Darkness and Hope

Chapter 16

I was almost at the end of my novel when a knock at the door awaked me from the most important moment of the story. I got up from the couch muttering and walked to the door.

"Who is it?" I asked from inside as it was a bit late for someone to knock at my door.

"Ade?" I heard James's voice from the outside. I regretted immediately that I was wearing sweaters.

"Shit..." I said rolling my eyes, then I opened the door. He was leaning against the wall and gave me a clumsy smile as our eyes met. "What are you doing here?" I asked him surprised to see him. He was supposed to be at the party. James just shrugged.

"I wasn't having a good time, I decided to come back to the hotel then I saw your light and I decided to knock." I strayed from the door to give him space and he walked in. I closed the door with my heart racing again, mentally I asked him to calm down as he was just there randomly, not for any specific reason.

"I told you these parties suck." I joked.

"You read Kafka?" He asked with the book I left on the couch in his hand.

"Yes I do. I was born a reader." I laughed.

"I came because I wanted to be with you." He said out of the blue. I looked at him a bit shocked. "Don't look at me that way." He asked.

"I'm sorry." I excused me. I sat right next to him.

"I mean, I wasn't feeling good in there and I like to talk to you, so I came here." He explained, which was a relief to me he didn't mean anything stronger. I knew I wasn't capable of dealing with that.

"You made a good choice." I told him smiling.

"Really?"

"Sure..." I said.

"Because I didn't know if you'd mind, you know, maybe you wanted to be alone and I was going to interrupt..." I interrupted him, somehow I was feeling he was nervous.

"James, I don't mind." I told him. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am. That conversation with you made me feel better it's nice to be able to talk and let things out. We talk about a lot of things and I like that. I feel comfortable around you. I am me around you."

"You don't have to be anyone else." I said honestly. "I appreciate your honesty. So what do you want to talk about?"

"About anything." He said shortly, it was an awkward moment between us as we just stared at each other. "Ok, this is weird." He broke the silence with a nervous laughter. I scratched the back of my head.

"Yes it is. I have to agree with you."

"I just wanted to come here and be with you Ade, I don't know what else to tell you." He said shrugging. "I guess I better go to my room, I feel tired and embarrassed." When he got up I grabbed his wrist.

"Don't go." I said. James looked down at me. "Stay. Stay a bit longer." I asked him. James sat back on the couch looking a bit confused at me. I just shrugged at him and gave him a smile which he reattributed with his cute one. Suddenly his expression soften a bit.

"So how's Katy and Phil?" He asked me. I laughed.

"You are very curious aren't you?" He laughed again and nodded. "I think they are doing good. They are together now so I guess that says everything." I said. James looked at me, saying things without words. "I know what you're thinking." I said.

"We're also together now and..." He cleared his throat a bit. "Does that says everything?"

"I don't know what that everything is." I said seriously. The conversation kept on derailing.