December 31, 2009
-Sadie-
All Sadie wanted was to get off the train. Sweat trickled down her back as more passengers squeezed into the already packed Northern Line train car in London’s Underground.
The Tube’s musty dampness clashed with the floral perfume wafting from a group of women nearby, ready for a night out. She clung to the cold metal pole for balance, the books in her Foyles shopping bag digging into her hip as the carriage jolted forward. Around her, she could hear her friends' chatter, their voices a low hum beneath the train’s rumble as they headed back to their hotel to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
“This is what Tetris blocks must feel like,” Lila grumbled beside her, rolling her eyes as yet another commuter elbowed past.
Sadie smirked, adjusting her grip on the pole.
“At least Tetris blocks don’t smell,” she shot back, wrinkling her nose. Lila’s giggle was a bright spot in the chaos, and Sadie couldn’t help but join in, the sound cutting through the stuffiness of the carriage.
During the trip, the organizers had spoiled the high school group. A tour bus chauffeured them around London and its outskirts in comfort. Today, though, they had broken up into small groups to explore the city, and she wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Dickens’ house, with its faded wallpaper, the Globe Theatre’s weathered beams, and a pilgrimage to Foyles that had her inner bookworm buzzing were all worth it. Her college admission essays were writing themselves in her head, fueled by every literary landmark she’d soaked in.
“Would you mind letting the normal people through?” a smug voice snapped behind Lila. A middle-aged man in a crisp business suit shoved his way forward, his expression pinched with irritation as he surveyed the high school group.
Lila straightened, tilting her chin up in the same haughty manner. “Oh yes, do let the normal people through,” she parroted in an exaggerated British accent, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Can’t you see how utterly important I am?”
Sadie couldn’t control her laughter, earning her a playful nudge from Lila. But her mirth died on her lips as a warm hand brushed hers on the pole, and a jolt of electricity raced up her arm. Heat flashed beneath her skin, the lingering tingle refusing to fade. She jumped, startled by the touch, and spun toward the source.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to…” a warm, deep voice said, trailing off when his eyes met hers.
They were a stunning shade of blue, framed by sharp features and dark hair that fell over his forehead. He stared at her, wide-eyed, as if equally surprised, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
“No, it’s fine,” Sadie blurted, trying to sound casual as she returned his smile. Her heart kicked hard in her chest, an unfamiliar feeling of fluttering in her stomach.
For a moment, the cacophony of the Tube faded, and it was just her and this stranger. As his blue eyes continued to stareinto her gray, she felt an invisible thread stretching between them. It was the kind of moment she’d only ever read about, never expected to actually feel.
His gaze flicked to the Foyles bag swinging from her wrist and asked, “Fellow bookworm? Find any good bits?”
Her nerves melted with his easy grin, and the excitement of finding someone who understood her passion for classic literature.
“Poems on the UndergroundandLondon: A Literary Anthology,“ she said, returning his smile. “If it all fit in my suitcase, I would have bought one of everything…”
“Totally get that,” he said, leaning in a little, his enthusiasm matching hers. “So, who’s your favorite? Like, desert island pick?”
“Austen, hands down,” she replied, her smile turning into a bit of a smirk. “You?”
“Hardy,” he quipped. “Less ballroom, more doom—suits me.”
Sadie opened her mouth to respond when a sharp voice sliced through their bubble.
“Alessandra, come on!” Ms. Harrow’s stern tone jolted her back to reality. The train slowed, brakes screeching as Tottenham Court Road approached.
Panic flared in her chest as she turned back to the handsome stranger, realizing she didn’t even know his name. As she took a breath to ask, the crowd surged forward like a tidal wave, pulling her along. She tried to fight the pull, desperate for one more second—anything that would let her anchor this moment to something real.
“Come on, girl, move it!” Lila tugged her along as they exited the train. “We’re gonna lose the group!”
“Wait,” Sadie stumbled, twisting around to catch one last glimpse. He was still aboard the train, looking out the window, and those blue eyes locked on her. Then the train motorhummed to life as it pulled away, his face fading into the tunnel’s darkness.
Sadie’s heart sank, her hand still tingling where he’d touched her. She barely heard Lila’s voice, her friend shaking her shoulders to break her daze.
“Earth to Sadie. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she murmured, allowing Lila to pull her toward the rest of the group.
As Ms. Harrow herded them toward the escalators, Sadie’s mind raced. Logic told her that she would never see him again. Her heart, however, insisted this was different, and the ache in her chest insisted she’d just let something important slip away.
