In the Air (The City Book 1) - By Crystal Serowka Page 0,24

even begin to imagine that kind of pain, Natalia." His hand reached across the table and found mine. He didn't quite hold my hand, but his fingers caressed the inside of my palm.

"It's a pain that's everlasting," I said quietly, not knowing if Samson could hear me over the loud chatter in the cafe.

"Do you wanna talk about it? I'd love to listen."

I wasn't used to sincerity. My mother didn't have a sincere bone in her body. I took a deep breath and began. "He had cancer. It was a long fight and we spent a good chunk of time in and out of the hospital." I laughed, my body responding to the stressful memories. I thought about the hospital that I'd grown so familiar with. If I closed my eyes, I could picture the long hallways leading down to the surgical rooms. I could still hear the constant ringing of telephones and the greeting that the receptionists answered with. I couldn't use hand sanitizer any longer because the smell reminded me of the place where I sat, day and night. It had been a whole year, yet I still felt trapped within the cement walls. Samson's fingers softly caressed my skin as I spoke. "He was wonderful." I felt tears build in my eyes. If I blinked, they would fall down my cheeks, and I didn't want to cry in public. I didn't want to cry in front of Samson. "I need to use the restroom."

I stood from my chair, pushing it back and rushing off. Once I closed and locked the door, I cried. There were many moments like this in my life now. They'd come out of nowhere. I could be doing something as trivial as tying my shoe and all of a sudden, my dad would invade my mind and I'd start bawling.

I sat against the door, my head in my lap, sobbing. After a few minutes, I heard a knock on the door. "Someone's in here," I said loudly, my voice shaky.

"Natalia, it's me," Samson answered.

I wiped under my eyes, glad I had not worn any mascara that morning. Fanning my eyes, I tried my best to hide the fact that I'd been blubbering like a baby. I took a deep breath before opening the door, preparing myself for the world. I'd done that every morning since that fateful night. I smiled to disguise my heartbreak. I wore the mask so well, people around me thought I was strong, however, every piece of me was shattered and I didn't think I'd ever be repaired.

"Natalia," he reached out and pulled me into his chest, "are you all right? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your dad." He hugged me tightly and I wished we weren't in a public place. It felt amazing being comforted.

"It's okay." I took another deep breath, inhaling Samson's scent. "It's really okay."

He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering on my skin for an extra moment. We walked back to the table and sat down.

"I just want to say one thing." Samson's blue eyes stared into mine. He slowly licked his lips before speaking. "I don't know much about your life, but I do see how your face lights up when you dance. That's the reason you're here, Natalia. No matter what struggles you go through, you'll always be able to look at your life and know what an incredible feat it was to get where you are today. You deserve happiness."

I was wrong about Samson. Sitting here with him, I was able to see past his facade. Before I knew it, we had been at Cafe Lalo for two hours. I was able to open up about more about my life. We talked about our childhoods, my demanding mother, and more about his father, who had never accepted his choices. Every time Samson brought up his dad, I could see that he was suffering. Like me, Samson faked his own happiness. He was confiding in me, and I in him.

"If you would have told me yesterday that we'd be sitting at a cafe for hours, talking about our lives, I would have laughed in your face," I said, and Samson nodded in agreement. "I should be going. I have plans to see one of my favorite bands tonight. I'm gonna head back and get ready." As I stood from my chair, Samson followed.

"What band? I have plans, too, but they aren't definite. If it's a good band, I'd love