Page 57 of Meet Me at the Metro

Peaceful.

I’ll soak in the calm for as long as it’s willing to last.

The rush of raindrops falls onto us as we make our way back toward the train station, both of our hair growing damp from its unapologetic downpour—count on England to bring you rain when you least want it.

Nora’s crutches squelch against the pavement behind me, and I can’t resist the urge to assist her. I crouch in front of her and motion for her to jump onto my back. “Come on, gimpy.”

“Absolutely not. I’m not doing this again.”

“Get on,” I roll my eyes, staying in position.

“I’ve got this,” she insists, ignoring me as she continues down the busy street.

“Fine then.” I come up behind her without warning and sweep her off her feet, pitching her and her crutches into my arms.

“I swear, Teddy! If you don’t put me down right now!”

“So damn stubborn,” I chuckle, refusing to let her go.

She gives up arguing with me as we reach the stairs of the train station and buries her face into my chest to avoid the sets of stares from people. “So damn extra,” she mumbles.

We almost reach the doors of the train, but just as I go to carry the two of us inside, I lose my footing against the slick concrete. Nora and I both go down. My back meets the ground in a heavy thud that forces a painful groan out of me. Nora’s sprawled out on top of me, nothing buta fit of laughter and snorts. Although my entire body is aching, I start laughing right along with her.

I can only imagine how fucking ridiculous the two of us look right now.

“Who’s the clumsy one now?” she insults, choking back tears.

“Still not as fucking clumsy as you!”

While we work on catching our breath, our eyes lock as the rise and fall of our chests begin to sync.

“Could you take me somewhere else?”Nora whispers.

I narrow my eyes, although I already know my answer. “Where?”

“I wanna see your place.”

17

EYES ON ME

E L L I E

The door to Theo’s flat is more than relieving to see. I relish the fact that it’s situated on the first floor of the building, knowing that my throbbing ankle can’t take too much more for the night.

And I sure as hell am not letting Theo carry me anymore tonight.

We’re both soaked and shivering as Theo unlocks the door and motions me inside his flat. He closes the door behind us and flicks on the lights, and I sigh as the warm air of the place greets my damp skin. I prop my crutches up against the wall and give my armpits some much-needed rest, making sure to take the weight off of my foot as I stand.

Dim, gold lamps illuminate the flat, revealing the unique industrial appearance of the small living space. I admire how neat but lived-in everything is as my eyes skim the place.

A rustic brick wall contrasts against the dark palette of his living room, which remains relatively empty. Only a small, black grand piano and an espresso-brown leather couch occupy the space. My eyes look past the living room and into the kitchen that it casually merges into. Black cabinets and gray countertops accent the small cooking area, matching perfectly with the darker colors spread throughout the rest of the apartment.

“You can explore,” he nods.

Stepping carefully, I walk across the ashy hardwood floors and return toward the open staircase by the front door. My gaze trails past themetal railing of the contemporary stairs, intrigued by the loft bedroom that lingers at the top of them.

A bright smile covers my face as I turn back to Theo. “Wow, your place is—”

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