Title: Moments in Time
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.
Chapter Four
It silent in the common room, apart from the speech emanating from the TV. I asked Will if he'd watch Birdsong with me – with the cute British actor and the girl who played Fleur Delacour in Harry Potter – and like a good friend, he agreed.
We sit on opposite ends of the comfy sofa, my headscarf trailing down my back as I rest my feet in his lap.
"I don't get why she leaves him," I say as the episode draws to a close, the theme playing as the white credits roll up a black screen.
"The crazy things people do for love," Will pulls a face at me. I smile absently, and move my feet, sliding up the sofa to sit next to him.
Over the past month, we've tried to wipe the slate clean, and start afresh. He hasn't spoken to me using telepathy since that day, and I've pretended to forget those two conversations we had, both of which ended in me storming away.
But ever so slowly, my feelings have changed. I've started to notice all these little things about him – the way his hair falls in his eyes when he's concentrating, the corded leather bracelet he wears around his tanned wrist, and the way his brown eyes sparkle whenever he sees me.
My heart always starts to race whenever he's near, and I get these stupid little butterflies in my stomach. But I've always tried to suppress those feelings, sit on them and pretend they're not there.
Until now. It is just the two of us alone in the common room, the air between us charged with electricity.
I lean over and take his hand. "Tell me," I say.
His eyes widen innocently. "About what?"
"You know very well what," I raise my eyebrows, and he grins, showing all his teeth.
"We're practically normal people," he says, his eyes fixed on mine, holding me in place. I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to. "Except with an extra shift in our brains, that allows us to do telepathy and telekinesis, and normally one other ability as well."
"What's yours?" I ask.
"The ability to sense danger, to me or those that I love," his words send a tingle down my spine. "Like the time you had that nose-bleed – I could feel danger for you, but I didn't know exactly what it was, so I held my tongue."
People he loves. He feels danger for people he loves, and he felt danger for me. I blush.
"What about soulfinders?" my voice is a mere whisper, echoing through the empty room.
A smile curves up the corner of his lips. In the dull light from the lamp in the corner he's so beautiful – I think I fall a little in love with him at that very moment.
"Soulfinders are conceived at the exact same time," he says quietly, his hand very gently coming up to rest against my cheek. Warm tingles emanate from the spot; I lean into his touch, craving more. "Somewhere in the world, when a savant is conceived, their soulfinder is conceived in that very same instant."
"It sounds like a fairytale," I whisper. "The prince and the princess, love at first sight, the happily ever after."
"You are my princess," he says, and kisses me.
It's everything I dreamed our first kiss would be, his lips soft on mine, sparks flying in the air around us.
He pulls away for a second, studies me intently. I don't give him a chance – I lean up and kiss him again, winding the fingers of one hand through his brown hair, the other resting against his chest.
He pulls me onto his lap, kisses my jawline, sliding his hands over my back. "Jesus, Adrianne," he says. "Adrianne."
"Shut up," I whisper, lacing my arms around his neck and kissing him, relishing the way he holds me, like I'm the most precious thing in his world.
The door slams open, hitting the opposite wall with a thud. The room fills with catcalls and whoops of returning, drunken boys.
"Hot and steamy much!"
"Get a room!"
I hide my face in Will's shoulder as he stands, picking me up with him. "Gladly," he says, his tone bright with laughter.
The next thing I feel is the cool night air on my back. I lift my head and smile radiantly at my soulfinder.
"Thank you," he whispers. "Thank you."
I'm lying in bed that night when the door cracks open, sending a beam of light. A slim figure is silhouetted in the doorway.
I sit bolt upright in bed. "Who is it?" I snap, peering at the person.
"Sabrina," comes the reply.
I lean over, turn on my bedside light. "What do you want?"
"I'm sorry, Addie," she says, nervously entering the room. "I'm sorry for our argument – I was being silly and shallow, because I liked Kian and I wanted to show off in front of him, and that was wrong, because you needed your friend and I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry."
I stare at her for a second, touched by her apology. "I forgive you, Sab," I say, patting the side of my bed.
She sits down, pushing her shiny dark hair out of the way, looking at me with her dark eyes.
"I'm sorry too," I whisper. "I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me."
"I forgive you, Addie," she says.
We sit in silence for a few seconds, then she smiles, hesitantly. "I hear from Kian that you and Will are finally together."
It was the right thing to talk about. I beam at her, suddenly joyous that I have my best friend back. "Yes…he kissed me tonight," I confide.
She giggles. "Is he a good kisser?"
I close my eyes, sigh heavily. "The best."