Homecoming

Chapter 3: Safety Blanket

I always got a sense of comfort from running in LA that I haven't quite gotten anywhere else. Maybe it was the air? New York air has always been denser. I wasn't sure. But if there was one thing that I was certain about running, it was about how every little thing could catch up to me. No matter how fast I ran and no matter where I ran.

Erin had pointed out how I was good at avoiding things, constantly living life like an endless marathon. I wasn't the emotional type. I never talked about my feelings, except that one time that she forced me to. I didn't have my heart on my sleeve, and I ran away the moment things got complicated. That was how I usually handled things. I would rather sweep everything under the rug than deal with the mess. Perhaps the avoidance would mean that I didn't have to get hurt.

It was a convenient type of thing. It was like having a safety blanket.

New York has been by safety blanket for the last five years.

As I ran a couple of miles, the fog that clouded my mind cleared. With each step, my mind found its sense of solitude. Even if it was only for an hour or so, it was a nice kind of clarity as I thought things through.

I ended my morning run with a visit to a local coffee shop. I got there at the same time the place crawled with a lot of people. It was a perfect representation of a busy city. Noise from conversations built and echoed around the place. I stood in line as I scanned the menu for something that I would fancy having. Not that I would ever have anything. I always had my coffee plain. When someone spoke behind me, my mind scrambled.

"Never knew you were a morning person, let alone someone who ran for pleasure."

I turned, and Oliver stood there with a smug grin. His hair was messy, and he wore nicer clothes now, which made him look older and a lot more mature.

"Good morning," he added with a smile. I couldn't miss the way his eyes raked down my body, my shirt clinging to the sweat from my run. It wasn't as if he was subtle either. I tried my best not to flex, but of course, like anything else in life, I failed at it miserably.

Since my first night back, we weren't able to actually talk about the impulsive kiss on the cheek that he gave me. It shouldn't mean anything. I bet he didn't want to talk about it, judging by the way he averted my gaze. Maybe it was only an impulse that he was shy to have given in to. That was the bad thing about impulses. Our bodies were slaves to it.

I returned the morning greeting because I didn't know what else to say while he eyed my body like a hawk stalking for its prey. I stared at Oliver for too long that I immediately noticed the annoyance of the server who rang orders on the counter. Too bad for the morning rush.

"Welcome to Lava Java! What can I get you?" The server, who had a name tag that said Irene, commanded over the soft noise of the café patrons. I turned to her voice and gave her my order of a house blend. And since I was feeling pretty special today, I tossed in an extra couple of pastries in there. It was simply that kind of day, rewarding myself with extra calories after a great run. Oliver came in behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Can you include my orders as well? I'm actually running a bit late," he said, handing out unfolding a note from his chest pocket. His illegible handwriting in smudged ink cramped the tiny piece of paper. Oliver retracted his hand on my shoulder when he took out his wallet to pay for our orders.

"Running late?" I asked. Oliver always had trouble being on time.

"Yeah, My work got the attention of a few people, and they want to meet me today. But I am running late, so I thought of asking them for their coffee orders," Oliver explained. We walked towards the other side of the counter with all of the condiments. "That's good, right? Totally polite for me to ask for their coffee orders."