A Whisper Of Truth

    It can’t be true, Saul thought, it simply isn’t impossible. But what if it is? Even if there is only a whisper of the truth to what Richard said. Wouldn’t it be worth it? You’ve loved this woman for how long now? It’s time to buck up. No more beating around the bush with her. If she does have feelings for you. Could you really live with yourself, knowing that you never told her you felt the same? Think of how it felt when the two of you first met. The way you dreaded saying goodbye. The way your stomach turned as you watched the minutes pass by. Knowing each and every time when and why she was leaving. Usually with some other guy that you would always find a way of convincing yourself was better than you and you simply had no chance of being with her now. No reason to even try to venture from the friend zone. At least for the moment you have a zone and she’s giving you the time of day. All these thoughts rushing through my mind at once and for what? Calm down Saul, he told himself, pull yourself together. Get to the bottom of it before you give yourself an aneurysm.
    “Tell me again exactly what Allison told you?” Saul said.
    “She said she wasn’t dating anyone because she was waiting for you to ask her out. You never did, so she decided to take the internship in Madrid.”
    A heart broken Allison in Madrid, Spain? Looking for love after a love lost. I’m done for, Saul thought, but what can I do?
    “Damn,” Saul said, shaking his head, he took a sip of his coffee.
    “She should be at her apartment packing. I think she said her flight was at four so you probably have time to catch her before she leaves.”
    Saul just sat there, his head down, continuing to curse himself for his lack of fortitude.
    “Will you stop moping around and go talk to her? It’s time to grow a pair,” Richard said.
    I couldn’t of said it any better myself, Saul thought. Grow a pair, he laughed aloud when he thought about it. He nearly tripped and fell on his face, he jumped out of his chair so fast.
    “I gotta go man, thank you.”
    Saul practically ran out of the cafeteria. He was walking just fast enough not to be in violation of any rules at Oak State Community College. Allison had a place a couple miles off of campus so he knew that time was of the essence. As soon as he hit the curb the bus was rolling past. The number 3 route, just the bus he needed to get to Allison’s. He took his cell phone from his pants pocket and dialed the local cab company.
    “Yellow cab,” a young woman said.
    “I’m at Oak State and need to go down to Cedar and Mill. There’s a ten dollar tip in it for you if you can get here in the next ten minutes.”
    “I’m right down the street hon, be there in a few.”
    “Thank you.”
    Three minutes passed and the yellow cab pulled to the curb. Saul got in the back as soon as the cabs brake lights came on.
    “Thanks again, I really appreciate it.”
    “It’ll be seven dollars.”
    “Here’s twenty,” Saul said, handing her the money. “You can keep it if you get me there fast.”
    With that said the young woman grabbed the bill and put her foot on the gas. She was barreling down the road like a madman running with the bulls, within five minutes they were there. When they got there Allison’s car was still in the parking lot. He ran up the stairs to the third floor and knocked on her door, all the time praying and hoping. He knocked and waited.
    “Just a minute,” he heard her say. A few moments passed and the door opened just enough for her to poke her head out to see who it was.
    “Oh it’s you,” she said with a smile. “Why are you knocking? You should have just came right in.”
    “I don’t know. I’m just. I wanted to.” No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t put an intelligible sentence together. He was tripping over his words like a drunk running hurdles.
    “Are you ok? You look sick or something, come in,” she said, opening the door wider and walking towards the kitchen. “Do you want a beer?”
    “No. I’m all right. I actually came here to talk to you.”
    “Ok,” she said in a nonchalant manner. She plopped down on the couch and crossed her legs. She was wearing short blue athletic shorts with a white tank top. Her blond hair and blue eyes simply glowing from the sunlight shining in through the open window.
    “What do you want to talk about?”
    “Us.”
    “Us?”
    “I think that.” Say it, he thought. No don’t say it. What are you doing Saul? You already came here. You already opened your mouth. Follow Richard’s words of wisdom, ‘grow a pair.’
    “How long have we known each other?”
    “Three years.”
    “I don’t know if I love you because I’ve never been in love. Well maybe, I might be now, with you. All I know is if this feeling is love then I don’t ever want to lose it. I don’t want to let it go. I don’t want to lose you. If this ruins our friendship then I’m sorry but I couldn’t just keep keeping my feelings to myself anymore, it was killing me.”
    She leaned in and kissed him softly. Her lips were everything he had imagined and so much more.
    “I love you too,” she said and smiled, “but what made you come running over here like this?”
    “You’re leaving for Spain today.”
    She cracked up laughing. “No seriously Saul.”
    A whisper of truth, he thought, a whisper of truth.