She succeeds! But this is the second time she stumbles on the street today, now both of her hips hurts.
Ca.s.sie fixes the hoodie on her head, and then her face mask. She's about to stand on her feet when a hand stretching toward her. Her eyes widened. She slightly looks up and peeps if who it is. It was him!
Her heart throbs happily. However, he must not recognize it was Ca.s.sandra. And so, she is hesitant to accept his hand, but she must show grat.i.tude for his attempt to help.
Accepting his hand, she's avoiding meeting his gaze. She's biting her lower lip inside her face mask, she needs to thank him, but it must not be noticeable and sounded her in this lifetime.
"Ahem… thank you," she said between coughing, pretending she's sick so that Quinn will leave immediately. However...
"Do you want me to bring you to a clinic?"
Dumbfounded, she meets his eyes. And that's a bad move! Grateful, this street has low light, and she is against it, Quinn would not recognize her.
"I am fine! You need not do that!" She said. She tried to act boyish and have a high tone.
Ca.s.sie picked up her bike and then ride it. Ah, something is wrong with the bike. She can't pedal fast. And Quinn is following her! With her speed, he can catch her up. She hit the brake and turned her head in his direction. "I said, I am fine."
Quinn stares at her with doubt. "You don't like one."
'Ah! The usual thoughtful Quinn.' She screamed.
'Please, don't act like this to me. I might a.s.sume you are my Quinn.'
She keeps murmuring inside her head, trying to pedal as fast as she could, but something was wrong with the bike. Glancing over her shoulder, Quinn is matching her speed.
'What the heck, Quinn!'
She averts her eyes as Quinn's head moved toward her direction. She needs to separate from him on the next street. But she is not familiar with this part of Paris. It looks more drunk people wandering around. That is right! Quinn drunk for an hour, but he looks sober.
She didn't notice she's staring at him, and she also did not notice Quinn is gaping at her.
"Are we going in the same direction?"
She heard him asked, and this made her back to her senses. Oh, that's right! Quinn was not following her, but they were taking the same direction!
"Ah, not really!" startled, she answered then averted her gaze. She tried to focus on the road. She has to ignore his presence.
Suddenly, rain pouring down. Ugh. She needs to take shelter! And so Ca.s.sie runs to the nearest store she saw. She has no time to read the store name and check out what it is. All she'd like is to pa.s.s this rain before she goes home. She wonders if where's Quinn taking shelter from this rain. She avoids looking up as she wants to hide from him.
She rested her back on the store window, looking up at the gloomy sky. The rain continued pouring, and it was like ten minutes had pa.s.sed then a cup of hot chocolate show up in front of her. She's tempted to accept it. Partly, she turns her head and looks up at the person who has a good heart of treating her for some hot drinks.
Her eyes widened. It was Quinn. She withdrew her gaze and looked down while accepting the cup while bowing, using it as an excuse to keep her head down. "Thank you."
"Careful, it's hot," he warned. "You are welcome." His reply.
Tears threaten to flood her eyes and so she bit her lower lip to hold her tears.
'Don't be like the same, Quinn. I might fall in love with you.' She mumbles inside her head which she doesn't like at all because her heart beating the same as how it beats toward the present Quinn she left.
She focuses to sip the heated liquid, trying to ignore the Quinn she is with now. Is this even right? For been like dating two Quinn in a separate lifetime? Why is this happening to her, anyway? She wanted an answer.
"Did we meet before already?"
Quinn suddenly asked her. It tempted her to meet his gaze. And so, she just replied keeping her head down. "Probably. Paris is a huge city. We must be cross path many times before."
"Ah... definitely." He chuckles.
Ca.s.sie closes her eyes. Too sounded like him. But there is great sorrow in his laugh and even sadness in his beautiful blue eyes. If only she could heal his wounds and replace that bitter smile on his lips.
"If she's still alive, I would worry if she's home and if someone with her. She can't sleep well during stormy nights," he said, and his voice is shaky like about to cry.
'Quinn...' she suppresses herself not to cry right here. She bears not to reveal to him she is alive and nothing he should worry because if wherever she is now, Quinn was there to comfort her.
'This is not good...'
The rain continues pouring heavily. She wanted to escape from here. The longer she's around him, the more her heart feeling the familiarity; and the more she's tempted to comfort him and tell him the truth. But she should not meddle with what will happen in this life.
She hears Quinn heave a deep and long sighed. Stunned, she gazes at him through the side of her eyes. Quinn is crying silently. Tears are running down his cheeks. She bit her lower lip.
The cup dropped on the ground. Tiptoeing her feet, she hugged him. d.a.m.n, she's shorter this time yet and Quinn was this tall already. Three more years and this body will be taller. She's actually jumped to grab his neck and put her arms around him.
"One day, both of you will see each other again..."
She whispered then let go of his neck. Hastily, she rides her bike, leaving away from him. She ignores the heavy rain.