A romance with Romeo

A Romance with Romeo

Late summer brought unbearable heat with it. Over the last few days, it had become especially difficult to stay anywhere without air conditioning. The moment a door was cracked open to the outside, waves of scorching air seemed to sear the lungs. Going out on personal errands before sunset was practically an invitation to heatstroke and unconsciousness.

Jessica was an ordinary girl who, at that moment, needed to summon the resilience of a superhero for the sake of her own peace of mind. Only in her case, the “villain” was the unbearable heat, and the “heroic feat” was an attempt to quiet the anxiety that would not let up.

The distance from the hotel to the railway station was barely three kilometers, and there were still two full hours before her train departed. Two hours of anxious thoughts: she would be late, she would feel sick on the way, or the train would be cancelled at the last minute because of some unforeseen circumstance.

All in all, Jessica could come up with a hundred reasons why she might have to stay in this city a little longer and enjoy her solitude in the hotel room.

With every step, the announcements of arriving and departing trains grew louder. Crowds of people moved in and out of the security area. It seemed as though this endless stream consisted of the same passengers, forever dragging their suitcases back and forth. So many people, and every one of them rushing somewhere. The important thing was not to lose herself in the crowd.

Bright orange letters on the departure board announced that her train would arrive in exactly half an hour. Jessica tightened her grip on her luggage handle and trudged toward the nearest bench in the waiting hall.

The business trip was almost over, and she would soon return to her usual life, with its constant worries and routine. Nearly three weeks in a new city had given Jessica an enormous surge of energy and freedom from her old anxieties. She had not felt this rested in a very long time, simply enjoying life and the beauty around her.

But then the train arrived—the one that would carry her back to reality.

Jessica made her way through the carriage. Three passengers walking ahead of her created a small bottleneck as they searched for their seats according to their tickets. When she opened the door to her compartment, the girl sighed in disappointment: she had not managed to travel alone. No one was inside yet, but the belongings scattered across the seat opposite hers made it clear that her companion would return.

Jessica put her suitcase in the luggage compartment. She had barely lowered herself onto the seat when the train jerked sharply, knocking her off balance. She landed on her neighbor’s seat—and apparently on something else as well.

She carefully tried to get up without leaving any trace of her presence on the other person’s side. The thing she had sat on turned out to be a notebook.

“Good thing it wasn’t something fragile. At least I won’t have to pay for the damage,” Jessica thought as she examined her discovery. The black cover was completely covered with cutouts of vivid images. Judging by the look of it, its owner was into video games: she recognized several pieces of art from popular titles.

Jessica used to love spending her free time playing games too. They helped her escape real-life problems and brought her joy. Especially when she was a child, after her parents bought her first console. She and her father had spent hundreds of hours on different adventures: fighting monsters, solving puzzles. It had been an unforgettable time, one that remained a warm memory. These days, she hardly had time for such hobbies. But sometimes a wild urge would come over her to dive into a world of fantasy, forget her own problems, and help fictional characters with their quests.

“Hi.”

The low voice behind her made the girl start, interrupting her memories.

“Hi! I accidentally fell onto your seat and decided to make sure I hadn’t broken anything,” Jessica said, handing the notebook back to its owner before quickly moving to her own side. Embarrassed, she barely dared to look at her fellow passenger.

The man closed the door behind him, holding back a laugh.

“Nothing to worry about. I nearly kissed the floor myself a few times on the way here,” the tall stranger said, casually settling into the seat opposite her.

The girl dared to look at him, giving him the faintest smile. Meanwhile, the man slipped the notebook between the wall and the pillow. Perhaps its pages held secrets, plans, and thoughts he did not want to expose to the world.

The guy pulled a small tablet from his bag and became absorbed in the screen. Jessica noticed how at ease her fellow passenger seemed. Every few minutes, he pushed aside a dark strand that fell across his face. His hair spilled through his long fingers, only to fall back into place a moment later.

Without thinking, Jessica copied the gesture, running a hand through her red curls.

The train gathered speed, carrying enchanting landscapes past the window. The journey ahead was long. Her hope of traveling alone had dissolved into daydreams. The station was already far behind them, and now her attention was drawn to majestic mountains, with blue sky barely visible beyond them.

Jessica tried to look out the window, but her gaze was empty. Her thoughts were consumed by the person who had sent yet another message. Her phone vibrated incessantly. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the awful sound.

“Where are you already?”

“Jessica, I’m worried. Please answer me!”

“Jessica, please...”

“Don’t you have any signal?”

“When will you arrive?”

Unable to take it anymore, she switched on airplane mode and tossed the phone aside, savoring the long-awaited silence. The very memory of Ryan made her want to jump out of the window while the train was still moving. She would not have been surprised if he somehow found out what time she was arriving and showed up at the station.

But she did not want to think about him now. Ten hours on the train belonged entirely to her—an almost carefree solitude spent alone with her thoughts.

“Good thing you did it first. Another minute and I would have thrown your gadget out the window.”

Jessica flinched, goosebumps racing across her skin. She turned toward her fellow passenger. Her heart quickened, and blood pulsed sharply in her temples. Her right hand instantly seized her phone and pulled it behind her back. Her inner voice screamed in panic: Run!

“Hey, hey, I was joking!” the guy said, spreading his hands in surrender. His black curls fell into his eyes, and he shook them away with a single movement of his head. Noticing the anxiety on the girl’s face, he fell silent. He had only meant to lighten the mood, not push the situation anywhere near dangerous. It took her a moment to process what had happened.

“Everything’s fine,” Jessica said, as though trying more to convince herself. She loosened her grip but still placed the phone so that it rested against her thigh.

The corners of the guy’s mouth curved into an apologetic smile. His expressive, almost-black eyebrows lifted charmingly. Unruly strands slowly crept toward his eyes. For a moment, Jessica was mesmerized by the whirl of his amber eyes. They radiated kindness—and nothing more. Like two diamonds letting warm rays of sunlight pass through them, reaching straight into her soul.

Something inside her told her she could trust him. There was no danger.

“He’s my ex. He just can’t stop trying to control me.”

Her eyes involuntarily flicked toward the phone, and she regretted it immediately: the warm rays went out.

The guy clapped his hands loudly, drawing her attention back to him.

“And here I thought you owed money to the mafia and collectors were after you! I was already worried about my life, wondering why I had to sit in the same carriage as you...”

“Very funny. Where did you learn to joke like that?” Jessica snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Perhaps her earlier judgment about his kindness had been wrong.

“Occupational hazard,” the guy said with a broad grin and a playful bow.

“Interesting! And what circus do you perform in?” She silently congratulated herself on her confident, sarcastic tone. It had no effect whatsoever.

“I work for a streaming platform,” he announced proudly. There was not the slightest trace of embarrassment in his voice. Quite the opposite—it carried such confidence and enthusiasm that Jessica might have been expected to recognize him instantly.

She raised an eyebrow and looked him over again, trying to find something familiar. Some of his features reminded her of Leon from a famous video game—the only difference was the color of his hair. But she was certain she had never seen the man in front of her before.

“Coming back from vacation?” the handsome stranger asked, settling more comfortably and turning fully toward Jessica.

“You could say that.” She mirrored his posture, looking him directly in the eyes. That made her feel safer.

Golden rays of sunlight streamed into the compartment, illuminating the space.

An unfathomable mystery sat opposite her, and Jessica sincerely wanted to know more about him.

“And you?”

“I’m going to an event that, unfortunately, I can’t talk about. I’ve been traveling for about five hours, and until now I was alone in the compartment.”

Jessica narrowed her eyes. She instantly forgot about the “event,” her mind returning to his last sentence. Again and again, she tried to catch what had been left between the lines.

Why had he even said that? Was her company unpleasant to him? Maybe she was bothering him?

Noticing how lost in thought she had become, the guy covered his mouth with his fist and laughed softly.

“I’ve known you for half an hour, but I can already tell how much you think. Let your thoughts go and just enjoy the moment.”

Jessica had not expected the young man to read her so easily, invade her personal space, and start telling her what to do. Suddenly, the compartment seemed short of air. She looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment, but could not keep it up for long. Nervous trembling seized her body again.

She had to do something. Quickly.

“I’ll ask them to give me another empty seat,” she said, springing to her feet and grabbing the handle by the door. The motion of the train made her sway, but she managed to steady herself. Suddenly, warmth touched her elbow—gentle fingers softly holding her arm and keeping her from leaving.

“Don’t...”

He still did not let go, trying to keep his balance on the moving train while gripping the seat with his other hand.

Jessica carefully returned to her seat. A red strand fell across her face, but she did not hurry to move it away—it was a kind of shield from her companion’s penetrating gaze. She could still feel his touch on her skin. She tried to take deep breaths, swallowing air.

The dislodged curl trembled with every exhale.

“I’m sorry if I offended you in any way. We can travel in silence if that would make you comfortable.”

The guy carefully went through every possible way to calm her down. The prospect of having a frightened fellow passenger did not appeal to him at all.

“I’m just very sociable, and I’d been sitting alone for five hours—that’s torture for me. But I’m perfectly willing to get back to my own things and stay out of your way. You don’t have to change compartments.”

He said it all sincerely and directly.

Jessica leaned back. She felt uncomfortable, but mostly because of her own thoughts, not because of his presence.

“No, you forgive me. I overreacted. This past week, I’ve barely spoken to anyone except the barista at the local coffee shop. Looks like I’ve lost the ability to have a friendly conversation that lasts longer than a minute.”

“My name is Romeo,” the guy said, spreading his arms, pride audible in his voice.

“Jessica,” she said, nervously adjusting a strand of hair. “Is your father’s name William, by any chance?”

“No, but if I had a sister, she’d definitely be named Juliet.”

The compartment filled with laughter. Romeo’s infectious laugh did not leave her unmoved, and Jessica smiled softly too.

An hour later, she had learned quite a lot: Romeo was a blogger who had been actively making videos about new games for several years. Jessica had never heard of him, although he had enough followers to be recognizable. And that was probably for the best—she could judge him by their conversation, not by labels. Romeo, in turn, learned that Jessica wrote articles for a magazine and had been away on a creative assignment.

They disagreed about films and books, which quickly turned into a spontaneous argument. She never managed to prove her point—he kept interrupting and would not listen. Not wanting to argue any further, Jessica tried to remember her favorite childhood games to fill the silence, but Romeo changed the subject to travel and favorite cities.

Time passed unnoticed. As the scenery changed outside the window, Jessica finally felt an unfamiliar sense of calm. It had been a long time since making a new acquaintance had come so easily. The habit of spending time alone had led her to believe she needed no one but a pen and a notebook.

But Romeo fit harmoniously into her inner world, filling the emptiness with lively, pleasant conversation. She had never felt such freedom with anyone before.

Could something like this really happen?

A dull knock sounded in the compartment, and the conductor opened the door slightly.

“Sorry to bother you! Would you like some tea or coffee? I should let you know that hot drinks won’t be available from nine in the evening until six in the morning. So please decide now.”

The man’s polite voice made Jessica look around. The sun was almost down, painting the sky above the wheat fields in vivid tones.

“Green tea with jasmine, please,” Romeo ordered at once. “Jess, what will you have?”

“Black decaf coffee, please,” she said with a smile, tilting her head slightly.

“You can pick up your order in the first compartment of the carriage in ten minutes. Have a pleasant evening!”

The conductor gave a slight bow and closed the door.

“I’ll go get everything myself. Don’t worry.”

“How sweet of you,” Jessica replied ironically, although a long-forgotten warmth spread through her chest.

Still fooling around, Romeo sprang to his feet, straightened up, tucked one hand behind his back, and gave an exaggeratedly formal bow with a completely stone-faced expression. Only the trembling corners of his lips betrayed his mood.

She had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone care about her.

When the guy left to get the drinks, a faint sadness crept into her heart. Her hand reached for the phone on its own. The moment she switched off airplane mode, dozens of messages flooded the screen. With one swipe, she dismissed them all. Her ex kept finding ways to contact her—he was practically obsessed.

They had broken up three months earlier, when Jessica was returning from yet another business trip. That day had been a turning point: the world she knew collapsed, emptying a heart that had once been full of love.

The journey had been exhausting, and she had barely had enough energy left for a shower and sleep. But the moment she stepped into the apartment, the smell of alcohol hit her, mixed with the sickly-sweet scent of women’s perfume.

In that instant, her heart seemed to turn to stone and fall at the feet of a pair of red shoes by the door. And he had once been her whole world...

From the next room came the unmistakable sounds of his voice and an unfamiliar woman’s. Jessica did not stay to listen. She took her things and left, slamming the door behind her. From that moment on, she hated him. Every word Ryan said provoked nothing but anger and rejection. His apologies and pleas could not fix anything—her trust was gone forever.

But he would not leave her alone, creating new accounts one after another. She had blocked at least a dozen, yet he still found ways to bother her. Ryan had controlled everything from the very first day they met. Back then, she thought it was sweet, that it was simply his way of caring and worrying about her. Jessica did everything she could to keep him from worrying: she answered his messages during meetings, even when it was inconvenient; she stayed constantly available; she installed an app that allowed him to see her location. She gave up all her friends and acquaintances, leaving only him in her world. For four years, her life had consisted of nothing but him and work. That had been enough.

But it had not been enough for Ryan.

Even after the betrayal, he continued trying to control her, despite her clear “No” when he suggested forgetting everything and starting over.

Now she had only her work, which helped her bury the pain inside.

And even now, when Jessica was supposed to be enjoying the journey, he had invaded her thoughts again.

“I got croissants. Thought you might be hungry,” Romeo said, carefully placing two cups on the table and pulling a paper-wrapped pastry from his pocket.

Jessica thanked him and took a sip. Her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl—she realized she had not eaten anything since morning. The soft chocolate croissant could not have come at a better time.

Romeo made no attempt to hide that he had heard it and took a smug sip of his tea.

“That’s the best thing that’s happened to me all day!”

“And I was hoping meeting me would be the best thing,” the guy said, setting down his empty cup and blissfully leaning back, completely pleased with himself.

Jessica raised her cup to her lips. Empty. She did not know what to say. The last time she had flirted with a guy had been years ago.

The flirting had turned into a serious relationship. And then—collapse. Infidelity.

She did not want a repeat. For three months, Jessica had buried herself in her own thoughts in an attempt to forget that unpleasant situation. She thought she was succeeding. But some echoes of the past still followed her.

Romeo instantly picked up on the girl’s embarrassment. He playfully leaned closer, letting the scent of jasmine envelop her and bring her back to the present. Sparks danced in his eyes.

“Admit it,” he said softly.

If he moved another centimeter closer, he would hear how wildly her heart was pounding. Jessica held her breath.

“Maybe,” she answered uncertainly, moving her gaze from one of his eyes to the other, trying to read at least one line of this mysterious book.

How did he manage to pull this trick on her?

Romeo smiled his sly, sweet smile and reached a hand toward her face.

Her heart was ready to leap out of her chest and fly through the open window. The guy only gently brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek... and pulled back.

Her phone rang. Romeo quickly answered it and, after apologizing, left the compartment.

Jessica pressed a palm to her chest. Her heart was still there, while a swarm of thoughts whirled through her head. They were anxious, but not like the ones she had felt at the beginning of their acquaintance. If she had wanted to run away and be alone with herself then, now she wanted only to learn more about Romeo.

The forgotten thrill awakened something playful in her—a spark of life after a painful breakup.

Maybe this was what she had been looking for, rather than solitude?

It was quarter to nine on the clock—a whole night still lay ahead, but the whirlpool of thoughts that kept resurfacing was unlikely to let her sleep.

Keeping your balance on a speeding train was no easy task, but brushing your teeth without falling during a sudden brake was even harder.

Jessica washed her face with cold water, regaining her composure. For several minutes, she had been trying to understand why her body reacted so strongly to ordinary flirting. Just a handsome guy who knew how to play with words and gestures. She understood exactly what was happening, yet she kept giving in to her impulses.

Jasmine...

A dull knock from the other side of the door brought her back to reality.

Jessica grabbed her towel and, apologizing for taking so long, stepped out of the restroom.

The man waiting for his turn muttered something under his breath.

After putting her toiletries into her backpack, she looked at her phone again. There were no new messages. She texted her mother that everything was fine, sent her location, and wished her good night. Outside the window, impenetrable darkness reigned, broken only by the lights of occasional stations flickering in the glass.

She dimmed the light and settled into her seat. The pillow was far too soft and kept losing its shape. Once again, she promised herself she would buy a travel pillow for her next business trip.

Romeo still had not returned. In that amount of time, he could have walked through every carriage twice and solved a problem of universal importance.

Where had he gone?

Jessica pulled a small book from her backpack to read before sleep and distract herself from the intense moments of the day. It was a story about a woman who loved life, men, and pleasure. In some ways, Jessica even learned from her—how to enjoy the moment, for instance.

Another half hour passed. At last, Romeo entered the compartment. He looked at the girl, then at the book.

“Having fun?”

“Trying to fall asleep,” she answered honestly, then immediately added with an impassive expression, “Where have you been?”

“I had a few work things to sort out,” he said, twirling his phone in his hand.

The girl nodded and pretended to return to her reading.

But she could not focus on the lines. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Romeo get ready for bed. He spread out his bedding, fluffed his pillow, took off his T-shirt, and pulled a fresh one from his bag. The letters blurred. Jessica’s cheeks flushed. To keep from giving herself away, she tried to turn the page, but her hand trembled and the book fell to the floor.

“Oh God,” she whispered, bending down.

Half-dressed, Romeo reached for the book at the same time. They nearly bumped foreheads, finding themselves far too close.

He grabbed the cover first, but her palm landed over his hand.

A faint current ran through her at the point where their skin touched.

Why is he so warm?

The awkward pause lasted a second. Still holding the book together, they tried to stand. Realizing how ridiculous the situation was, Jessica released the cover and got to her feet. The guy rose after her.

Romeo handed her the book, but the moment she took it, the train braked sharply. Jessica lost her balance and fell against him.

“Damn!”

An announcement echoed through the carriage: “We apologize. Technical stop.”

She pressed against him, feeling the contours of his body through the thin fabric of his clothes. A minute earlier, she had avoided looking at his torso; now she was caught in his unwilling embrace. Though Romeo had been jolted by the fall, he managed to catch her around the waist. His ragged breathing brushed her neck. For a moment, she thought his lips touched her soft skin. A wild wave of goosebumps swept through her body.

Time seemed to stop.

Romeo did not loosen his hold. Instead, his hand slowly moved lower. The motion did not embarrass her in the slightest. Her body seemed to react to his touch independently of her mind. Jessica breathed in the scent of his unruly hair—it smelled of crisp, minty freshness. She wanted to bury her fingers in it the way he was always doing himself.

A sudden jolt—the train came to a complete stop.

Romeo carefully helped her back to her feet. His cheeks were burning, a vein pulsing at his temple. Jessica could feel herself blushing too.

“Are you all right?” he asked first, looking her over anxiously.

“Yes. Are you?” Jessica brought her long, disheveled hair back into something resembling order. She brushed invisible specks from her clothes, smoothing the fabric. The best thing to do at that moment was return to her seat and forget what had happened.

It was just an accident, right?

The guy nodded.

“I’ll go ask what happened.”

After putting his T-shirt back on, he silently left the compartment without even looking back.

Jessica was left alone. The book still lay on his seat—crumpled, with a torn page. She quickly snatched it up and hid it in her backpack. The phantom touch of his hot hand still lingered on her waist. In three months of solitude, no one had touched her so intimately.

Was she simply starved for this warmth? For tenderness, gentle kisses...

A chance encounter with a stranger had awakened feelings she had long forgotten, feelings she had tried to bury. More precisely—she had tried to forget a certain person who had once brought her a similar kind of pleasure.

But Romeo...

He was like a spark that rekindled an extinguished fire.

Romeo returned with the same flush in his cheeks, but his breathing had steadied.

“We’re stuck here for a little while. There’s a problem with one of the carriages, so we’ll be running a bit behind schedule,” the guy said, hesitating in place.

Jessica barely heard him. Her cheeks flushed again when she looked up at him.

“Jess, I wanted to...” he began, not even knowing what he wanted to say. Judging by the way Jessica reacted to everything, one wrong move could be the final one.

“Sorry I fell on you again,” she blurted out, immediately regretting it. In her head, the sentence had sounded much less ridiculous.

Romeo gave her a dark little smile, looking at her with interest. He did not believe that was what she had really meant. His intense attention made the girl distinctly uncomfortable.

“Did you just roll your eyes?”

Jessica felt a chilling discomfort, as though he were rummaging through her mind again, searching for weak spots. The blood in her veins began to boil. She wanted to build a mental shield that he could no longer see through or use to tease her.

“You’re just too arrogant,” Jessica said, changing her approach. If he thought he had figured her out, she would have to become unpredictable.

“And what exactly makes you say that?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

An interesting duel was taking shape.

“Your behavior, obviously.”

Jessica turned away with satisfaction, protecting her emotions. Her heart was pounding wildly. At the same time, she was both frightened and intrigued.

The game had begun.

“You don’t like my behavior?” Romeo held his ground. His voice was confident; he did not even bother pushing back the strands of hair that had fallen loose—he was too absorbed in the words of his companion.

The girl had not expected that question. He could have laughed, gotten angry, become embarrassed, but instead he stood there boldly, throwing her own words back at her. And he had struck precisely at the heart of the question she herself could not answer honestly.

She looked at him, at his crossed arms and the faint veins beneath the skin. A light blush crept across her cheeks, and the place where he had held her tightly after the fall began to burn.

Jessica could not hide the memory. The guy noticed her embarrassment immediately.

“What exactly didn’t you like?” he continued, provoking her.

Her heart beat faster. Jessica said nothing, trying to bring her emotions under control. His persistence threw her off balance.

“I liked it,” she answered with startling confidence, surprising not only Romeo but herself.

The guy cleared his throat. At last, she had managed to knock him out of his usual certainty.

Got you.

For the first time in hours, she felt she had taken the initiative.

Now Romeo was the one looking at her in confusion.

“Especially when I fell on you,” she admitted almost in a whisper, deciding to finish off his composure completely.

Romeo’s pupils widened. He swallowed hard. After thinking for a second about what to say, he spoke:

“If you liked it that much... fall again,” a hint of shyness slipping through his bold statement. He was trying to outplay her, but Jessica had no intention of giving up. She liked the taste of victory even more and intended to keep going.

“We’ll have to wait until the train starts moving again,” the girl said, rising to stand level with him. Even despite the obvious difference in height, she felt like the winner.

The guy stepped closer, moving into dangerous proximity and leaving no space between them.

“We’ll wait.”

Romeo drilled her with an intense gaze. Jessica could have sworn the air around them had heated to an insane temperature.

“Last time you weren’t wearing a shirt. Uneven conditions,” her throat had gone dry.

Without breaking eye contact, Romeo slowly took off his T-shirt. His dark hair fell into disarray, and with a light movement of his hand he shook it back. A barely visible bead of sweat slid down his temple. It was genuinely getting hot.

“Don’t you think my bare torso is an uneven condition too?”

Jessica thought for a second—and just as slowly took off her own T-shirt, tossing it somewhere behind her. Her lips pressed into a victorious half-smile. The guy remained perfectly steady, never taking his eyes from her face.

They stood facing each other, neither knowing what would happen next.

“Your move,” the girl broke the silence. Her chest rose with every breath. She tried to draw in as much air as possible so he would not notice her traitorously loud heartbeat. Jessica could have sworn that if Romeo lowered his gaze, he would see her heart trying to burst through her ribcage.

Romeo opened his mouth to answer, but the train suddenly lurched forward.

This time, he lost his balance and stumbled toward her.

Defeated.

An electric current shot through her when she felt him against her. The same hot skin as before burned against hers. His hands wrapped around her waist, filling the empty space—as if they had always belonged there. Their lips were almost touching. Jessica instinctively teased him with her ragged breathing.

“To hell with it.”

Romeo was the first to give in, pulling her into a passionate, hungry kiss. Jessica kissed him back, wanting not only to savor the scent of jasmine but its taste as well.

For the first time in a long while, Jessica felt incredibly alive.

Not alone.

Their hands explored each other’s heated bodies as the train gathered speed and raced into the darkness.

“Next stop in six hours. We wish everyone a pleasant journey and a good night,” the driver’s announcement came over the speaker.

Romeo pulled her closer, letting her feel his desire. Fireworks exploded in her mind from a feeling she could not name in that moment.

Jessica reveled in the softness of his hair, the warmth of his skin, and the desire blazing back to life with renewed force.

When Jessica came to, morning sunlight filled the compartment. Neat suburban houses flickered past the window. She sat up, feeling a dull ache at the back of her head. Pushing aside the misshapen pillow, she grabbed her phone. There was an hour left until her station.

Romeo was quietly snoring in his seat, wrapped in a snow-white sheet. He looked peaceful, with the faintest smile on his face. Either he was dreaming about something very pleasant, or it was simply the aftermath of the night before.

With the utmost care not to wake him, Jessica began gathering her things.

When the driver announced the stop, the girl was already standing in the corridor by the exit. The morning breeze cooled her face. Jessica breathed in the crisp air and smiled. She had never felt so free, both in body and soul.

The departing train gave a whistle. Jessica closed her eyes, savoring the astonishing rush of positive emotion.

No regret.

No anxiety.

No fear.

Only the road home lay ahead.

And a new, free life.

***

Romeo came to when the driver finished announcing the name of the next stop. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The seat opposite was empty, but traces of her presence had not yet completely disappeared.

The guy rushed to the window, hoping she had not vanished from the platform just as quickly. He wanted only one more look at her. Jessica was standing on the platform. Her red hair streamed in the wind. The morning rays played with its color, making the strands glow brighter.

Romeo watched her, mesmerized, until the train gathered speed and the platform slipped away.

He was on the road alone again.