lilackahan10

[lilackahan10]

I haven’t forgotten btw! I was so much busier than expected this past weekend but I’ve started writing it :)

SEQUEL TO DISAPPEARING ACT PLEASE I BEG YOU

Hi!! I’m so glad people like it! I was nervous to post it because it’s the first piece of writing I’ve ever put out but the responses have been really sweet so thank you! 🥹🤍 I most certainly will be writing a sequel soon! I can probably get it out over this weekend :)

[lilackahan10]

SEQUEL TO DISAPPEARING ACT PLEASE I BEG YOU

Hi!! I’m so glad people like it! I was nervous to post it because it’s the first piece of writing I’ve ever put out but the responses have been really sweet so thank you! 🥹🤍 I most certainly will be writing a sequel soon! I can probably get it out over this weekend :)

[lilackahan10]

Disappearing Act

also known as the 5 times Justin thinks he’s jinxed.

The coffee shop

The quiet chime of the bell above the door caught Justin's attention. He threw a fleeting glance to his right before returning his eyes to the menu above the counter, his mind preoccupied with the options in front of him. A young woman stepped inside the coffee shop, the spring breeze following behind her. His attention flickered over to his right once again when he heard her speak. Her voice was soft but confident as she ordered, her accent subtle but there. He found himself watching as her hands gently tugged on her sweater before quickly diverting his eyes back to the menu when she started to turn around.

He tried his best to focus on his order, having never been here before, but it was futile. She had moved to stand next to him and the only thing he could think about was how good she smelt. He didn't know if it was her perfume or her shampoo, but it was heavenly. He watched her typing on her phone in his peripheral vision and began to think of a good one-liner he could use to make her laugh before the barista interrupted his train of thought.

Right, he remembered. The coffee.

Justin placed his order and turned back around to wait next to her. She glanced up from her phone as he did so and it nearly stopped him in his tracks. Her eyes drew him in instantly and the soft smile she gave him had him certain he wasn't leaving without speaking to her. The barista called her name before he was able to, however. He thought her name suited her, despite not knowing her at all. He couldn't help but wish that was different.

His coffee was made quickly, and he walked up to collect his order alongside her. She thanked the staff kindly before heading for the door and Justin wasn't far behind. The fresh air hit him as he left the building, moving in the opposite direction to where he had parked his car as he jogged to catch up with her.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from the parking lot they were in.

"Excuse me.”

He watched as she silently turned around, locking eyes with him once again. There was no use in hiding the small smile that found its way onto his face as soon as she did so. She looked at him curiously before turning to the right, realising it wasn't him that had spoken. A young man, probably their age, was stood just off the side and was looking directly at Justin.

"Can I take a photo with you, man? I'm a huge fan."

Fuck, Justin thought. He smiled, or more accurately grimaced, as he agreed to the photo. He turned around after the brief exchange to realise they were alone in the parking lot. She was gone.

2. The grocery store

Justin felt a little silly, but he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the girl from the coffee shop. It had been a few days, but she'd crossed his mind multiple times. He was pushing his shopping cart around the grocery store, strictly sticking to the list he'd made earlier in the day, when it happened again. A young woman with similar hair to her was crouching down, retrieving something from a lower shelf for an older gentleman on a cane. He smiled to himself at the stranger's action and continued shopping before whipping his head back around in embarrassing fashion when the woman turned around.

He wasn't going crazy. It was her.

Justin's smile grew as he watched her interact with the older man. She turned and began pushing her cart towards Justin's. He manoeuvred himself to be facing in the same direction, his shopping needs long forgotten, hoping to look a little more natural than he felt. He looked up from his list and locked eyes with her for a third time that week. She laughed as she slowly walked by, recognising him from the coffee shop, and she halted her movements next to him. She opened her mouth to say something (he hoped), but Justin felt something crash into him from behind before she could.

It was a child, maybe 5 or 6 years old, and whilst he normally loved children, in that moment Justin did not. The child rammed into his back again as Justin stared at him in disbelief. The mother came running down the aisle, cursing at her child and apologising before dragging him back up the way she came. Justin nodded and turned back around to where his girl had been standing seconds before, a look on his face that said what was that about? His face fell as he turned, though. She was gone.

3. The doctors office

Justin had replayed the grocery store encounter last week over and over in his head, many more times than he'd like to admit. If only I'd turned to talk to her quicker than I did, he kept thinking. He had tried to find her on social media but gave up after feeling like a stalker. Besides, he only knew her name and the colour of her eyes.

The doctors office waiting room was busier than he felt comfortable with. There's some places you don't want to be recognised, and this was one of them. He was staring at his phone to pass the time, replying to emails and scrolling through his calendar, when he felt someone sit next to him. He recognised her scent instantly.

He looked up from his phone with a smile already on his face.

"Either you're following me, or we're meant to be" she joked. He laughed and her smile grew, mirroring his.

"Hi," he said softly, "I'm..."

"Justin", a member of staff called from the hallway.

Goddammit, he thought. He gave her a sheepish smile before standing up and heading to his appointment. He wasn't surprised that she was gone by the time he came out.

4. The restaurant

Justin had begun to believe that he's cursed. Another week had passed, and he had tried everything to run into her again. He'd been back to their coffee shop multiple times since seeing her there and he was grocery shopping at least twice a week. If it wasn't utterly delusional, he'd consider booking a pointless doctors appointment to be back in the waiting room again. He wasn't sure what it was about her that had his head spinning like this, but deep down he felt an urgent need to find out. On the surface, he was trying to convince himself that he'd given up on seeing her again. It wasn't working, but looking for a woman whose last name he didn’t even know in a city as big as LA was impossible. He knew that.

All his hard work to forget about their interactions came crashing down when he saw her walk into that restaurant. Her dress was made for her and the early sunset over the rooftop terrace made her look angelic. She was with her family, it seemed, but he wasn’t paying much attention to them. Only her.

Justin made an effort to engage in conversation with his friends throughout his meal. He stole glances over at her table whenever he got the chance, however, and every time he did he fought the urge to approach her. How could he let this opportunity slip by? But how could he approach when she was in a group, especially with her family? He fought this internal battle all evening.

He knew what he was going to do. He stood up to leave and directed his group out the exit closest to her table. Before leaving, he pulled out a pen and wrote his number on a leftover (but clean) napkin. As he walked past her table, he gently slipped the napkin under her hand as her family marvelled at the view in the other direction. She looked up at him, her eyes captivating, and Justin swore he felt his heart stop. His smile was soft and so were his eyes as they shared a knowing look.

He walked away happier than he'd been in a long time, but spun around when he heard one of his friends apologising profusely in the direction he'd just come from.

Un-fucking-believable.

His friend had knocked over a glass of water sitting at her table and it had spilt all over the napkin he'd just given her. He knew his number was illegible now, and he could feel his temper rising. He knew it wasn't his friend's fault, but what the hell? Just as he made progress with her, they were back to square one.

Justin was ushered out of the restaurant by his group, who had been oblivious to his longing stare at table 108 all evening. He could've sworn she looked back at him as he left.

5. The golf course

Justin's mood had been terrible over the last few days. Even he could admit it. He didn't tell anyone why when they asked, but he knew it all came down to what happened at the restaurant. He just couldn't believe it. His friends had decided they were taking him golfing to ease his mood, and he wasn't going to complain. He knew he needed to loosen up.

Loosen up is exactly what he did. He fell into the comfortable rhythm of his second favourite sport and let the rest of the world fall away. That was, until one of his friends hit a ball so low and so far left that it hit a nearby golf cart. Justin cursed at him quietly as he jogged over to the cart, hoping no one was inside.

"Hey, I'm so sorry about that." he said as he approached, just in case.

His went into panic mode when he noticed someone inside and his heart dropped as soon as the person stepped out. It was her, his girl, but he wasn't happy to see her this time. Not like this.

She was putting on a brave face but he could see tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at him. He hated every second of it. She was cradling her arm against her body and she grimaced as she walked towards him. He gently took her arm in his hands, but she pulled away whilst letting out a quiet whimper, clearly in pain.

I'm going to kill him.

She looked up at him, a single tear slowly making its way down her cheek, and Justin had to fight the urge to brush it away with his thumb. His expression was full of pure worry as she eventually allowed him to examine her arm, his non-expert opinion forming quickly.

"Oh God," she whined, "Is it broken?".

“I think you need to be checked over, unfortunately. I’m so sorry.” He felt his heart clench when he looked at her, knowing what it’s like to be uncomfortable and in pain.

“I’m sorry” she whispered, “I’m not great with dealing with things like this. I’m a little squeamish.”

“That’s ok” he reassured her. “I’m good with this stuff, so I’ll help you. Is that ok?”

“Yes”, she said quickly.

He smiled at her, about to sit her back down in the golf cart and get her some water. Before he could do so, however, a panicked yell from his group boomed out over the golf course.

“Watch out!”.

Justin looked up as the same friend who injured his girl came barrelling down a small hill on his golf cart, heading straight for them.

Shit.