All in One - Milady

Ch. 18: Flash Flash

Nneka sat on the edge right outside the soccer field. A blanket wrapped around her as she looked up at the stars.

Elliot came over.

He handed her a can of sprite and sat next to her fixing his hair.

"Thank you," she said opening it.

"No problem." He took a sip of his soda, "is it okay to admit that I'm nervous."

She nodded slowly, "I'm nervous too. After all, it is my first real date you know."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"You've never dated anyone before?"

 "Don't get me wrong. I've had many opportunities, it just...there was something off about all of them. Like I would be wasting my time even attempting to get to know them." 

He agreed, "makes sense cause now-" 

"Now, I have 3 guys, possibly 4 guys hovering around me." He snapped his fingers, "Exactly!"

She scoffed, "Yeah..."

Nneka stared at the can for a while. A finger-tapping the can. It was a nice night. The weather although cold, was manageable. And Elliot, Elliot seemed fun.

She turned her whole body around, ready. "Question...do you believe in fate?" she asked.

Elliot looked stared. He blinked repeatedly while the corn of his mouth rose in a smirk. "Yes," he stated. "Meeting you in a museum at that exact same time everything fell out...that's definitely something. And then coming here for training only to run into you once again...I'll say fate exists."

 "I thought the same too." 

"Yeah...what are the odds?" 

"Probably one in a billion." she drank her soda. "Now probably one in a gazillion based on our situation." 

"Probably..."

Elliot set his soda down and rubbed his hand to heat him up from the cold. Nneka noticed and offered up some of the blanket.

"You sure?" he asked worriedly.

"You're cold."

 "Alright...thank you." she smiled. "And sorry about this. I forgot it gets colder at night." 

"It slipped my mind all the time till I worked the night shift during college. Then I was like how is the weather when I come home." 

"True." 

The night seemed peaceful. Both Elliot and Nneka watched the night sky, cold...but relaxed. Their bodies heated up from each other, and their hands unknowingly slid towards each other till they touched.

Nneka slowly pulled her hand back but stopped.

She turned to Elliot, and for what felt like a good 10 minutes to her, she saw something.

She reached up to his blond hair and pushed it to the side, revealing a small bruise on the left side of his forehead.

Elliot didn't move back. He let her trace over his scar that looked like a waxing crescent moon. Then felt as her hand slid down to his cheek.

She rubbed it.

At first, he felt himself falling into her hand, wanting to nudge his way into it. And then he saw her face. She didn't look all there.

Nneka's wide eyes made him wonder what she was thinking. But she wasn't thinking at all, she wasn't even there.

She had completely spaced out to the point she was no longer with him in the present but in the past.

Her past life had pushed its way into whatever she was doing and was controlling her body.

Like she remembered him, without actually remembering him.

In her head, his hair was jet black, making his blue eyes pop out more.

In her head, they were in a diner, laughing and happy to the point all she could hear was him and the melody of the music.

And then her hand slipped to his neck.

And at that point, he stopped her.

Elliot grabbed her hand, and suddenly those thoughts that had replayed in front of her that felt like 10 minutes, were actually a minute in their present world.

Nneka looked at his hand, and then hers.

Why was her hand around his neck? She couldn't answer.

"Nneka, are you okay?" he sounded worried. His body leaned in while searching her face for something beside shook.

 Nneka sat still. "Um...it's getting late, maybe I should get going you know." 

"Yeah...yeah, let me clean up." They stood up.

Elliot walked over to the table, cleaning it up. While Nneka folded the blankets and threw out their almost empty cans.

The ride back was quiet.

Not from the lack of trying. Elliot wanted to ask about her and the sudden spaced-out moment she had but felt it was inappropriate for the level they were at.

"We're here," Elliot pulled into a spot. He ran out of the car, hurrying to Nneka's side to open the door, but she beat him to it.

He stood at the end of his car, slowly approaching her as she shut the door.

"Are you okay?" he asked again.

She gave him a big grin. "I think I'll be. I just spaced out." 

He nodded, body swaying back and forward. "Did I do-"

 "Oh no, please don't. It's my fault. If I did anything that made you feel uncomfortable, which I probably did, please know I am really sorry. I-" 

"No...no no," he interrupted. "I was going to ask if I did good."

 She looked at him, eyes wide with concern, yet surprised. "You did good," she said. "I had fun."

 He nodded grinning, "then good night?"

 "Good night."

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