get the proper education and certification for it and ended up as a cook in a Chinese Restaurant. His daughter was presented with a great opportunity when his employer saw the potential in the timid yet overachieving young lady. Nic didn't talk much but when she did, everyone listened.
She commanded with silence, her silence meant wisdom. Her eyes showed depth and intelligence. Nic was wise beyond her years and her intelligence was evident in her actions and the very few occasions that she spoke.
She entered the gates of her new school, in her simple denim dress and flats, with a determined spirit and a broken heart. They just lost her Papa a month ago to Liver Cancer. It only took six months for the disease to defeat her father's body.
She walked with her head down, not making any eye contact but she kept aware of her surroundings. She carefully made her way to the Main Building for Freshmen Orientations.
As Nic passed by the corridor, she noticed a group of girls surrounding a guy with a guitar on one of the benches. She kept her head low and walked past the group until the guy started playing his guitar.
His angelic voice sang words that gripped her heart and squeezed it. It was the song she had been playing for weeks after her Papa died. A song she wished someday would heal her aching heart. It was Fix You by Coldplay.
As soon as she heard the words, tears flowed incessantly from her eyes as a wave of sadness and grief took over her.
When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
Her shoulders racked with heavy sobs and her throat and chest hurt from holding them in.
"I'm sorry, Papa. You know I tried so hard to be strong for Mama. It's just the two of us now and we have to be strong for each other... But it just hurts so bad. I miss you so much, Papa." She spoke to her father in her mind.
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
She sensed someone walking to her and stopped right in front of her. The song had stopped and all she could hear was the heavy beating of her heart and her sobs.
"I'm sorry. Did I do this?" A gentle male voice asked.
She wiped her tears and looked up. She found a guy holding a guitar in a plain white shirt and slim jeans.
He smiled and a deep dimple showed on his left cheek. He had a pair of kind and sincere eyes which made her feel a little at ease.
He held his breath as he caught sight of her face, struck by her beauty. She had bright brown eyes, a graceful button nose, high cheekbones, full red lips and silky olive skin.
She sniffed and answered in a small voice. "No, I'm sorry."
She gathered her things and started to get up, her tears blurred her vision and the wave of overwhelming emotion made her lose her balance and fall right into his arms. He instinctively caught her and held her tight making sure she didn't fall.
She closed her eyes and held on to his arms afraid to lose balance.
"Whoa there. Are you okay?"
She slowly looked up and opened her eyes. When she did, their eyes met.
Behind the veil of tears, she had the most beautifully captivating eyes he had ever seen. They were like a pair of deep brown zircons filled with boundless emotions.
He held her mesmerizing eyes in his gaze and he knew he would never look at another pair that way again and no other will make him feel the same.
"I'm okay. Thank you." She whispered timidly.
"That's great. I'm Chadrick Alders. You can call me Chad." He said, his eyes still captured by hers. Her frail body safely wrapped in his strong arms.
She blinked and looked down, averting his stare.
"Nic. Nicia Deither. Uhm... Thank you, Chad. I have to go." She said softly as she gently freed herself from his embrace.
She walked away with her head kept low and never looked back.
"Nice meeting you, Nicia Deither. Till I see you again." He smiled as he watched her scuffle her way to the auditorium.
***
Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Chad closed his eyes, remembering the young lady he approached three years ago, her shoulders shook as she sobbed, her shiny long hair cascaded to cover her face.
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
A single tear fell as he sang the last line of their second cover song, yearning to gaze at the most mesmerizing brown eyes he has ever seen whose beauty is beyond compare.
"I wish I could still get the chance to fix things for us, Nic." He wished silently.
- Writer
