Inevitably His

"Cole's eyes pierced through my soul and I just lost track of time for a while. His gaze was soft and mesmerizing . A mixture of warmth and something I could not put into words. As if the blue of his irises calmed all my erupted senses ... Who could've believed a single look could feel so good...

Few hours earlier...

It was a long day at North High Carolina's University and I was exhausted after my morning classes. So I decided to go freshen up before heading home. I was in my last year already. That meant this year was final graduation.

On my way out I received a call from my–unrelated cousin– Brad . Telling me to stop by the library so we could hang up for a while, then head home together. since he was visiting his aunt who resided few blocks away from my foster house.

I instantly plugged my earphones and headed to the library, which was remotely situated across from campus. The library area had to be quiet ; and so does my mind while I cross walked through it. I couldn't bare the crowd's noise. There were a couple of benches and tables few steps away where Brad and I usually hang out whenever we met at North High CU . we had a bench and a table by the oldest tree on campus where we met or waited for each other or I would hang out alone or with other friends. It was a pleasant quiet place indeed.

I know you'd think I was antisocial . Hell yeah ! I definitely was a loner. Born orphan and raised into a foster family, with four so-called brothers and sisters constantly fighting over everything and nothing . I was always seeking quietness in a corner of the house. I just liked it that way, I was genuinely calm . And music was my means to get disconnected from the crowd . I needed it to ease my troubled soul.

Brad excitedly waved a hand at me as I approached him. he was sitting at the back of the bench and had his feet over the seat. Without delay I unplugged myself from my music and greeted him with a wide smile .

" There you are Ivy !" Brad greeted me back with wide open arms as for a hug . But I just avoided him with a frown on my face as soon as I got closer . Aiming for the seat opposite from where he stood.

"Hi, and I'm definitely not sitting anywhere near you !" I coughed with a hand on my nose pointing at the cigarette in his hand .

"Why ?" He pouted, holding his arms high waiting for his hug . But I just shrugged him off.

" Haven't you quit smoking like two days ago ?!" I interrogated raising an eyebrow, while taking the seat opposite from him .

" Yeah , but then I broke up with Layla !" He remarked harshly

"So fuck it Ivy, I'm back to my old self smoking and listening to love songs." He added engulfing his cigarette in his mouth not smiling any longer .

"She wasn't your type anyway and you know that !" I said

" Yeah you were the one who told me that from the beginning I know.. Then again I was dumb enough to think that she was.. different " He confessed"

I studied him narrowing my eyes

" You know by smoking you're killing yourself right ? "

" I quit drinking too so either that or this !" He said annoyed, engulfing his half lit cigarette in his mouth one more time.

" I meant you're killing me dumbass !" I protested , as I fetch my perfume bottle from my purse.

"And emptying all my perfume bottles!" I coughed in disgust as the cigarette smoke was suffocating me. looking desperately for the bottle in my purse.

"Some people are allergic to smoke you believe that ?! " Brad said ironically and it seemed not intended for my hearing.

I raised my head to notice someone else standing beside him. A guy who just leaned in and grabbed Brad's cigarette pack .

" I am !" I cried out .

" Besides, you know I hate the smell ! It stuck in my hair and I just can't stand that." I added while showering myself with the perfume, right before seeing what the stranger did.

At my utter surprise I noticed that he tossed it inside his pocket along with the lighter he grabbed from over the table and said:

"Enough smoking for today Brad " He commanded sternly then calmly directed his gaze towards me.

Those intense blue eyes of him just crossed mine and I froze for a while. As if they dragged me from reality to another dimension. I had the feeling that his eyes pierced through my soul and I lost track of time for a while. I could not decipher it .

His gaze was sweet and empathizing unlike the tone of his voice from earlier. It was a mixture of warmth and something else, I could not put into words. As if the blue of his irises calmed all my erupted senses . I just forgot about the soreness in my throat caused by the smoke . Who could've believed a single look does so much good ?

" Cole is such a humanist ! he's not letting me smoke because of you " Brad remarked with a smirk on his face . Drawing back my attention to reality.

"Well you should pick example over him sometime!" said Cole ironically suggested. Reading the thought on my mind as I looked back at Brad nodding .

" Well, technically I'm your –best cousin friend– and that's what –best cousin friends– are for, they tolerate each other no matter what " Brad grinded as he breathed one more time at his almost dead cigarette before he snuff it out the ashtray on the table .

I glared at him and back in the guy's direction

"Thank you!" But he already drove his gaze away from me.

" She said thank you ! " Brad repeated after he elbowed his friend dragging his attention back to our conversation.

" It's nothing." He merely said towards me. That's when our eyes met again...

***

" Cole this is Ivy, Ivy this is Cole !" Brad introduced us.

He smiled so I simply smiled back at him not paying much attention to the heating on my cheeks . while Brad went on narrating what had happened with his ex girlfriend Layla .

Brad was a nice guy who had no luck when it came to love associations. A little dramatic boy yet he was a kind hearted man . And above everything, complaining was his thing. I just tolerate him like he said earlier.

Cole was leaning there on the bench quiet, simply nodding at Brad 's mumblings. Trying not to get involved in the conversation going on. He would chuckle or smirk from time to time making a comment while Brad giggled at his own words.

He was wearing a steel blue buttoned shirt with dark denim , his dark brown disheveled hair and three days beard contrasted with the deep blue of his eyes making his look more piercing than ever. I noticed what he was wearing because I found a hard time keeping myself from looking at him. His deep blue eyes were dragging me into looking at them.

After a while we were already headed to the buses in order to go to our respective homes. Brad stopped many times midway to make a comment bragging about himself. But Cole just nodded or smiled. Avoiding eye contact with any of us. Like he was absorbed in some other space time. I caught up his gaze once or twice on the way.

Only if I have known few moments later...