There is no way I am ever going back. The girl was running through the
rain.
Her long sleeve shirt was sticking to her as she ran but she didn't care.
She
had no idea where she was going. I have to get as far away from here as
possible. She ran blindly through the downtown streets as the rain pounded
harder. I wonder if he has noticed I am gone yet? He is going to be looking
for me soon. I have got to get out of here as soon as possible. That jerk. That was the last thought she had before she heard a honking horn and the screeching of tires. She looked to her left and saw headlights heading straight for her. "Noooo", she screamed putting her arms up to her face. All of a sudden she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her to safety. "You all right?" She heard from behind her. Watching as the car kept going, she was too shaky to turn around to see who it was that had just saved her life. The person turned her around to face him. He saw the look on her face. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Her face was streaked with water. He didn't know if it was from tears or the rain.
"Miss I asked are you all right?" he said again. She broke down in tears and buried her head in his shoulder. "Thank you sir. You saved my life," she said. Her voice was muffled as she spoke. His heart went out to her so he wrapped his arms around her and held on as she cried. He hugged her a little tighter and she gasped and backed away from him. "I thank you kindly sir but I need to be going," she said as she turned to walk away. He stood there. Confused by her reaction. He started after her. "Wait a minute. I save your life and you just walk away. I don't even get a name," he said. She stopped and turned to face him. His dark eyes were piercing right through to her soul. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The rain was
pouring around both them. She noticed how his wet t-shirt clung to his muscles. She saw how big his arms are. The arms that were just around her. She looked up at his face. His hair was sticking to his cheeks making it look like he had on a pair of black rimmed glasses and she let out a little giggle. "What?" he asked. She reached up and moved the hair back.
"My name is Samantha," she said. "Now was that so hard. I'm Matt Hardy," he said looking around. "Come on. We need to get out of this rain. We are going to catch a cold standing out here like a couple of idiots," he said taking her hand and running across the road to a cafe. They went in and the waitress behind the
counter looked at them. "Oh dear," she said running up to them. "You poor dears. Getting caught out in this weather. Come on. Let me get you some towels," she said sitting them at the couter. She ran to the back and returned with two towels. She handed each of them one. "Thank you ma'am," Samantha said as she wiped some of the water off of her. "Here now. Have some coffee. On me," she said pouring the coffee in the mugs she had sat down for them. "Thanks Aunt Nancy," Matt told the waitress. Samantha looked at Matt then back at the waitress seeing the resemblance. Samantha took the mug the
lady handed her and felt the warm liquid slide down to her stomach as she sipped her coffee. "Feeling better hun?" the elderly waitress asked. "Yes much. Thank you," she said. "You're welcome," Nancy told her.
Matt got up and said,"Let's sit over there." Samantha looked in the direction he was pointing. It was to a booth in the back of the cafe. What do I have to lose
she thought to herself. I mean he did just save my life. She got off her stool and walked to the booth and sat down. He slid into the seat across from her. She looked at him over her coffee cup. He was staring at her. "What?" she asked putting her cup down on the table. "I am waiting for you to tell me why you were walking in the middle of the street in a storm like that out there?" he asked. All of the events that happened earlier came flooding back to her. She shuddered. "Are you alright? Is it too cold in here for you?" Matt asked. She looked at him. Shocked by his genuine care for her. "No. No. It is just fine. I was...." she stopped and looked at his eyes. She felt the tears stinging in her own eyes. Stop it she told herself. Just tell him you're lost. "I. Uh. My car broke down a few miles from here. And you see I
was walking to find someone to help me," she said taking another sip of coffee. His eyebrow arched. Oh no. He isn't buying this. "Really?" he asked. She couldn't look back up at him. She couldn't bare to see his eyes. She shook her head yes. "Why do you care anyway? I am just a stranger. Someone who was just going to move through town. I don't even matter," she said. After sitting there for a moment in silence she finally looked at him. She saw his eyes and the hurt she had caused him. He leaned towards her. "That is not true. You matter. And I care because you looked like you were in so much pain. Like something or someone had hurt you. To me it seemed like you were running from someone," he said. Her eyes widened. "You know?" she asked him. "No. That is why I am trying to get you to tell me the truth. So I can somehow help," he said. "So you didn't buy the car story?" she asked. He shook his head no. "You are one of those people that lets nothing go until you have fixed it, aren't you?" she said looking at him. He smiled. "It's not my fault. It's in my nature," he said drinking his coffee. She felt safe with him. Something she has not felt for a long time. She looked down at her coffee mug. The brown mug was empty. "Do you think I can get a refill?" she
asked him. He took her cup. "Sure. Besides I need one myself. I'll be back," he said getting up and walking to the counter.
Samantha looked nervously around the cafe. From where she was sitting she could see everything. Including the door. So she could see if anyone was to come in without being surprised. She slid over a little more towards the wall. Matt was walking back towards the table with the coffee. He sat down. "So tell me where you are from? Since you said you were a stranger and all," he said. Samantha sipped her coffee. This time it was too warm. She put her cup down. "Well I am from Florida," she said trying not to volunteer too much information. "Really? What part? I have friends that live in Florida," he said. "Um. Ft. Lauderdale," she said. "Nope. My friends live in Tampa," he said. "Ft. Lauderdale? That's like around Miami right?" he asked. "Yeah something like that," she added. "That is kind of far from here. How did you get here?" he asked as his curiosity grew stronger. "By car," she said. "Would this happen to be the one that supposedly broke down a few miles from here?" She looked around trying to think of another topic to talk about. Coming up blank she said, "Kind of." She had this strong feeling that she should tell him the truth. But what would happen after that. She didn't have time to think of the consequences. The words were already coming out of her mouth. "Well see what happened was before you saved my life I was running from my..." The cafe door opened. In walked a lady. It startled Samantha. She was so frightened that she turned over her coffee on Matt. "I'm so sorry," Samantha said. Matt quickly grabbed the towel and thanked his lucky stars the coffee had cooled down. "Don't worry about this," he said. The lady kept walking closer to Samantha and Matt. "Hey honey, what happened?" The lady asked Matt. "Oh hhhhhi," Matt said as his face grew bright red. "Well aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" The lady asked. "Oh yes, Krystal this is my friend Samantha. And Samantha this is my friend, I mean fiancee, Krystal." Samantha almost fell out of the booth. "Oh hi Krystal it is nice to meet you," Samantha replied. "Well Matt I must be going now," Samantha said getting up to leave. "Wait Samantha don't go yet, you have not finished telling me your story." Matt said. "Oh that's alright, you look like you are busy," Samantha said as she got up. "Where are you going to go, how will you get there, do you need anything from me?" Matt said frantically. "No thank you. But thanks again for all of your help and tell your aunt I said thank you."
for me soon. I have got to get out of here as soon as possible. That jerk. That was the last thought she had before she heard a honking horn and the screeching of tires. She looked to her left and saw headlights heading straight for her. "Noooo", she screamed putting her arms up to her face. All of a sudden she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her to safety. "You all right?" She heard from behind her. Watching as the car kept going, she was too shaky to turn around to see who it was that had just saved her life. The person turned her around to face him. He saw the look on her face. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Her face was streaked with water. He didn't know if it was from tears or the rain.
"Miss I asked are you all right?" he said again. She broke down in tears and buried her head in his shoulder. "Thank you sir. You saved my life," she said. Her voice was muffled as she spoke. His heart went out to her so he wrapped his arms around her and held on as she cried. He hugged her a little tighter and she gasped and backed away from him. "I thank you kindly sir but I need to be going," she said as she turned to walk away. He stood there. Confused by her reaction. He started after her. "Wait a minute. I save your life and you just walk away. I don't even get a name," he said. She stopped and turned to face him. His dark eyes were piercing right through to her soul. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The rain was
pouring around both them. She noticed how his wet t-shirt clung to his muscles. She saw how big his arms are. The arms that were just around her. She looked up at his face. His hair was sticking to his cheeks making it look like he had on a pair of black rimmed glasses and she let out a little giggle. "What?" he asked. She reached up and moved the hair back.
"My name is Samantha," she said. "Now was that so hard. I'm Matt Hardy," he said looking around. "Come on. We need to get out of this rain. We are going to catch a cold standing out here like a couple of idiots," he said taking her hand and running across the road to a cafe. They went in and the waitress behind the
counter looked at them. "Oh dear," she said running up to them. "You poor dears. Getting caught out in this weather. Come on. Let me get you some towels," she said sitting them at the couter. She ran to the back and returned with two towels. She handed each of them one. "Thank you ma'am," Samantha said as she wiped some of the water off of her. "Here now. Have some coffee. On me," she said pouring the coffee in the mugs she had sat down for them. "Thanks Aunt Nancy," Matt told the waitress. Samantha looked at Matt then back at the waitress seeing the resemblance. Samantha took the mug the
lady handed her and felt the warm liquid slide down to her stomach as she sipped her coffee. "Feeling better hun?" the elderly waitress asked. "Yes much. Thank you," she said. "You're welcome," Nancy told her.
Matt got up and said,"Let's sit over there." Samantha looked in the direction he was pointing. It was to a booth in the back of the cafe. What do I have to lose
she thought to herself. I mean he did just save my life. She got off her stool and walked to the booth and sat down. He slid into the seat across from her. She looked at him over her coffee cup. He was staring at her. "What?" she asked putting her cup down on the table. "I am waiting for you to tell me why you were walking in the middle of the street in a storm like that out there?" he asked. All of the events that happened earlier came flooding back to her. She shuddered. "Are you alright? Is it too cold in here for you?" Matt asked. She looked at him. Shocked by his genuine care for her. "No. No. It is just fine. I was...." she stopped and looked at his eyes. She felt the tears stinging in her own eyes. Stop it she told herself. Just tell him you're lost. "I. Uh. My car broke down a few miles from here. And you see I
was walking to find someone to help me," she said taking another sip of coffee. His eyebrow arched. Oh no. He isn't buying this. "Really?" he asked. She couldn't look back up at him. She couldn't bare to see his eyes. She shook her head yes. "Why do you care anyway? I am just a stranger. Someone who was just going to move through town. I don't even matter," she said. After sitting there for a moment in silence she finally looked at him. She saw his eyes and the hurt she had caused him. He leaned towards her. "That is not true. You matter. And I care because you looked like you were in so much pain. Like something or someone had hurt you. To me it seemed like you were running from someone," he said. Her eyes widened. "You know?" she asked him. "No. That is why I am trying to get you to tell me the truth. So I can somehow help," he said. "So you didn't buy the car story?" she asked. He shook his head no. "You are one of those people that lets nothing go until you have fixed it, aren't you?" she said looking at him. He smiled. "It's not my fault. It's in my nature," he said drinking his coffee. She felt safe with him. Something she has not felt for a long time. She looked down at her coffee mug. The brown mug was empty. "Do you think I can get a refill?" she
asked him. He took her cup. "Sure. Besides I need one myself. I'll be back," he said getting up and walking to the counter.
Samantha looked nervously around the cafe. From where she was sitting she could see everything. Including the door. So she could see if anyone was to come in without being surprised. She slid over a little more towards the wall. Matt was walking back towards the table with the coffee. He sat down. "So tell me where you are from? Since you said you were a stranger and all," he said. Samantha sipped her coffee. This time it was too warm. She put her cup down. "Well I am from Florida," she said trying not to volunteer too much information. "Really? What part? I have friends that live in Florida," he said. "Um. Ft. Lauderdale," she said. "Nope. My friends live in Tampa," he said. "Ft. Lauderdale? That's like around Miami right?" he asked. "Yeah something like that," she added. "That is kind of far from here. How did you get here?" he asked as his curiosity grew stronger. "By car," she said. "Would this happen to be the one that supposedly broke down a few miles from here?" She looked around trying to think of another topic to talk about. Coming up blank she said, "Kind of." She had this strong feeling that she should tell him the truth. But what would happen after that. She didn't have time to think of the consequences. The words were already coming out of her mouth. "Well see what happened was before you saved my life I was running from my..." The cafe door opened. In walked a lady. It startled Samantha. She was so frightened that she turned over her coffee on Matt. "I'm so sorry," Samantha said. Matt quickly grabbed the towel and thanked his lucky stars the coffee had cooled down. "Don't worry about this," he said. The lady kept walking closer to Samantha and Matt. "Hey honey, what happened?" The lady asked Matt. "Oh hhhhhi," Matt said as his face grew bright red. "Well aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" The lady asked. "Oh yes, Krystal this is my friend Samantha. And Samantha this is my friend, I mean fiancee, Krystal." Samantha almost fell out of the booth. "Oh hi Krystal it is nice to meet you," Samantha replied. "Well Matt I must be going now," Samantha said getting up to leave. "Wait Samantha don't go yet, you have not finished telling me your story." Matt said. "Oh that's alright, you look like you are busy," Samantha said as she got up. "Where are you going to go, how will you get there, do you need anything from me?" Matt said frantically. "No thank you. But thanks again for all of your help and tell your aunt I said thank you."
