Cristiano's Craving

Twelve

Rose

So there we were, walking down a path in the frosty outside. The fading of the sunlight had also meant the fading of the heat. Wintry air swirled around us, taking every bit of warmth it could.

I exhaled, my breath then visible in the chilly air, disappearing into the darkness. It was a cold and moonless night. The sky was dark and low, so dark that the stars billions of miles away were barely visible in the charcoal sky.

Peace

"Are you okay?" Gage asked, breaking our calming silence as we walked slowly. I nodded, my head turning to face him as I snuggled into my large, thick coat, my hands buried deep into my pockets.

"Yeah," I answered, puffs of breath visible as it left my mouth. "You?" He nodded, giving me a small smile. Thinking alike, we both noticed a bench and sat down together, our eyes watching the empty park in front of us.

Gage sighed, slouching a little on the bench as he looked up at the sky, smiling a little at the stars before meeting my eyes.

"I think. . ." He began, hesitating a little as he looked at me. "We should talk about what keeps happening in that boxing ring. ."

I nodded slowly, licking my lips as I sat up, attentive. "I think so too," I awkwardly responded, giving him my full attention.

He licked his lips too, his eyes glimmering in the darkness as they gazed at me. "What do you think of me? Honestly?"

"I think you're kind hearted," I honestly replied, giving him a small smile. "Sweet, humble, reliable - there are so many positive ways to describe you, Gage. I'm surprised you don't have a girlfriend."

He chuckled gently, shaking his head. "That's the thing," he told me, his eyes filled with seriousness as he responded, "I do have a girlfriend."

My eyes expanded as I looked at him, my jaw dropping. "Wait, what? So, you cheated-"

"Come with me," Gage said, standing and holding out his hand to me, an indecipherable smile on his handsome face. I hesitated before taking his hand and letting him pull me off the bench.

Then we let go and my hand went back into my pocket as we walked in silence whilst I wondered what he was about to show me.

"Are we almost there?" I asked in boredom, after at least thirty minutes of us walking. Gage chuckled, glancing over at me with his captivating eyes. "Yeah, actually. You know, walking is really good for you?"

I groaned, shaking my head. "Yeah, but now I'm tired."

"Well, that means when we get back, as soon as you hit the pillow, you'll sleep."

"I like the sound of that," I grinned, honest. I really did want to sleep.

My eyebrows creased as I noticed where we were approaching, a familiar red plus sign catching my attention.

The automatic doors opened for us and immediately the air was stuffy and the atmosphere had a strong whiff of bleach. The pictures on the walls were cheap benign prints of uplifting scenes and above the double doors are large red plastic signs.