You Found Me

2

We're walking down the bridge to my car. I unlock the car and Nathan gets on the passenger side. "So where's your place at?" He asks kind of tiredly. I don't know if that's his normal tone or if he's just really tired. "Downtown." I tried saying with a smile I was really tired myself from hearing Nathan's story. "Oh so you got one of those nice condos huh?"

"It's not really nice but it's not rundown either it's a normal apartment." As I'm starting my car I can smell the ocean breeze mixed with a mans cologne but with a hint sweat.

It's a quiet ten minute drive to my apartment until I break the silence with my yawn and the slow breaking of my car as we pull into the driveway. I grab my phone and speaker as we head to the lobby of my home. Once we head towards the second floor where my apartment is I pull out my keys to unlock my door and find Ruby laying by the windowsill. "Hey Ruby! I thought I'd never see you again!"

My furry little friend walks to me with her tail in the air and purring loudly enough to let both me and Nathan know she missed me. I grab her and let Nathan in and head for the kitchen. "What do you feel like drinking tonight?" I shout from the kitchen as I set Ruby down by her food bowl. Nathan awkwardly walking around my living room thoughtfully answers "You got Jack Daniels?"

"I do, straight up or mixed with a Coke?" "Straight up please." He says as he's looking at a picture of me and my bestfriend on our graduation day. "Make yourself comfortable." I say  pouring myself some delicious tequila. I hand him his drink and we both sit on my black leather couch.

"Thanks."

"Oh it's no problem I've had it there for a while since I don't really drink myself and I don't have visitors often so-"

"No for stopping me at the bridge. And the drink" he said as he gestured towards his drink. "Oh well you looked really upset and distant from yourself I thought you could use someone to talk to."

"Well I wouldn't say 'use' but I did need someone to help me so thank you." He took a sip of his liquor and looked down and looked like he was thinking really hard. "I never bothered to ask until now but why were you at the bridge?" He looked at me with a confused face.

"Well until you came I had the same plan as you did so I should be thanking you. So thank you." He looked at me surprised and said "Well yeah but why?" I wasn't expecting him to ask but he did. I let out a breath before I start talking.

"My life has never been easy. I had a drunk dad, a broke mom, a sick brother, and my sister. When I was sixteen my little brother passed away because his illness had gotten stronger. My dad accidentally overdosed on alcohol and then my family struggled with money even more. When I graduated I got a scholarship to SFU and moved out here. My best friend became addicted to heroine and we lost contact because of it." I wonder how she's doing now.

"Then I met this guy and he became my boyfriend who would beat the shit out of me and then cheated on me with some skank."

I feel my eyes fill with tears and decide to let one out. Then another. And then another. I hid my face in a pillow cushion and continued crying. I had gone through all the bad things in my life before but I had never cried like I am now in a while. I guess because someone was listening to me and understanding me. I felt a big hand rub my back comforting me. I didn't mind though.

I got myself together and took my last sip of tequila. Nathan had already finished two cups and looked more tired than before he got here. I wiped my tears off after noticing how drained he looked and gave him a blanket.

"Here you look tired and you could spend the night since I'm too tired to drive you home." I normally wouldn't let a stranger I barley knew spend the night with me in my home but he seemed reasonable.

He took the blanket and took off his sweater and showed his bare arms that were so built and full of muscle. I noticed he had a tattoo on his arm. I had to tear my eyes away so he wouldn't catch my checking him out but he sure was a sight.

I grabbed our glasses and took them to the kitchen. When I walked out Nathan was on the verge of falling asleep so I turned the light off as I walked to my room and called Ruby. "Goodnight" I said as lightly as I could then heard a mumble of some sort and walked into my room with my cat and slid into my nightgown. I got in bed and turned my face to Ruby who was right next to me. "This was not how I expected tonight to go."

I pulled Ruby closer to me so I was hugging her and felt her purr run through my chest. I felt the guilt of leaving the only innocent friend I had so with that I placed a gentle kiss on her head and fell asleep.

------------------------------------------

I wake up to a morning I thought I would never see again after the night I had. I suddenly remember about what had actually happened last night.

I go to my restroom and brush my teeth and hair and pull my ginger red hair back into a ponytail. I pull on some jeans and a black shirt and my fall boots. I dab on some light make up and I head out my room to see Nathan barley waking up. "You can go shower if you want." I insisted. He gets up and stretches. I can see his muscles through the tight black shirt he's wearing. I can see the strange tattoo again on his arm. He heads to the restroom and I can hear the water running as I fold his blanket which now smells like his cologne.

I quickly take this chance to write my phone number on a scrap piece of paper and put it in the pocket of his sweater to find it later. He seems pretty nice, if breakfast goes good hopefully he calls me. Can't judge anyone based on their looks.

Maybe we should go for some breakfast. We both had a rough night and he spent the night at my house. It wouldn't be bad if we at least got to know each other a bit. I feed Ruby as she's coming down the hall from my room. I love how her jewel like green eyes glisten in the sunlight coming from the windows across the room. It would've made more sense if I named her diamond or emerald or jewel but nope I decided to name my white fluffy green eyed cat Ruby.

Nathan comes out of the restroom with only his jeans on showing his abs wet with droplets of water still running down his torso. "So how about breakfast? My treat." He looks at me with his stunning blue eyes. I really wish I could take a picture of him in this lighting right about now. "Well we can head to my place so I can get my wallet, you don't have to-"

"It's fine I'm just hungry and you probably are too so let's just go. Whenever you're ready"
He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his well built body and covered his mysterious tattoo. As soon as he did I grabbed my keys wallet and phone so we head out the door.

Imagine having breakfast with a complete stranger you almost died on the same night with?