patch-of-sunshine

When they met it was on accident. Her heel caught in a crack on the old sidewalk that was full of them, and her books fell out of her hands and hit the ground almost rhythmically. He thinks that it's the perfect way to meet someone, cliche and nothing embarrassing. She's had enough cliches to last her a lifetime, and she thinks little of it. ........... She thinks little of him, to be honest. He is kind and a gentleman, and, at their first meeting, utterly boring. However, boring has a new appeal for her, which is why they meet a second time. ........... She doesn't realize how much time she spends with him until she calls him one night

In-between his sighs I look at the floor. He does too. It says a lot, don't you think? We say it's love we're in, but neither of us knows for sure. In-between our fleeting eye contact we quietly dwell on the unspoken tension and insecurities. We say it's just nerves. It will pass, but the silence stretches beyond what's comfortable. In-between the untruths and unsaid; we're burdened, our love a swaying complication. We want it to work but… it won't. Our chemistry heavier than a river rock.  

"You see, I'm always scared," he said, eyes fixated on his cup of coffee. "I don't like letting people close to me. Even when I was younger, I kept my distance from everyone. Never had a serious relationship till I was twenty, but when it happened, it was unstoppable. I'd always been kind of resigned to the thought that I'd never fall in love, because I was, you know, gay, and that's a taboo in this kind of world." He ran a hand through his neatly combed hair and continued, still never meeting my eyes. "He's amazing, you know? For once in my life, I didn't feel like I was a freak. I could really let out who I was. I brought him home and my p