Spoiler! :
Chapter Two: Julian
“Do you want this?” Terri asked, waving around something in the air.
I didn’t reply, I was only half listening. I was deep in thought, imagining I was anywhere but here. Perhaps soaring across distant skies, or floating on white clouds, even a dirty bar would be better than here. I heard Terri speak again, though I was uncertain as to what she said.
“Mmm,” I replied in a non committal fashion. I didn’t look up from the window I was staring out of, watching as the steady raindrops trickled down the panes.
“Are you even listening?” She snapped suddenly. “Do you want this?” A photo was brandished in my face and I glanced at it remorsefully. There we stood, by the beautiful, blue ocean, hand in hand with each other. To look at our marriage now, you wouldn’t think it was possible that we were once the beaming couple that smiled happily at the camera in the picture. Our life together had fallen apart so quickly that I hadn’t even had the time to reflect back, to remember how it used to be.
I sighed. “Keep it.” I didn’t need a reminder. I needed to forget. She sighed too, and picked up the last box of her things. Handing it to her sister who stood in the doorway, she turned back to me and we faced each other, neither one moving.
How did you say goodbye to the person with whom you had shared the last ten years of your life with? How did you apologise for everything you had done during that time, whether it was forget to put down the toilet seat or… something worse.
Terri stepped forward and opened her mouth, as if about to say something. Apparently though, she thought the better of it because she closed it again and swiftly made her way out the door.
I would feel a better man if I could truthfully say that I mourned her departure; but I simply returned to my seat at the window and gazed out at the falling rain. I was guilty that she left, and to have hurt her but nothing more. My thoughts began to drift as I traced patterns on the misted glass and Terri did not play on my mind for the rest of the evening.
The next morning I woke up in the exact same place, although my head had slumped against the open curtains. When I pushed myself back, I found that the sky was already beginning to lighten, although thick grey clouds were looming menacingly on the horizon.
I dressed quickly, pushing back my light hair to prevent it from falling messily in my face as it always did. After pulling on some black trousers and my big green jumper, I grabbed a quick piece of toast and began hurrying down the road, my bag swinging wildly on my back.
Try as I might, it was impossible for me to have a morning where I wasn’t rushing to catch the train. I often over estimated the time I had, and as a result, anyone who looked out of their windows at this time in the morning would see a young man, racing down the slippery winter road and sliding everywhere in the process. It must have been quite a sight, but I wasn’t amused.
The pavements were coated in a thin layer of ice and it was all I could do to prevent myself from falling over and breaking my neck. Yet again, if I was late…. What would I prefer; death by ice or death by boss? It wasn’t a hard choice.
Amber Freeman was five foot three and skinny as a rake but she was still without a doubt the scariest woman I had ever had the misfortune to come across. She also happened to be my boss. I didn’t know anyone who had escaped her wrath after coming in late to work. I had even known this one guy, Jerry, whose grandmother had been taken ill quite suddenly. He was forced to rush her into the hospital, and ended up being ten minutes late. Ten minutes. Not exactly a life threatening delay for the company. But despite his protests, Freeman the Demon attacked him as soon as she found out. Nobody ever saw him again.
I reached the station just as the train was pulling up and threw myself on it quickly, huffing and panting as I paused to catch my breath. Smoothing down my hair carefully, I made my way through the carriages, trying to look nonchalant.
Suddenly, I spotted her; sat silently on a seat and staring out of the window, her golden hair catching the faint morning light. She glanced up at me and smiled warmly and I was sure that my insides had melted on the spot.
“Morning Lila,” I choked out. I heard myself squeak at the end of the sentence and cursed myself inwardly. Hopefully she hadn’t noticed. I coughed and tried again. “How are you?”
She patted the seat next to her and I beamed, sitting myself down comfortably. “I’m fine Julian. Yourself.”
I tried not to look as though I had just been spoken to by the voice of an angel, her melodic tone singing softly in my ears, and shrugged. “I guess so. Terri came over to get her things last night and I'm a bit worn out.”
She reached over to me, and for a moment I was certain something was going to happen. But then she extended her hand and patted me on the shoulder. I relaxed.
“I know you’ll find someone better,” she said, comfortingly. Little did she know that I already had, that person just didn’t know it yet.
I took a deep breath in, wondering if I should tell her. But she was with Milo, a jerk if I ever knew one. Admittedly, I had never actually met the guy but from what she told me he seemed a good for nothing loser. She didn’t seem to see him that way. What if she believed he was her true love? What if she thought he was her soul mate, for want of a better word? Did she even believe in that kind of thing? I had to know “Do you believe that there is someone out there for everyone?”
“Like soul mates?” It made me smile to think that she had used the same word as me.
“Yes.”
She paused for a minute, and I was sure she was going to say yes. How could I have been stupid enough to ask her?
“No.”
I was stunned, and let my emotions get the better of me. I could feel my face break into a smile, though she had no idea why.
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
I settled back in my seat, grinning to myself. Maybe not all hope was lost. I just had to convince her that Milo was a bad sort, and then we were making progress.
“How was Milo this morning?” A fairly innocent beginning I hoped. With any luck she would just assume I was making polite conversation.
She shrugged. “He wasn’t there. He’d left by the time I got up.”
This was better than I expected, it wouldn’t be so hard to start criticising him if he was making bad impressions on his own account. “Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Doesn’t it bother you?” I repeated. “Not knowing where he is?”
“Not really.”
“Are you sure?” I pressed. “It would drive me crazy, I know that. He could be with someone else?”
“He’s not like that.”
“But how can you be sure?” I demanded. “He can’t be perfect.”
“What are you planning to focus on now that Terri’s gone?” She asked me. The words were polite, but I could sense a tone of annoyance in her voice that told me the last conversation was over.
I sat back, resigned to explaining my plans for my job, because of course I could not tell her me real dreams. The journey ended far too quickly, as it always did when I was talking to Lila. I helped her off the train and she muttered a hurried goodbye before walking up the street. I could tell she was still annoyed with me.
I watched her walk away, sighing loudly. Tomorrow, I told myself. Tomorrow I would tell her.
And Freeman the demon :L Love it 
Sorry, I had to...
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