Fates Tied, page 14
She was grateful for that. She knew that if he had said anything, if he had looked at her for a moment longer she would have broken down. He had saved them both the agony of an awkward and sad breakup by walking away and they both knew where they stood. She turned and made to cross the street, racing through the rain. All around her the cars beeped and screeched their brakes. Pedestrians walked around, not even noticing that one of their number’s heart was breaking as she walked.
Edward watched from St Pancreas as Suzanne crossed the road and made her way to the entrance to Kings Cross. His heart felt heavy and light at the same time and something niggled at his brain. He felt as though there was something unfinished between them but wasn’t sure what it was. As he watched Suzanne stop at the crossing light, the sun broke through the clouds for a moment and a shaft of light fell on her. His heart literally skipped a beat as he saw the way her hair shone in the light, the way the sun’s rays illuminated her skin and face, making her suddenly seem like a teenager. And he saw the sadness in her eyes. He realised what he had to do.
“Suzanne!” She heard a voice crying, “Suzanne wait!”
She turned and saw Edward, racing across the street towards her. The rain continued to fall and she gasped in horror as a car almost hit him, barely stopping in time to avoid his legs. Edward paid it no attention though, simply continuing on as though nothing had happened.
He finally reached the other side of the road and raced towards her. Without saying another word he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. The rain fell around them, hitting them and soaking in to their clothes. They just stood there, pedestrians walking around them and barely paying them a second glance.
Then Edward stepped back and looked at Suzanne, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, a long lingering kiss that seemed to say so many things in such a small amount of contact. He held her close once more, burying his face in her neck.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear, his voice breaking slightly, “I love you now and I always will. I am yours, always.”
Then, giving her no time to react Edward pulled away and walked back through the crowd and across the road to St Pancreas Station.
Suzanne simply stood there, watching him until he vanished through the doors, mingling with the rest of the crowd. And still she stood there, soaking in the rain. She felt lighter, relieved even. She might not have gained the man that she wanted, the partner that she thought that she needed to be happy but being with Edward had helped her find something even better.
She had found herself.
She had found that she was happy alone, she was happy with her friends and that a partner simply added to that happiness rather than being the sole source of it. She knew that she could speak up for herself, she knew what she wanted from a relationship and she knew how to get those things and make them reality. And it had been Edward who had helped her get herself back. She had been lost for so many years, changed from the woman she had thought she was into someone she didn’t recognise and she hadn’t even realised it had happened until Edward came along.
He had pushed her, made her see her limits and made her stand firm. She smiled and began to walk through Kings Cross towards her platform.
She knew that he would always be there for her if she ever needed him, that a single text message would bring him back into her life without a question. And she smiled to herself. Then her phone beeped.
I am yours, always. E xx
Was all the message said.
She was back and he was out there, ready to save her if she needed it or wanted it. Suzanne was content and truly, deeply happy for the first time in a very, very long time.
Jack Wildman, Fates Tied
