Cities that Never Sleep

xiv

Most of their nightly-sittings in the cafe became quiet and isolated, kind of how they were at the beginning. Katherine only spoke when she asked for another coffee (she was starting to drink three cups a night), or to tell Finn that she was heading out.

Sure, there were attempts where Finn tried to cheer her up through small acts and gestures, but she often had that lost look in her eyes and focused much of her attention on her laptop. Many nights were filled with silence, except for the sound of music from the radio that Finn kept on in the back of the coffee shop.

One night, however, Finn got up from the table and turned off the radio. Still typing, Katherine slightly turned her head.

"Why'd you turn it off?" she asked, only half-paying attention.

Across the room, Finn just stared at her. Silence.

She sat down at the counter, studying Finn. "What's wrong?"

Finn felt like laughing. "What's wrong?" he set his hands down on the counter-top. "What's wrong is that I'm watching you beat yourself up every night. Although you don't complain about it openly, I know you're brooding about not getting into medical school."

Now, Katherine was paying attention. The blunt words smacked her right in the face. But instead of arguing, she silently listened, cheeks sucked in.

"And when you brood, you shut people out. Did you know that? Why do you do that?"

No answer.

He continued to rant. "You're not pathetic because you didn't pass the test, Katherine. What do tests even measure? Your memory capacity? Your ability to manipulate the questions?" It was all coming out in a rush, and Finn was unable to stop.

"I just don't want to see you end up like nearly everyone else in this city. I don't want to see you doing something for the rest of your life that makes you unhappy. Like this." he let out a long breath. "Because the fact you didn't pass that stupid test won't matter in a hundred years."

Katherine paused. She took in his heated face, cheeks rosy like a kid's, before saying, "That's because I'll be dead in a hundred years."

Finn was indignant. "Are you kidding, Katherine? I just spilled out my heart out to you, and that's your reply?"

But before Finn could rant again, she leaned over in her chair and did something spontaneous; she kissed him.

Pulling back, she knew she'd be worried about this tomorrow, and the next day, and perhaps even in an hour or so. But right now, she didn't care. She felt out of character, but at the same time perfectly conformed with herself.

So instead of awkwardly laughing, or running out the door as Finn stared back with lips parted in mid-shock, she stared back at him, corners of her lips slightly raising. And somehow, his lips found their way to hers again.