His Saviour {Book 2}

-Chapter 12-

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-Saturday-

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It was early evening, and Chris was at a local gas station as he filled some petrol in his fuel tank.

He breathed out a husk of cold air, before glancing up at the dull, grey sky. He stood watching the people around him and listening to their conversations for a brief while, while also deep in his own endless thoughts. It didn't matter where he was as his mind always drifted back to what he stopped himself from thinking about on the daily. 

He shut his eyes, as the chilly autumn breeze etched against his skin. He didn't mind being out in the cold, because it often helped him to relax. There was just something about the frosty breeze that seemed to help him relax and take his mind to a peaceful place even though it was only for a little while. It was why he spent the majority of time outside when Summer ended and fall began. Sure he thought about the things in his life endlessly, but whenever he was outside, surrounded by the cold New York city breeze, and the cool, glacial air, was when he often found the most peace within himself, and that was only the first step to finding inner lasting peace, wherever he was.

Moments later, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps walking up behind him, followed by the call of his name. He stopped what he was doing and turned around to see Anna with a big smile on her face.

"Anna... hey" he spoke, removing the petrol pump from his fuel tank.

"Hey, long time no see" she took a step closer to him and held out her arms open before going to give him a hug. As she pulled away seconds later, she placed her hands on his shoulders and stared up at him till the smile began to slowly disappear from her face. "Oh my God... today's the 29th of September, its your birthday right? I remember you told me. I'm so sorry, I can't believe I forgot" she groaned, pouting her lips.

"Its fine, really. I don't wanna make a big deal about it. Its just another day" he replied, slipping his hands in his pockets and leaning his back against his car.

"Just another day? c'mon its your last year as a teenager, you have to at least buy a cake to celebrate" she smiled, slowly twisting her head to the side

"I just got of work, and I'm pretty tired. I gotta make up for the lack of sleep I've been getting lately" he muttered briefly. Truth is his birthday wasn't something that really excited him ever since his grandmother died. Every morning on his birthday when he was a kid, he would remember how she would wake him up with cake and balloons and she would go the extra mile to make the day extra special for him, creating some of the happiest memories of his life. Since she died a month before his Eleventh birthday, he remembered that morning when he woke up and she wasn't there to sing him a happy birthday at the top of her lungs and lay in bed with him to eat cake. It was one of the worse days of his life, and he had gone without making a big deal about his birthday ever since then.

"Alright... but this doesn't mean I'm giving up. Let me take you to a bar next week and buy you a drink" she said.

"Okay fine... but you know, I'm not twenty-one yet and if you get caught and go to jail, then I can't promise I'll bail you out" he teased.

"You know what its a risk I'm gonna take" she laughed loudly, rubbing his shoulders, before going to place her arms to her side. She paused for a little while as the smile slowly disappeared from her face and he instantly knew what she was thinking about. "So... how's your mom?" she asked quietly.