way I couldn’t control. Those damn eyes, big and
ever-changing colour depending on the light. Standing in my room before her,
closer than I had ever been before, they looked green, the vivid rich colour
framed by thick inky black lashes. Beautiful. I got my fill of looking into
them because she didn’t blink, not once. I wasn’t sure if it was because of
that, that time stood still; the space between us seemed so small and the
moment seemed to extend forever. But I didn’t want her to blink, to break the
trance, to shutter off that beautiful green from me, not for a split second.
But, of course, the moment came as I knew it would, but it wasn’t in the way I
had thought.
The distant sound
of the hall door being violently whipped open, followed by a loud crash as the
door handle hit the wall, caused us to both jump back.
“Oh shit … pizza’s
here!” Ringer’s voice echoed down the hall.
“Coming,” I yelled
out, rubbing my hand along the back of my neck as I watched Bel brush past me,
pausing in my doorway until she heard the hall door shut. She glanced toward
me, a small, coy smile lifting the corner of her mouth as if to say “Phew, that
was close.” She quickly stepped across the hall into the room opposite and shut
the door behind her. What was that? What was that moment between Bel and me?
Looking into her eyes, I hadn’t wanted the moment to end. I’d wanted to close
the distance between us, just to be closer to her. Trouble: deep, deep trouble.
***
The wild party
turned out to be Ellie watching the Lifestyle channel with her feet on the
coffee table, and Ringer peeling off the plastic wrapping from the paper plates
in the kitchen. I couldn’t help but do a double take as I entered the room; it
was almost like being home with my parents. I padded toward the kitchen bench,
flipping open the pizza box as I slid onto the stool, inspecting the contents
inside. Ringer flipped out three plates with a typical violence he couldn’t
seem to control in his eagerness to eat.
“Better make that
four,” I said, running my hand through my wet hair that I forgot to towel dry
properly in my sense of urgency to get dressed and out here before Bel. Ringer
stilled his eyes, narrowing them. “Expecting someone?” he asked.
“You mean you
haven’t invited half of Onslow?” I asked, in authentic surprise.
“I thought you
wanted low key?” he said, as if actually annoyed.
“I do! I am just
surprised, is all.”
“So why the extra
plate?”
“Stan’s
babysitting.” Ellie appeared next to Ringer, leaning across from him to grab
the garlic bread. Ringer was still none the wiser as his scowl deepened.
Ellie unfolded the
foil. “Belinda Evans,” she said, without looking up from her task.
“Belinda Evans?”
Ringer repeated.
“Yeah, the doctor’s
daughter. You know? Jet-black hair, inky eyelashes, petite,” Ellie said, her
mischievous smirk lining her face as she looked up at me with a knowing gaze.
Ringer followed
her eye line. “Reeeally?” he asked with amused interest.
“Don’t even think
about it,” I deadpanned.
Ringer scoffed.
Holding up his hands, he said, “Hey, I just want a piece of Caprocossa.”
Ellie shook her
head. “No surprise you’re choosing your stomach over romance, Ringo.”
“Ehvry Thirme,”
Ringo managed through a mouthful of pizza. He swallowed it down with a large
gulp. “Don’t worry, mate, she’s all yours,” he said with a wink as he cradled
his pizza over his paper plate and headed for the lounge. Ellie was still
smirking at me as if she had this inner knowledge and I hated that. It always
caused this air of unease as if she was somehow reading my mind. I shovelled a
couple of pieces onto a plate, planning for a quick exit.
“What? No garlic
bread?” Ellie mused.
“No, thanks,” I
managed between spinning away from her view only to be stilled by the hall door
opening, and a small figure sliding into the room with uncertainty.
Bel’s
ever-changing colour depending on the light. Standing in my room before her,
closer than I had ever been before, they looked green, the vivid rich colour
framed by thick inky black lashes. Beautiful. I got my fill of looking into
them because she didn’t blink, not once. I wasn’t sure if it was because of
that, that time stood still; the space between us seemed so small and the
moment seemed to extend forever. But I didn’t want her to blink, to break the
trance, to shutter off that beautiful green from me, not for a split second.
But, of course, the moment came as I knew it would, but it wasn’t in the way I
had thought.
The distant sound
of the hall door being violently whipped open, followed by a loud crash as the
door handle hit the wall, caused us to both jump back.
“Oh shit … pizza’s
here!” Ringer’s voice echoed down the hall.
“Coming,” I yelled
out, rubbing my hand along the back of my neck as I watched Bel brush past me,
pausing in my doorway until she heard the hall door shut. She glanced toward
me, a small, coy smile lifting the corner of her mouth as if to say “Phew, that
was close.” She quickly stepped across the hall into the room opposite and shut
the door behind her. What was that? What was that moment between Bel and me?
Looking into her eyes, I hadn’t wanted the moment to end. I’d wanted to close
the distance between us, just to be closer to her. Trouble: deep, deep trouble.
***
The wild party
turned out to be Ellie watching the Lifestyle channel with her feet on the
coffee table, and Ringer peeling off the plastic wrapping from the paper plates
in the kitchen. I couldn’t help but do a double take as I entered the room; it
was almost like being home with my parents. I padded toward the kitchen bench,
flipping open the pizza box as I slid onto the stool, inspecting the contents
inside. Ringer flipped out three plates with a typical violence he couldn’t
seem to control in his eagerness to eat.
“Better make that
four,” I said, running my hand through my wet hair that I forgot to towel dry
properly in my sense of urgency to get dressed and out here before Bel. Ringer
stilled his eyes, narrowing them. “Expecting someone?” he asked.
“You mean you
haven’t invited half of Onslow?” I asked, in authentic surprise.
“I thought you
wanted low key?” he said, as if actually annoyed.
“I do! I am just
surprised, is all.”
“So why the extra
plate?”
“Stan’s
babysitting.” Ellie appeared next to Ringer, leaning across from him to grab
the garlic bread. Ringer was still none the wiser as his scowl deepened.
Ellie unfolded the
foil. “Belinda Evans,” she said, without looking up from her task.
“Belinda Evans?”
Ringer repeated.
“Yeah, the doctor’s
daughter. You know? Jet-black hair, inky eyelashes, petite,” Ellie said, her
mischievous smirk lining her face as she looked up at me with a knowing gaze.
Ringer followed
her eye line. “Reeeally?” he asked with amused interest.
“Don’t even think
about it,” I deadpanned.
Ringer scoffed.
Holding up his hands, he said, “Hey, I just want a piece of Caprocossa.”
Ellie shook her
head. “No surprise you’re choosing your stomach over romance, Ringo.”
“Ehvry Thirme,”
Ringo managed through a mouthful of pizza. He swallowed it down with a large
gulp. “Don’t worry, mate, she’s all yours,” he said with a wink as he cradled
his pizza over his paper plate and headed for the lounge. Ellie was still
smirking at me as if she had this inner knowledge and I hated that. It always
caused this air of unease as if she was somehow reading my mind. I shovelled a
couple of pieces onto a plate, planning for a quick exit.
“What? No garlic
bread?” Ellie mused.
“No, thanks,” I
managed between spinning away from her view only to be stilled by the hall door
opening, and a small figure sliding into the room with uncertainty.
Bel’s
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