Missing [ST]

Seventy Six

New Years Eve:

The last place Leah expected to be was in a taxi in Boston and on her way to Tom's birthday party.

December had been a busy month at work, exactly what she had needed to keep her mind occupied, until Steven messaged her with an invitation to a party and a strict insistence that he would pay for her flight there and back if she accepted it.

That was sent on the eighth, a Friday, and whilst she had been with clients. She saw it on her lunch break, and then spent her afternoon imagining the man she could never stop thinking about for very long.

Her eventual reply was nothing more extravagant than 'she'd think about it', despite knowing she didn't have any plans, and that she really wanted to see him.

As if the world could hear her, her drive home that same evening was accompanied by Aerosmith's new single Dream On that had been released on her birthday.

Apart from laughing at the audacity Steven Tyler had to do such a thing, Leah couldn't listen to more than thirty seconds of the song, because hearing his singing voice was too much for her to handle.

The days up to Christmas involved a lot of thinking about that offer, and in the end, Leah let being in love decide her fate, and accepted the invitation.

It was strange messaging Steven so formally, and she couldn't deny the butterflies she got when she saw his name in her notifications. She told herself this was probably just a surprise for Tom and not an excuse to see her, but there was always a what if to another chance when feelings were still on the table.

As for Christmas, when that infamous day showed up, Leah spent the day with her parents. It lacked the usual complete family as Jake's space remained empty at the dinner table, but efforts were made, a celebration in memory, and Leah announced she was returning to Boston for New Years, using her work experience as the invitation and that it was a beautiful place to be, rather than coming clean about the guys her father still held grudges over.

"We're here, miss."

Leah blinked away from the blurred sight of snowflakes falling through a fogged up window.

"Oh, sorry-" She scrambled into the front pocket of her backpack, almost dropping her phone clutched tightly in her hand in the process, and fished out fifty dollars in notes. "-here, keep the change."

The driver beamed at the generous tip.

"Thank you, miss. Happy new year."

Pausing as the notes were taken from her fingers, Leah broke into a smile too.

"Happy new year," she returned politely, and she really meant it.

She didn't need help getting her luggage out the taxi, though the kind driver did offer, and she was soon stepping onto the icy pavement.

Her feet were already like blocks of ice in her white, converse boots, she had a full backpack on her right shoulder, a small suitcase handle in her left hand, and she was struggling to scroll with her thumb to Steven's message for the exact address again.

Leah couldn't really see the area she had been dropped off clearly because it was dark and lightly snowing. But, another glance up with a squint against the cold, the destination revealed itself to her as two huge banners read: 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!' and 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' at the front of a building further up the road.

It looked like they had hired out some local school, and it was only when Leah shivered her way over towards it that she realised didn't even have a gift.

She felt awful. Tired from being on a plane, too cold in her coat and high-waisted jeans, but it was far too late to buy something in a town she didn't know.