Let The Past...
Chapter 3
Carla turns to fully look at Harvey with a guilty look on her face and sadness etched in it.
"We should have probably waited till new year or before Christmas at least before we threw her out. At least she has a credible reason to hate this year's Christmas now." Carla whispers to Harvey like she doesn't want to be heard.
Maybe she didn't want to.
"I did it all for you Carla. You should not even think of my ex girlfriend right now. You have a deadline for the winter compilation do you know that?" Harvey says and turns back to his laptop.
Carla says nothing after that and turns back to the window, looks through the heavy rain and keeps looking outside the window at precisely that street corner and sighs from time to time.
***
Back to where Noel is letting go of her tears and Shawn standing over her with his festive coloured umbrella and in the rain.
Few hard minutes later, Noel finally wipes off the last few drops of her tears, with a red and very unclear eyes, she notes she's not getting drenched by the rain and looks up to see a red and white umbrella over her head.
She's surprised and turns around to see who's holding the umbrella over her head and she's more surprised when she sees Shawn in the rain.
Their eyes meet and she registers faintly that Shawn looks very handsome in that rain.
Not meaning to be selfish, she has to agree that the rain looks good on him with his earlier packed hair now scattered and let down and dripping with water.
He smiles at her and she registers that he has a dimple on both sides of his face.
She almost smiles back but for the cough that takes her at that moment. She coughs lightly twice and Shawn takes off his jacket one more time and covers her shoulders with it.
He looks around and makes to pick her clothes off the floor, now very wet and dirty.
He hesitates and looks at Noel. He leaves the clothes and holds Noel's hands and they leave together.
Along the way to where only Shawn knows, Noel doesn't struggle, just coughs from time to time and seems like someone who is going to drop from the cold anytime soon.
They take a cab and in the cab...
"Please go to East Gardens"
"Yes sir." The driver says and turns to drive.
"And please can you turn on the heater?"
"It will increase your fare."
"I'm aware. Please make it a little bit high. She needs as much warmth as possible." Shawn says and adjusts the jacket around Noel again.
By this time of the day, it's rush hour and everybody is heading back home. It's around 7pm already.
When the car stops, Shawn pays and helps Noel down. She said nothing throughout the ride and keeps shivering.
Shawn doesn't look much better, considering the fact that he also got caught in the rain, and his former dripping hair now looks clumped with one side of his hair raised like bear ears.
When Noel sees this and registers what it looks like, she laughs to herself.
Shawn doesn't see her smile while he fumbles with the door.
He finally opens it and says to Noel.
"Welcome to my humble abode" Shawn shouts to be heard above the rain and smiles a very charming smile at Noel.
His home? He brought me to his home?
Were the thoughts that went through Noel's head when she heard him call it his humble abode.
She hesitated for a second before looking up at him, not sure what to do or say.
"It's fine Noel. I'm a gentleman."
"So they all say." Noel replies and steps into the apartment.
The house looks very cool with it's wallpaper. It's a flowery pattern on a side with a mixture of purple and gold on the other.
Noel prefers the colors and looks on it for a little longer. The house smells manly.
It's obviously just him who lives in the apartment.
Noel hears Shawn clear his throat behind her.
"I live alone in case it makes you uncomfortable."
Noel turns to face him, her face white and tired.
"Don't you think I'll be much more uncomfortable seeing you live alone?" Noel teases
Shawn laughs out loud for a little bit and stops while looking at her.
He walks close to her and pulls her to the chair at the center of the room.
"You should rest. You look as pale as a ghost. I'll get you some tea. Which do you like?"
"I'll take what you have. Thanks a lot Shawn"
"It's fine. It's nothing anyway" Shawn says and turns to leave
"Not just the tea now. Everything. You just met me today and you're already helping me. You helped me out in two major moments today."
"Hating Christmas does not open anybody to that kind of mistreatment." Shawn says and leaves into a door on the left side which Noel guesses is the kitchen.
Noel looks around again and takes off her jacket as she does so. She spots a picture on the side table and walks towards it.
On the table lies a few picture frames and Noel picks one up and looks at it.
There are three people in the frame. An obviously younger Shawn and people who seem to be his parents.
"They are my parents. My foster parents." Shawn says while he drops the tea
"If you don't mind, what of your real parents?"
Shawn keeps quiet for a second and has a faraway look in his eyes.
"They died in an accident when I was 6."
"I'm so sorry. I lost my mum when I was 8."
"I'm sorry."
There's an awkward silence for a few seconds until Shawn breaks it.
"The tea might get cold. I made ginger tea. If you don't mind?"
"Beggars are not choosers. I'm practically a beggar. I appreciate it a lot." Noel walks over, sits down and sips the tea in silent slurps.
Shawn says nothing and looks on at her, lost in thought.
***
While Noel and Shawn were at Shawn's place, Noel's Dad gets down from the bus he took back home and walked the short distance to his house.
He sighs continually and when he gets to the front porch. He rings the doorbell and a woman came to open the door for him.
"Welcome back darling. How did your journey go? And why are you back so soon?" She asks all at once while taking his coat.
"Please get me a cup of tea first. I wonder how she's doing. Rain isn't supposed to fall around this time of the year. Winter is here already."
"Where did rain fall?"
"While I was pulling out of Noel's place, the rain started."
"I'll be back. Let me get you a cup of tea"
"Sure." He says and leans on the sofa.
He looks around and his eyes fall on a picture frame. He stands up and walks over to it, his thoughts far away in the past. He thought back to the day the picture was taken with his late wife and daughter, Noel.
**Flashback**