Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1: THE FRIST GLANCE
Emily
It was a boring afternoon. I was lying on the couch, staring at the clock, waiting for it to strike six so my lazy friend and I could finally go for a walk. Chloe is a lazy soul; she just loves sitting at home. I mean, how can someone enjoy that? She was wearing a long shirt, casually draped off her shoulder-probably one of her ex's. Her long blonde hair cascaded down, and I couldn't help but admire it. I have brunette hair myself, and I'm content with it, but hers was something special. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she scrolled through her memes, laughing like crazy at one.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked at me with those deep blue eyes. I sat up and asked, "What's with the stare, Cho?" I usually call her that when she calls me "Em."
"What about that guy you told me about?" she called out.
"What guy?" I asked, breaking eye contact and opening my phone.
She walked toward me. "The guy at the hospital you mentioned when I was in that online meeting." She sat next to me on the couch.
"Not much. He was good-looking. We talked for a minute, I guess," I said casually.
She stared at me with a teasing smile. "Oh, Em, you're falling in love, aren't you? This won't be just another crush like all the others, will it?"
"Shut up," I muttered, pushing her face away.
"Please, please tell me what happened, Em," she begged, her cute face impossible to resist.
I was sitting in the hospital, anxiously waiting for my test results, as the doctor had instructed me to wait outside. When the nurse called my name, I stood up so quickly that I didn't notice a tall figure passing by me, and I bumped into him.
His deep, dark brown eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world around me blurred. There was something about them-something familiar yet completely unknown. I found myself caught in their depth, like a silent pull I couldn't explain. His hair, a shade close to mine, curled effortlessly over his forehead, as if it had been sculpted with care. But I knew it wasn't. It was just him-naturally effortless.
His lips-
"Umm, excuse me? Are you okay, ma'am?"
His deep voice snapped me back to reality. I blinked rapidly, realizing I was leaning against him and quickly pulled away, coughing awkwardly.
"I-I'm so sorry," I stammered, stepping back. He smiled softly, as if reassuring me.
"No, it's all right-"
"Ms. Tremblay!" The nurse called again, pulling me from the moment. I had to leave, but as I turned away, I vaguely heard him mutter, "Ms. Tremblay." I didn't look back. Instead, I hurried to Dr. Muller's office to discuss my report.
Once I left his cabin, a shiver ran down my spine-not from fear, but from the unexpected sight before me. He was still here. Leaning against the wall, arms folded casually, as if he had all the time in the world. His eyes met mine, and for a split second, something flickered across his face-recognition? Curiosity? Before I could figure it out, he stepped forward, his hand outstretched, a warm, easy smile on his lips.
"Hi, Ms. Tremblay. I'm Leonardo."
"Just Emily. Call me Emily," I replied, shaking his hand. There was something oddly familiar about him, like I'd met him before.
"Have we met?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," he said, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Hmm, I don't think so," I replied, and we both chuckled at our shared confusion.
"Not here, please! Go outside," the nurse scolded us.
"Sorry," we both apologized in unison as we walked out.
"Coffee?" Leonardo asked as we stepped outside.
"No, um, I'm kind of busy... maybe some other time?" I wasn't in the mood for company, so I brushed him off lightly and started walking away.
"Okay, some other time, Ms. Tremblay," he called after me. I hurried my pace, feeling an awkward knot in my stomach.
"WAIT-WAIT, all of this happened at the hospital?" Chloe asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Y-Yes..." I replied.
"You turned down coffee just like that?" she scolded, incredulously.
"Yeah, so what, Chloe?" I shrugged.
"Please don't tell me you're still waiting for the guy you used to watch from the bus every day back home in Paris."
"Chloe, shut up. I'm not waiting for him. He's in Paris, and I'm in Germany, you see?" I said, cupping her face gently. She quickly swatted my hand away.
"So what? You still remember the dates. The first day you saw him was November 16, 2021. And now you'll remember today, March 4, 2024, right?" she said, walking away with a teasing grin.
"No, Chloe, I've changed now," I muttered, but she wasn't buying it.
"No, you haven't," she shot back, pointing at me with her cup.
"Okay, whatever you say," I sighed, standing up and nodding. But just then, the doorbell rang.
"I'll see who's there," I said.
The door swung open, and there he was. Leonardo. My stomach did a ridiculous flip. My pulse jumped. What is he doing here? Before I could even process my thoughts, my body reacted on instinct-slamming the door shut so fast that the echo of it startled even me. My palms pressed against the wood, my breath unsteady.
Oh no. Oh no. Why did I just do that?
"Did you see a ghost or something? You shut the door so hard!"
"No, no... he's there," I stammered.
"Who's there? Let me see," Chloe said, stepping toward the door.
"No, no! I'll check," I insisted, pushing her back slightly. Taking a deep breath, I hesitated for a moment before reopening the door.
"Hey," I greeted awkwardly. Leonardo and his friend looked at me with puzzled expressions.
"Umm... did you just slam the door in our faces on purpose?" his friend asked, only for Leonardo to nudge him to shut up.
"No, of course not! Why would I-"
"Yeah, she totally did that on purpose," Chloe interjected, slipping under my arm from behind.
"Shut up! She's just joking leonardo!" I protested, my face heating up.
His friend pointed between us. "Wait... do you guys know each other?"
"No-" I began.
"Yes," Leonardo said at the same time. "She's the girl I told you about-the one I met at the hospital." Then, pointing at Chloe, he added, "And she is...?"
"I'm Chloe, her soulmate and roommate. Nice to meet you, Leonardo i already know much about you!" she said, giving me a playful shove.
"Guess you already know me then," leo said while looking at me and ben chimed in before she could finish.
"I'm Ben!" he exclaimed proudly.
Leonardo chuckled. "He can't control himself around girls."
Everyone laughed.
To be continued...
