Chapter 115: You are Weird
Josh
I watch her face as she talks about photography, noticing how her eyes light up, how her hands move with excitement. It’s like watching someone talk about their first love. The passion is so raw and real it makes my chest ache with a strange kind of envy. I’ve never felt that way about anything.
"What about you?" she asks suddenly, popping a spring roll into her mouth. "What’s your story?"
"Me?" I chuckle, reclining comfortably in my chair as the soft creak of the wood echoes lightly. "Nothing too wild. Architecture caught my eye, so I decided to pursue it."
"But you must love it, right?" she insists, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.
I ponder her question, feeling the cool condensation from my water glass seeping into my palms as I roll it back and forth. "Yes," I reply, the word hanging in the air.
Hailey examines me closely, her head tilted slightly to one side, like a curious bird. Her gaze is steady, searching. "Why did you really come here, Josh? The truth," she asks, her voice a blend of curiosity and expectation.
The question hangs between us, heavy with potential. I could brush it off, make another joke, keep things light. But something about the way she’s looking at me.
"I’ve spent my whole life playing it safe," I admit. "Even when I seem spontaneous, it’s calculated. I never take real risks, especially not with people." I meet her eyes. "But then I saw you running down that highway, so determined to chase your dream, and something just... clicked. I wanted to be part of that energy, that courage."
"So I’m just... an energy?" she asks, almost looking sad.
"No," I say quietly. "You made me feel alive. Curious."