inside but didn't close the door all the way. The corridor was poorly lit; concealing Lamech where he stood at the door, waiting to see what the other two would do.
"Come on," Leala said softly to Joash and led him to the outside balcony, closing the door behind them.
When the door clicked shut, Lamech emerged from his room and crept towards the door like a phantom. He leaned forward and placed his ear next to the keyhole to listen.
Sheltered from getting wet by an overhanging roof, Leala walked over to the railing and stared at the pouring rain. Joash leaned back against the door, his hands balled into fists next to his temples as he slowly shook his head.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry," he finally said.
"For what? Gaal? I agree with you completely!" she exclaimed, turning around to face him.
"No, Lamech. He actually saved me back there," he said.
"Yes, he did," she smiled, "But don't apologise to me; go talk to him."
"I will," he answered. Then he dropped his arms to his side and let his head fall backwards.
"It's just..." he groaned in exasperation.
"What?" Leala asked holding her breath, hope against hope blooming in her heart as the sound of the rain drummed in her ears. Could this finally be it , she wondered.
Joash didn't disappoint.
"I see the way he looks at you," he groaned, "and I want to smash his head in!"
His words sent a shockwave through Leala as her world wobbled on its axis.
"What do you mean?" she managed.
Joash faltered slightly, worried that he had misread her. But he decided to soldier on.
"He looks at you as if you're his last chance."
"Last chance of what?" Leala asked, confusion written on her beautiful face.
"At life, at purpose - everything!" Joash exclaimed.
She knew that, as true as his words were, he was skirting around the real issue.
"Ignoring for a moment the fact that I don't want to be anybody's purpose," she said, a slight tremble of irritation registering in her voice, "is that really what's bothering you?"
"No..."
"Then what is it Joash?" Leala almost pleaded.
Joash looked at her, desperately fighting off the panic that threatened to engulf him. Just tell her you idiot , he told himself. His ears burned as the jealousy ate at him. Resigning to the moment, he spoke from the heart.
"I think he's falling in love with you," he said. Swallowing, he closed his eyes and continued: "And if he's who you want, then that's fine."
"But?" she asked softly, barely able to hear her own words as her heart pounded in her ears.
"But I wish you'd want me," he whispered.
Light exploded in Leala's heart as he said the words she had so longed to hear. Tears began rolling down her cheeks.
With unstable legs, Joash took a tentative step towards her.
"Does that mean...?" he stammered as he reached out his hands to her. Leala took them and allowed him to pull her closer.
"Yes, silly," she beamed, blinded by tears of joy.
Joash reached out with his one hand to cup her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb.
"But..." he whispered, "I thought..."
Then, unable to hold himself back any longer, he pulled her close and kissed her softly.
Joash drank her in as she put her arms around his neck. It felt like he was drowning in the smell of her, the taste of her. His mind eased into silence as he was lost in the embrace, swimming in soft folds of pure bliss.
Outside the door, Lamech guessed what had happened. He bit down on his fist to keep himself from screaming in fury. Fighting the anger with every single part of his being, he struggled to clear his head from rolling thunder clouds.
I'll have to put an end to this right now, he thought brutally. But how?
His brain worked overtime, analysing every possible scenario. It was difficult to focus properly through the fury enveloping him, but he forced himself to shut it out
"Come on," Leala said softly to Joash and led him to the outside balcony, closing the door behind them.
When the door clicked shut, Lamech emerged from his room and crept towards the door like a phantom. He leaned forward and placed his ear next to the keyhole to listen.
Sheltered from getting wet by an overhanging roof, Leala walked over to the railing and stared at the pouring rain. Joash leaned back against the door, his hands balled into fists next to his temples as he slowly shook his head.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry," he finally said.
"For what? Gaal? I agree with you completely!" she exclaimed, turning around to face him.
"No, Lamech. He actually saved me back there," he said.
"Yes, he did," she smiled, "But don't apologise to me; go talk to him."
"I will," he answered. Then he dropped his arms to his side and let his head fall backwards.
"It's just..." he groaned in exasperation.
"What?" Leala asked holding her breath, hope against hope blooming in her heart as the sound of the rain drummed in her ears. Could this finally be it , she wondered.
Joash didn't disappoint.
"I see the way he looks at you," he groaned, "and I want to smash his head in!"
His words sent a shockwave through Leala as her world wobbled on its axis.
"What do you mean?" she managed.
Joash faltered slightly, worried that he had misread her. But he decided to soldier on.
"He looks at you as if you're his last chance."
"Last chance of what?" Leala asked, confusion written on her beautiful face.
"At life, at purpose - everything!" Joash exclaimed.
She knew that, as true as his words were, he was skirting around the real issue.
"Ignoring for a moment the fact that I don't want to be anybody's purpose," she said, a slight tremble of irritation registering in her voice, "is that really what's bothering you?"
"No..."
"Then what is it Joash?" Leala almost pleaded.
Joash looked at her, desperately fighting off the panic that threatened to engulf him. Just tell her you idiot , he told himself. His ears burned as the jealousy ate at him. Resigning to the moment, he spoke from the heart.
"I think he's falling in love with you," he said. Swallowing, he closed his eyes and continued: "And if he's who you want, then that's fine."
"But?" she asked softly, barely able to hear her own words as her heart pounded in her ears.
"But I wish you'd want me," he whispered.
Light exploded in Leala's heart as he said the words she had so longed to hear. Tears began rolling down her cheeks.
With unstable legs, Joash took a tentative step towards her.
"Does that mean...?" he stammered as he reached out his hands to her. Leala took them and allowed him to pull her closer.
"Yes, silly," she beamed, blinded by tears of joy.
Joash reached out with his one hand to cup her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb.
"But..." he whispered, "I thought..."
Then, unable to hold himself back any longer, he pulled her close and kissed her softly.
Joash drank her in as she put her arms around his neck. It felt like he was drowning in the smell of her, the taste of her. His mind eased into silence as he was lost in the embrace, swimming in soft folds of pure bliss.
Outside the door, Lamech guessed what had happened. He bit down on his fist to keep himself from screaming in fury. Fighting the anger with every single part of his being, he struggled to clear his head from rolling thunder clouds.
I'll have to put an end to this right now, he thought brutally. But how?
His brain worked overtime, analysing every possible scenario. It was difficult to focus properly through the fury enveloping him, but he forced himself to shut it out
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