A Soft Sound

This is short story about two women who, in the past, loved each other dearly, but also hurt each other to a level that only separation could solve.

a small sound.

she turned sharply and her hair whipped over her shoulder. strands of her hair landed over her eyes and lips. her eyes were wide, with a child-like innocence, which made every movement of her so alluring, even if she did not know. her hair was a soft shade of blonde and light pink. the pink accentuated the pink flush in her cheeks. her eyebrows permanently furrowed as she gazed in my direction, hopelessly searching. out of habit, her teeth closed in on her bottom lip as our eyes met. there was no embarrassment, when she caught me staring, only curiosity. the light dusting of freckles increased her child-like innocence as the sunlight grazed her affectionately. with one finger, she scoops her waist length tendrils, that found there way into her face, behind her ear, as we stared at one another from across the coffee shop. her bright, glassy blue eyes haunted me every night with vengeance, yet here i was holding her gaze softly without even flinching. i named it the Allison Effect some time ago. one look into her eyes, and i am a smooth sailing boat.

i soon realized that neither of us would advance towards each other unless someone made the first move.

so i did.

i wave her over, with a crooked smile, to my small table near the back window and gesture to the empty seat across from me. she ducked her head slightly as she walked, almost as if she were willing any attention away from her. but damn, did it do the opposite. her hips swayed softly as she moved. i will never know if she walked like that on purpose, seductively commanding the attention of the entire room as she did, but i knew that i was never concerned with the if. the band tee shirt she wore rose up and showed the creamy flesh of her hips and lower stomach, and i was instantly hit with intimate memories of my lips caressing those specific parts of her flesh as she giggled underneath me and while thrusting her fingers through my short locks of black and brown hair.

i stood when she reached the table and gently kissed her cheek before sitting. the heat of her blushing cheek, as i kissed it, made me smile my carefree smile. it was a soft sound, that she made, when i kissed her. a sharp intake of breath or small shuddering exhale. my eyes nearly rolled back into my head at the smell of the shampoo that i bought her once as it overwhelmed my senses. she told me she loved it and that she also loved me.

we sat together and our eyes met once again and we lingered on the favorite parts of each other for a moment before i cleared my throat to speak. the spell was broken. i smiled once more, stalling, before asking her how she has been while simultaneously thanking her for showing up. the slight awkwardness, i was prepared for. we have been apart for almost a year and a half. things have changed. her hair was longer.

"your hair is longer." i said voicing my thought aloud.

i watched as she gripped her odd, but charming mix of blonde and pink locks by the ends and nod.

"i've meant to have it cut, but i haven't found the time."

she wanted to end the conversation of her hair, that much i could already tell, but i wanted to linger. i wanted to linger on one of my favorite physical parts of her.

"i like it. not that my opinion should stop you from cutting your hair, but i want you to know that i love your hair long. i always have."

this probably wasn't proper meeting-up-with-your-exes-for-tea talk, but i had bad habit of behaving inappropriately around her. this is being noted, i reach across the small, but intimate, space between us and gathered her hair in one hand and wrap the soft tendrils around my fist.

"see? lovely," i tugged on it and added a playful wink. her eyes glazed over while she looked at me. she was unfocused and confused, that much i could tell.

i let go of her hair and retreated back to my side of the table. i gather my hands and laced them around my cup of coffee and sipped from it as i watched her regain her composure.

"do you want a coffee?" i asked. she seemed unsure of what to do with herself and i only wished i could calm her with my touch, but i know that it would just confuse her more than she already was this afternoon. i didn't give her anytime to gather her wits and give me a proper answer before i flagged down the server. the tall, super blonde-haired girl approached our table. she had a prominent hourglass figure and her face was flushed from the sight of me checking her out. how adorable.

i started to order for Allison just as she was telling me that she didn't drink coffee anymore on account of a someone named Lela. the sever girl, whose name tag read Ronny, stood there not knowing what to do.

"what Lela doesn't know, won't hurt her. she'll take the coffee Ronny, thanks, love."

poor Ronny was clearly lusting after the wrong woman. i would have her uniform on the floor of my flat by tonight, and she would be crying and wanting me to commit by tomorrow. 

i have no problems committing, but she's not Allison. i thought. 

that thought alone put my issues into the light. oh how i wish they'd stay hidden in the shadows.

"so Lela is?" i asked softly stirring my coffee.

"my girlfriend." she bit her bottom lip excessively. her eyes found mine. they were wide with fear. i knew she probably wanted me to lash out, or at least thought i would have lashed out.

but i didn't.

she didn't want to upset me, but it was inevitable. her finding another girl. of course i didn't expect her to still be waiting around for me, pining for me, while we weren't together. it doesn't mean that i didn't hope that she was.

"good." i finally said.

"good?"

"good." i looked into her eyes hoped she saw the sincerity in them. i want her to be happy. god, if anyone deserves to be happy, it's the girl sitting in front of me. "listen Allie Cat, we had something. and that something was beautiful and precious and it was something that i wanted and strove for, for a very long time. i could never see where one of us started and the other one ended, and that was what i loved about us. that we were so in sync. not a day goes by that i don't wish that when i opened my eyes you were laying there next to me with your hair all over the place, or that when i went to sleep your body was next to mine."

i paused as Ronny put down Allison's coffee. i gave her a small smile as she left.

"what i am desperately trying to say is, i loved you. i know you loved me. we were in love with each other, and we were good together, but mistakes were made. lies were told. trust was lost. and i have a accepted that all that we used to be is lost forever. i came here today not knowing what the hell i was going to say to you. i didn't know how i was going to feel around you. i didn't know that you would smell the same, that your eyes would stun me the way that they used to. i didn't know how nervous you would make me until you were walking towards me. i didn't f*****g realize how the blush on your cheeks would make my heart race. i just didn't know how hard this was going to be."

i watched as Allison's eyes watered. my left eye started to blur and i willed away any tears.

"you called me Allie Cat." she whispered. "do you know that if anyone ever calls me that i either get really f*****g angry or just cry?"

"Allison-

"no. just no."

suddenly the smell of coffee turned my stomach. i pushed the cup away from me and i looked at Allison who could only look at her cup.

"Allie, i'm leaving." i told her softly. i didn't know how else to tell the only love of my life that i just dropped in for a chat and am now leaving again.

"no, not yet." she said. her eyes captured mine as she raised her head to look at me. she raked her hair backwards and wiped under her eyes. "not yet, Reese."

i sighed. "that's not what i meant. i mean that i'm leaving england."

she was silent for a moment. when she finally spoke her voice came out as defeated whisper.

"really?"

"i took a job with Elle magazine and they want me to travel."

Allie looked at me. her lips pursed, her eyes hard, her fist clenched and she looked at me. this was one of those rare moments when i couldn't crack a smile to lighten the mood. i couldn't take the look in her eyes as she all but glared at me from across the small space. we were so close but so far away.

"Allie-"

"no Reese. why did you even come back?"

what a question. why did i come back? i could have come back to England and packed up my life without her knowing i was even here. i could have spared us both the heartache. why the hell couldn't i just stay away?

and as i watched Allie have her internal struggle, i remembered why i fell in love with her in the first place. it was easy to fall in love with her soft, feminine features. but it was also her thoughtfulness, and her knack for putting me in my place with only a look. the look that said she loved me and she hated me all at the same time, the one i was looking at right now. so the answer to why couldn't i stay away from her? the girl with long hair and soft eyes?

because i can't. and i don't think i ever i will.

Author's Note

Lack capitalization on certain words, is on purpose.
As a short story, should it be long, have more detail, or is this fine?

Reviews

[Awesometwist]

That story was cute and at the same time, heartbreaking. The length is okay, but you should extend it a bit more. Overall, I really enjoyed this story!