Free Crashing Souls by Cynthia A. Rodriguez

sometime.”
    I chuckled. “First I have to make her take me seriously.”
    “If she’s smart, she’ll know a good thing when she sees it,” she said, smiling.
    I pulled my coat on, grabbed my keys and looked over at Tracey, who was staring off, daydreaming, with her hand running absentmindedly over her neck.
    “Don’t worry. I’ll drive carefully,” I said. She blinked and smiled before waving goodbye.
    I unlocked my car and settled myself inside, warming it up for a few minutes before entering Noa’s address in the GPS and backing out. Fifteen minutes later, I got out of the car and headed up toward the apartment building in front of me. I made it as far as the front steps when the door swung open and she stepped out. The light blue halo of her hair made her look like an angel. I hadn’t noticed the piercings down one ear until she tucked the strands behind it. She smiled and I smiled. I opened my mouth to greet her but she spoke first.
    “ You’re one of those guys who thinks he should come up, huh?”
    Her question caught me off-guard.
    “Uh, I mean, shouldn’t I? It’s polite. Honking the horn isn’t what girls like…is it?”
Great. Now I sound like I have no idea what I’m doing
.
    She chuckled. “I don’t mind it too much. A text saying you’re outside will suffice, Dexter.”
    I led us to my car, where I asked her how she’d known my name. I didn’t remember telling her what my name was. Which was pretty stupid, considering I’d texted her as if she knew who I was.
    She smiled when I opened her door. “Everyone knows Dexter Andrews,” she said before ducking to sit in the passenger seat.
    I didn’t know how to take that, so I got in the car and started it.
    “Actually,” she said, turning to me, “would you mind if we walked. It’s maybe a fifteen minute walk and…it’s weird but I love walking. Clears my mind.”
    I shrugged, pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out. I went to open her door, but I saw she’d already gotten out. I locked the doors and stood beside her, waiting for her cue to move.
    “Oh, I forgot about your leg! Can you make the walk? We can totally—”
    “It’s fine. I’m good.” I hadn’t walked that distance before, but I was more than happy to try.
    She took the first steps and, of course, I followed. It was nice, walking beside Noa, who seemed to be in love with the night sky. Her eyes took in the stars and she sighed wistfully.
    “Ever wonder what’s out there?” she asked. We were walking slowly enough that I didn’t feel discomfort, and I could look at her without worrying about running into anything.
    “ In space?” I looked up.
    “The universe. It’s so boring when people say aliens. That’s what the rest of the world wants you to think.” She rubbed her gloved hands together and shoved them into her coat pockets.
    “Well, what do you think is out there?” I asked, eager to hear her theory.
    “I don’t know. But, when I look out, I think it can’t be something as mundane as aliens. It can’t be what everyone else thinks. It’s too beautiful, too massive. A real life miracle.”
    I nodded, afraid to say anything and break her spell. The wonder in her eyes was hypnotizing.
    “I wasn’t going to give you my number, you know.” Her words came out of nowhere, but I was quickly realizing just how fast her mind worked and how often she said just what was on it. I was coming to adore it in the extremely short amount of time we’d spent together. I understood that I’d have to keep her beside me, in our conversation and with me.
    “Why not?” I asked, looking at her again.
    “Have you ever made a decision and seen your future flash before you?” She asked, not answering my question at all. “It’s like the opposite of what people think happens before you die. Like memories you have yet to make.”
    “Actually, that’s exactly how I felt when I bumped into you,” I said, keeping my eyes on hers to gauge her reaction. If