Love from Riz [Ackley Bridge]

25

ALICIA'S POV
The wind is soaring in my ears and my hair is whipping about my face as I make my way down to the café. I've never felt this nervous before. Obviously, I've met up with Riz before, but this time it's different. This time there's more at stake.

With my heart thumping loudly in my chest, I pushed open the café door, the bell alerting everyone to my presence. Quickly scanning the room, I see that Riz isn't here yet. Unsure of what to do, I hovered by the door, anxiously waiting for him to arrive.

"Hi! Is there anything I can help you with?" A kind waitress asks.
"Hi! I'm just waiting for a friend." I gave her a nervous smile.
"Are you Alicia?" She asks.
My eyes widened. "Um.. yeah, that's me."
"Ah, come this way then!"

She leads me to the back corner, to the table where Riz and I sat the first time we came here. It looks exactly the same, except there's a cream envelope sitting atop the menu.

As I step closer to the envelope, I see that it's addressed to me. I turned to ask the waitress what was going on but she was already gone.

Gently, I pick the envelope up, the paper feeling smooth in my hands. I turned it over and carefully opened it.

Inside is a letter. It reads:

Dear Alicia,
I've tried to write this a million times but each time the words fail me in some way. You know I'm not great with words, but I'm trying my best.
The day that you came to Ackley was the day my life changed. Before, I just went along, enjoying time with my friends but not really doing anything special. Until you arrived. You've made my life more exciting. Every day was something new with you. You have opened my eyes to dreams far beyond the walls of Ackley and you've also opened my heart to new experiences, to new people.
I'm so grateful that you walked into my life and I don't know who I would've become without you.
I just thought you should know something.
I like you. More than I've ever liked anyone before. The moment I laid eyes on you, I liked you and the feeling only grows every time I see you.
I'm sorry for pushing you away recently. Cory told me something that made me want to protect myself, so instead of confronting my feelings for you, I tried to push them away. But it didn't work.
I really am sorry.
I wish I could've told you all of this sooner. Maybe this would have all worked out differently.
Love from,
                Riz xx

Swiping a hand across the tears rolling down my cheeks, I looked down at the letter in my hands. I can picture Riz sitting at the desk in his room, the one from where we had many homework FaceTime sessions, writing this letter. I can picture him getting annoyed when he can't find the right words. I can picture his face lighting up with joy when he finally found the right words. The words that are in front of me now.

But, what doesn't make sense to me is the last line, "maybe this would have all worked out differently." Is he giving up on me? On us? Before anything even happened? And what did Cory say that was so bad?

Hundreds more questions swirl round my brain as I try to wrap my head around the contents of the letter. I was about to sit down, defeated, when I hear a voice. His voice.

"Hi Alicia."
I turn, thinking I imagined it, but there he is. Standing there, offering me a shy smile. All the questions fade away as I look at him and that's when I know that this isn't the end. It's the beginning.

"Hi Riz."