I nearly drifted off again waiting for our food to arrive. Jason still held me curled up on his lap and stroked my hair like I was a particularly large cat. A little 'ping!' noise from Jason's phone made us both jump, and made me realise we had been sitting in a largely comfortable silence. Jason's face split into a grin that made his eyes crinkle and shine with mischief. I climbed off his lap and stood over by the small counter.
I cocked my head to one side in confusion when Jason made no move to collect dinner and his grin got wider if that was possible. I reached up to get plates from the shelf above me when a slight rattling noise came from outside the room. I froze in place, suddenly terrified that I had been caught, that my mother had found me, us, or even worse my stepfather was back early and had discovered my one hiding place. My heart started beating a million miles an hour and I wondered why Jason didn't seem to be worried about it. Did he not hear it? It had sounded as loud as a gunshot to me. I couldn't be found in here, I was sure I had closed the wardrobe, and the secret door was shut properly too. My mind was blank, well blank aside from the paralysing panic rolling around and making my limbs shake violently. I wanted to turn, to see who had invaded my paradise, to face my punishment whatever it may be and get it over with but my feet were glued in place. Taking a deep breath in a feeble attempt to calm myself I caught a whiff of something out of place. The surprise seemed to work to unglue my feet and I whirled round to find Kellan standing with an armful of food and a sheepish grin on his face.
"Surprise!" He whisper-shouted doing a one handed jazz hands type movement while I just gaped at him.
"I... You..." I stuttered out before turning to Jason "You sneaky little... ugh!" I pointed a finger at him in exasperation and his eyes widened and I heard him gulp nervously. Kellan chuckled quietly and set the boxes of food down, the second he did I flew at him wrapping my arms around him before I even realised what I was doing. I could feel him smile into my hair and he squeezed me tightly for a moment before I pulled away.
"Sorry, I just missed you, and I didn't think I would get to see you until tomorrow." I moved over to where he had put down the food "Did you make this? It smells delicious Kellan." I said inhaling deeply as I opened the lids and started to put a little of everything onto plates. I spied three little packages in one of the boxes and pulled them out - chopsticks! I'd always wanted to know how to use them.
I watched carefully as Jason and Kellan picked up their food with ease - obviously they had used chopsticks before. I tried to copy them, and it worked, until I came to the noodles - they just wouldn't stay on there. I huffed in annoyance and set them down on the plate and glared at them. I heard a chuckle and then Kellan's hands were helping me hold the chopsticks slightly differently, making sure I was watching him before doing the same with his own and slurping up the noodles. I smiled in thanks and gave it another try. After another couple of failed attempts and possibly a stain on my new jumper, I got the hang of it. After we'd eaten both Jason and Kellan stood and told me they had to go, but that they would be back tomorrow with the others. They hugged me tight and both left kisses on my cheek before disappearing, leaving their plates and the fact both my cheeks were tingling as the only evidence they'd ever been here.
I woke up to the sound of birds singing outside my window, which as wake up calls go is a fairly pleasant one but that was soon shattered by the front door banging open and a string of curses being muttered. It would seem my stepfather was back. I dressed quickly, in my old clothes - if he was in a bad mood, which I suspected he was given his entrance, then I didn't want to do anything that would anger him further. I crept downstairs, not sure whether he would be wanting breakfast or not, and hovered silently in the front foyer.
"Bea! Where's my coffee? And breakfast! I expect to come home and find food on the table you stupid girl." He yelled and I flinched at the harsh tone hurrying into the kitchen to make his coffee and look at what I could make him for breakfast. The locks were undone on the fridge and cabinets so he'd obviously been in here already, or my mother had woken in the night and come down here, forgetting to lock things up afterwards. I poured his coffee and brought through the cafetiere and set it in front of him with shaky hands.
"I could make you some croissants, or a bagel maybe?" I stood near the chair, a step back and slightly to the side with my head bowed. He took a sip of coffee and thought about it.
"Croissants, and bring the butter and jam, and some strawberries." The harsh tone was still present, and I scurried off to complete my task. The quicker he was fed the quicker I could escape back to my bedroom. Once everything was set on the table he gave me a slight nod and I all but sprinted back up the stairs and into my room. I wanted to get my phone but I daren't just in case my stepfather came in and discovered it or my Narnia. I shuddered at the thought of him finding either and the punishments that would surely follow.
So instead I sat on my bed, my eyes fixed on a spot on the wall in front of me, while I thought about the boys. How was it possible to miss someone so much after just a day? I longed to see all their faces, the messages had been wonderful but there was something quite impersonal about them. From Henry's regal bearing to Murphy's over-protectiveness, from Jasper's gentle reassurance to Aiden's outspokenness, and all of them inbetween. My head flies up when I hear heavy footsteps in the hall and I hold my breath when they pause in front of my door. I hear a metal scraping noise then a click and the footsteps recede. Moments later I hear the front door slam shut and the car pulling out of the driveway. I release my breath in a sigh of relief and go to check on my mother before talking to the boys but I'm halted when the door won't open. Only then do I realise what the noise outside my door was - my stepfather locked me in. I make my way to my secret room and immediately my fingers are pressing the call button for Henry. He picks up after a couple of rings and his voice is enough to stem the panic I could feel welling up inside me.
"Hello? Bea? Is everything alright sweetheart?" My relief was so much so that I forgot to answer him to begin with until his voice rose with panic of his own.
"Sorry. Hello Henry. Ummm I don't know if you knew but my stepfather is back, he had breakfast then left a few minutes ago but Henry he's locked me in my room and I don't know what to do." I could feel the panic starting back up again, he had never done this before and I wasn't equipped to deal with it.
"We knew, we've had someone on him the whole time he was away so we've been tailing him since his plane touched down. Jasper is tracking him right now and we're on our way over to you. Don't worry Bea we'll get you out of there. Sit tight and we'll be there soon ok?" I could hear the quiet hum of the car's engine in the background just before Henry ended the call.
I paced nervously for a few moments, before looking down at my clothes with distaste. Now I had the option to wear nicer things I wanted to, plus I had the feeling that if Aiden saw me back in my holey jeans he would have a fit. I rushed to the trunk and rifled through it trying to find something that caught my eye for today. I noticed that in my earlier inspections of my new clothes I had missed a few items, most notably a soft, knitted, dove grey dress which I had mistaken for a jumper at first which also had a pair of thick black tights rolled up inside it. I dressed quickly, smiling shyly when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I left my hair loose save for a few strands at my temples which I plaited to keep the hair out of my face. I eyed my boots longingly, should I put them on? I didn't want to assume that the boys would take me out anywhere but since my taste of freedom I was eager for more.
I resumed my restless pacing, unable to settle my thoughts on anything solid. Stopping abruptly at a soft noise coming from the other side of my bedroom door I knew my boys had arrived. A small click sounded and the door swung open to reveal a grinning Kellan sliding something back into the pocket of his jeans, with a relieved looking Henry standing behind him.
"Bea!" Kellan wrapped me in his arms and hugged me so tight my feet lifted off the ground. I patted his arm, unable to do much more as my arms were pinned by my sides, he lowered me to the ground gently and gave me another grin, happiness shining in his brown eyes.
"Hi Kellan, hello Henry." I gave Henry a small wave and a smile which he returned "So what's the plan for today?" I asked, hoping it would be something involving all of the boys, and would require me to leave the house.
"Grab your coat sweetie, we're heading over to Topher's house for the day." Kellan said with a smile and I had to resist the urge to clap excitedly like a child.
"I'll be right back, one second." I dashed into Narnia and picked my coat up from where I had hung it on the little hook on the inside of the door. At the last minute I grabbed my phone as well, just in case. A rather important point occurred to me as I stepped back into my bedroom. What about my mother? Henry spoke before I could voice my concerns however, further cementing my belief that he could actually read my mind sometimes.
"Your mother will be taken care of Bea, don't worry about her - we have some friends watching the house, and the inside cameras and they will alert us if anything happens." He spoke with surety and it was obvious that he trusted these friends to do their job properly so I would put my faith in them as well.
"Are these friends from the Academy as well?" I asked curiously, it sounded like an interesting place to work? Study? I wasn't exactly sure what it's purpose was but it seemed to be focussed on doing good, or at least what Henry and the boys were doing seemed to be anyway and I couldn't imagine them being associated with anything that was immoral.
Henry smiled faintly at me and Kellan just blinked looking a little surprised at my question.
"They are, in fact one of them is Jasper's cousin and he and Anna are very close. Her partner Libby and her best friend Leo are just as close. We consider them part of our family too." I nodded my agreement and wondered if I would ever get to meet them. Obviously Henry had a soft spot for Anna, his voice had softened and a small smile had graced his perfect features as he spoke of her. Jealousy had sparked for a second before I realised what Henry had said, Libby was Anna's partner , there was nothing to worry about there. That got me thinking about why I suddenly felt so possessive of the boys - it wasn't just Henry, the thought of any of the boys with someone else had me seeing green.
We filed out of my room, Kellan in front of me and Henry a step behind me. We made our way silently down the stairs and out of the back door, Kellan locking the door after us with a key I had no idea how he got a hold of. We walked down the road a little, turning into a cul-de-sac and stopping next to Henry's sleek looking car. I knew very little about cars, but even I knew that Mercedes Benz was an expensive make. It was a spotlessly shiny black, with pale leather seats that were soft and immensely comfortable. As Henry turned the key the radio turned on, playing classical music softly and I smiled at the song playing. He raised an eyebrow at me in the rearview mirror, I had refused to sit in the front and have Kellan squash himself into the small back seat, and my smile grew wider.
"I haven't heard this song for a long time but it was always one of my favourites. Aquarium by Saint Saens, it reminds me of Beauty and The Beast. I watched that film so many times I wore out the tape." Kellan laughed and turned his head to look at me over his shoulder.
"I can see that. I bet you were a total princess when you were little Bea." I grimaced and shook my head - I hadn't liked the traditional princessy films as a child.
"Not really, I was more adventurous than I was girly, I spent more time building dens and climbing trees than anything else." I shrugged.
"And exploring places you probably weren't supposed to I'd warrant." Henry said with a wry grin. I stuck my tongue out at him and rolled my eyes.
"There may or may not have been an incident involving crawling under a barbed wire fence to get to my island." I said crossing my arms over my chest. They both laughed then fell we into an easy silence for the rest of the short drive.
We pulled into the driveway of what I assumed was Topher's house. It was a fairly standard red brick semi- detached house with bay windows. The front garden was small but neat, and the borders were filled with spring bulbs - I spotted grape hyacinths and daffodils poking through the soil amongst the already flowering snowdrops. The front door was painted a deep green colour and had twin stained glass window strips either side of the brass knocker. I liked the place instantly, it suited Topher somehow.
Henry, using a key from the bunch he still held in his hand, opened the door and he and Kellan stepped in, the former unlacing his shoes and neatly placing them at the foot of the stairs, the latter toeing them off and kicking them in the near vicinity. Kellan motioned for me to come in and so I stepped nervously into the hallway and placed my boots next to Henry's and straightened out Kellan's at the same time.
"Honey I'm ho-ome" Kellan sang as he made his way further down the hall, I heard a laugh then Topher's head poked out from what I assumed was the living room wearing a smile that had all those butterflies fluttering around again. I blushed when he noticed me hovering behind his two friends, suddenly unsure of how to behave around him after our kiss. I had no idea where I stood, was I his girlfriend now? Just a friend? Something undefined in between?
"Kellan is that you? Is Henry with you and do either of you want a cuppa? I've got the kettle on." A woman's voice called from further down the hall startling me.
"Yeah it's us Emily, we bought our new friend with us too!" Kellan called back then turning to me asked in a quieter tone "Did you want tea sweetheart?" I nodded and tried to still my fingers from their nervous twisting.
"I can go help. I should go help." I whispered. Henry gave me a reassuring smile and Kellan just shrugged and headed into the room Topher had popped his head back into.
"Come on darling, I'll go with you." Henry took my hand in his much larger, slightly calloused one and led me into the kitchen. A slim woman with shoulder length dark hair stood at the counter with her back to us. She was dressed in a simple blue/grey shirt and jeans and stood a good few inches taller than me, though that wasn't saying much seeing as though I was barely pushing five feet.
"Good morning Emily, tea sounds lovely. I brought reinforcements to help with delivering it to the masses." The woman, Emily, turned to face us with a bright smile, she must be Topher's mother, though she didn't look very old, the only thing that betrayed her age were the faint laughter lines around her mouth and eyes. She was beautiful, and resembled Topher quite a bit, though he must have got his colouring from his father.
"Oh. Hello, you must be Bea? I'm Emily, obviously, Topher's mum." I nodded and smiled shyly, not quite ready to move myself from my spot, partially hidden behind Henry, yet.
"H..hello, it's v...ve..very nice to meet you. Y..you have a..a lovely h..home." I stuttered then let out a frustrated huff at myself for not being able to even say hello without sounding like an idiot. Henry's grasp on my hand tightened, making me glance up at him - that reassuring smile was back and it did funny things to my stomach. I heard an excited squeal, breaking us out of our moment just in time to see Emily launch herself at me. She held me in a soft hug that could only be described as motherly, she smelled like tea rose with a hint of vanilla I noticed. I reached up to pat awkwardly at her shoulders and back and she released me.
"Ooh you're so cute I just want to put you in my pocket!" She hugged me again then gave Henry a look "Don't you agree Henry?" Henry's face paled slightly at being put on the spot and for some reason that made me sad. Though I knew I didn't measure up to his or the rest of the boy's ridiculous good looks it would have been nice for him to humour me. My shoulders slumped a little and I took a small step away from him, embarrassed for him, and for myself.
"D..did you wa..want a h..ha..hand w..w..with the t..t...t..tea?" my nerves had ratcheted up, making my stuttering worse than ever, and the shaking had started up in my hands, which I was holding behind my back in an attempt to hide them. Emily smiled at me and nodded as if in understanding of my need to change the subject.
"Of course, thank you Bea, did you want tea yourself?" we turned back to face the kettle and I heard footsteps disappearing back down the hall as Henry left. I nodded and let out a small sigh. Emily noticed and nudged me gently with her elbow.
"I'm sorry Bea, I only meant to tease Henry, he's always so uptight about everything. I didn't think that it might upset you." She said quietly, then reaching up and opening the cupboard in front of her pulled down a small bar of chocolate and handed it to me with a smile.
"Here, eat this, just don't tell the others 'cause then they'll all want one." She rolled her eyes at this and I gave her a watery smile. She really was a nice person, she was how a mother should be - warm and loving. Emily had shown more care in the last ten minutes than my mother had shown in the last ten years, I certainly didn't remember her ever hugging me or handing me treats. I broke the bar into little squares and handed her all but ten of the squares - I popped one of them in my mouth with a small smile then placed the rest back on the counter to give to the boys later.
"Tha..Thank y..y...you." I whispered. Just then a small head of brown hair poked itself around the door and squeaked when they saw me.
"Leah, this is Bea, she's Topher's friend - come and say hello honey." Emily spoke gently, as though to a frightened animal, and a small girl, no older than eight crept into the room. Her hair was long and straight reaching down her back almost as long as mine, her eyes were the same as her mother's a rich dark brown framed with thick lashes. A small, button nose with a smattering of pale freckles sat above a mouth that was currently set in a wide smile and I could see where she was missing her two front teeth. She waved at me but didn't come any closer and I crouched down to her level - which wasn't much different to mine really but it seemed to help.
"Hello Leah." I spoke quietly, and took in the outfit she had on - navy blue leggings with a long sleeved dress in pale pink with tiny white hearts and the silhouette of a ballerina decorating it, her hair was held out of her face by a matching headband. She looked adorable.
"You look very pretty today, I like your headband." I said with a smile, then I gestured to her dress "Do you do ballet Leah?" she nodded eagerly and proceeded to show me a few positions. I clapped happily when she did a little curtsey and her answering smile was blinding.
"Oh wow Leah, that was very good. Can you teach me?" I asked taking it in my stride when she began to nod, I hadn't heard her utter a sound which seemed to be normal judging by Emily's reaction to everything. A light bulb flared to life in my head - what if she was mute? How would she communicate? I tried signing, the very little I did know - things I had learnt as a child from one of the other children who had been deaf.
'Hello, do you sign?' Leah's emphatic nodding was all the answer I needed, though Emily's slightly wobbly smile was just as effective.
"She's never taken to anyone that quickly before. The only people she lets near her like that are myself and Topher." Emily looked like she was going to cry and I stood up smiling and placed a slightly shaky hand on her arm to comfort her.
"What happened to make her mute? If you don't mind me asking?" I said after Leah had moved away to the kitchen table and was colouring with her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration.
"She just never spoke. There's nothing wrong with her and technically she should be able to speak - she just doesn't." Emily said with a slight shrug. We turned our attention back to making drinks and she found a tray for me to carry things through on when I insisted that I take everything.
Following the sounds of the boys I ended up in the lounge where they were all sprawled out either on the large corner sofa or on the floor playing some kind of game - or commenting and back seat driving as it were. I set the tray down on the low wooden coffee table and handed out drinks to everyone except Liam and Ben who were busy playing whatever it was they were playing - some kind of fighting game by the looks of things. Jasper patted the space next to him and Murphy and I sat down giving them both a smile. My eyes flicked briefly over to Henry who was sat slightly apart from the others, connected only by Topher who was leant over the arm of the sofa speaking to him quietly. Hazel eyes caught mine for a second before I blushed and looked away. I turned my attention to Jasper instead and said with a smile,
"Henry told me that your cousin is looking after my mother today - Anna? Is she how you got involved with the Academy?" Jasper's head tilted slight to one side and his face scrunched up slightly - which was adorable - as though considering how much he could tell me. I knew that this Academy of theirs was supposed to be a secret but surely now I'd found out about it they could share details with me? It wasn't as though I was asking him to divulge all their secrets, I just wanted to know more about him.
"Sort of, Anna was a part of the Academy before I knew it existed - her team joined quite late though. We were all about eleven when we joined, though we didn't 'graduate' until last year. Jason and Henry had already graduated by then though. The Academy approached Anna, and she refused to go anywhere without Libby or Leo so they kind of come as a package deal. Anna has been with Libby for over ten years now, I don't think I've ever met another couple as strong as they are. Leo has been Anna's best friend since they were in nappies so they're pretty joined at the hip too." Jasper bowed his head slightly, a small frown marring his flawless face and on instinct I took hold of the hand that was resting on his knee and squeezed it gently. He gave me a smile, though his eyes still held a portion of whatever had bothered him so much and let out a small sigh before continuing.
"Our family, mine and Anna's, are very wealthy. Anna disowned her parents when she was sixteen, she fell in love with Libby and they disapproved so she ran away. She was homeless and living on the streets for six months before Libby and Leo managed to find her again. She gave up all her wealth, her family, for a girl and I have to say I'm a little jealous of her courage." I squeezed Jasper's hand again, repaying the favour for all the times he'd done it to reassure me.
"Jasper, she sounds wonderful, and if I get to meet her and the rest of her team one day it would make me very happy, but you mustn't measure yourself to other people." The smile that spread across Jasper's face was enough to make my breath catch. I felt my cheeks heat and looked down at our hands, which were still joined, then back up to meet his gaze, which had turned silver again and I wasn't entirely sure what that meant but it sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with being cold.
Aiden swore and it broke whatever spell had fallen over Jasper and I. I moved my hand away from his and turned my attention back to what the rest of the boys were doing. Aiden and Liam were arguing over whether Liam had cheated, which he was adamantly denying whilst insinuating that perhaps he had won because he was just that good (and that Aiden wasn't) which had the others all joining in and demanding that they all get a turn to play.
I realised that Topher and Henry were still having their whispered conversation over in their little corner. I wondered what they were talking about and why they felt they had to whisper it. They kept lifting their heads and looking at me when they thought I wasn't paying attention. I could feel their eyes on me though and it was making me feel uncomfortable, and I kept worrying that they were talking about me.
I tried to let the rest of their good natured conversations wash over me, and stop thinking about why Topher and Henry could be talking about me with such serious expressions, but it wasn't working. Finally, just for something to do I collected up all the cups and took them out to the kitchen without a word.
Placing the tray on the counter I leant over it and let out a shaky breath and bit my lip to stop myself from crying. I had no idea why my thoughts were spiralling away from me so quickly but I had felt like I was on the back foot since the incident with Henry and Emily earlier. I shook my head as if it would help settle everything into place, and sighed when it didn't.
Deciding that I should at least make myself useful I ran the water to do the washing up. I had just put the last cup on the drainer when Leah skipped back into the kitchen waving a piece of paper at me happily. I looked around for a towel for my still soapy hands which Leah passed to me helpfully when my search proved fruitless.
"Thank you sweetie, what have you got there?" I asked once my hands were dry and I had re-folded the towel. She handed me the piece of paper and tears pricked my eyes when I saw that she had drawn a picture of the two of us dressed as ballerinas with the caption; me and Bea as ballerinas.
"Sweetie this is brilliant" She gestured to the drawing, and then to me "it's for me?" I asked and she nodded vigorously. I placed the drawing on the counter and crouched down in front of her with a smile that probably matched hers.
"Thank you very much Leah, I'll put it up pride of place on my wall when I get home." I didn't think it was possible for her smile to get any bigger but it did, and she jumped on me, wrapping her thin arms around my neck, I hugged her back tightly and I could smell her apple scented shampoo as I buried my face in her hair.
The sound of footsteps entering the kitchen made me look up to find Topher standing, stunned expression on his face, in the doorway. I watched as his face went from shock, to suspicion to elation all in the space of a few seconds. I gave Leah one final squeeze and stood up.
The minute Leah noticed her brother she ran and attached herself to his legs and he smiled down at her.
"Hey bean, what have you been up to hmm?" He asks while ruffling her hair and I smile at the nickname. She looks up at him and signs something but its too fast for me to decipher, though I do catch her pointing at me. Topher gives me a smile almost as wide as the one he gave his sister before untangling himself from her arms and making his way towards me.
"She told me she drew a picture for you. Could I see it?" He sounds almost, nervous, and I look behind him to Leah who gives me a nod before disappearing from the room. I pass the drawing to him, our fingers brush as he takes it, causing the butterflies to come to life. I blush and look down at my feet. I feel strange, kind of jittery around him and the feeling is amplified by the fact he doesn't make a move to fill the silence that has fallen around us.
He places the picture back on the counter and the smile on his face is blinding. He hugs me, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around before setting me down gently and pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. I stare at him stunned, but not disappointed.
"Leah has never, and I mean NEVER done anything like this with any of the others and she's known most of them since she was a baby. She won't even stay in the same room as them, even with me and mum in there with her. She's very shy around strangers normally. She says you signed to her? And that our mum likes you." Topher sounds almost giddy with excitement over his sister and it makes me smile.
"I know a tiny bit, there was a boy at school that was deaf, I asked him to show me." I say shrugging my shoulders a little. He pulls me into another hug, and I notice again just how tiny I am compared to him, or to any of the boys really.
"Come back and sit with us, we were going to watch a film." Topher says quietly into my hair and I just nod in response.
I rejoin them all, sitting between Liam and Ben this time, and we all settle down to watch the film they picked. I had never seen it before, but that wasn't really anything surprising as the last time I'd watched a film was almost a decade ago. Liam's arm ended up around me sometime during the film and he pulled me into his chest and my feet ended up on Ben's lap. Between Liam's fingers combing through my hair and Ben's hands warming my toes I was very comfortable. A yawn escaped me as all the stress of the morning hit me finally, my eyes fluttered closed and I turned into Liam's broad chest a little more letting the sounds of the film and the quiet comments from the boys wash over me. Another yawn, and another, and another and I couldn't keep myself awake any longer.
"Hey, Bea? Sweetness? It's time to get up, Henry has to drive you back now." Liam murmured and I frowned slightly. I didn't want to go anywhere, I was warm and comfy and didn't want to move. I felt Liam's chest shake with his laugh as I tried to snuggle closer to him. I heard the rest of them laugh as well and I cracked open one eye to give them all a glare. Aiden snorted and raised an eyebrow at me.
"It looks like you've got yourself a limpet Liam." Murphy rumbled good naturedly and I lifted my head, stretched and stood up ignoring Henry's outstretched hand.
"We need to get you home sweetheart." Henry said and I sighed, I knew I had to go home, but I felt like I had barely spent any time with them today. I nodded and hugged each of the boys, save for Henry, in turn and said goodbye promising to text them later if I could.
I slipped my boots back on and shrugged into my coat, the weather had turned chilly and dark clouds were beginning to gather on the horizon. Henry pressed the little button on his key fob making his lights flash as the doors unlocked, I climbed into the passenger seat this time as it was just the two of us in the car and watched as he sat down.
I kept my gaze resolutely on the passing scenery after that though I could feel Henry's eyes on me from time to time. The silence was thick and filled with things I didn't have a clue how to explain, it seemed charged somehow, like either one of us could be shocked at any second by it. The quiet continued until we pulled into the same cul-de-sac we had left from this morning, I undid my seatbelt and went to open the door but Henry's hand shot out and found mine holding me in place.
"Bea wait." his voice sounded strained somehow and I turned to face him, taking in his high cheekbones and full lips, the changeable hazel eyes topped with strong brows. He was beautiful, in a way that was, when all the separate parts were considered singly quite feminine but the sum of all those parts combined into something that was undoubtedly masculine and irrefutably perfect.
"I'm sorry." he spoke softly and I just stared at him, unable utter a single word.
"For this morning, with Emily I mean." I tilted my head a fraction trying to decipher what he was getting at.
"I should have said something, I lost my nerve and you looked so dejected. I felt awful, I feel awful. Bea" His hand reached up and one of his long elegant fingers stroked my cheek gently and I leaned into the touch.
"If only you could see yourself the same way I do." he whispered and his thumb grazed my bottom lip, his touch sending sparks flying that seemed to be reflected in his eyes. He moved closer, our faces now only inches apart and I let out a shaky breath.
"You are exquisite Bea, stunning in every way." His thumb moved back and forth against my mouth and without thought I kissed it gently. Henry drew in a startled breath and the colours shifted in his eyes. I watched mesmerised as the pupils grew, pushing out the brown so they looked almost entirely green, ringed with a grey so dark it was almost black.
"I have never been so preoccupied by a single person before. You occupy my every thought. You captivate me." his words leave me reeling, struggling to find some kind of response.
"But I'm just me. I'm nothing special." My voice cracks slightly with emotion and both of Henry's hands cup my face, his warm slightly calloused fingers moving over my cheekbones and rubbing behind my ears, hitting a spot that leaves every nerve in my body tingling.
"Shall I teach you?" He asks with a smile and I look at him non-plussed "Shall I explain to you just how precious you are to me?" he clarifies and I nod dazedly as his fingers find that spot behind my ear again.
"You are stunning, Bea, you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." He leans in even closer until our lips are just a hairsbreadth apart and I feel his breath ghosting over my lips a moment before his mouth meets mine, his lips pressing into mine softly before pulling back to smile at me.
"Your determination, your ability to keep your kind heart after everything you've been through... I've ever met anyone as strong as you and I will tell you all this again and again until you believe me." His lips meet mine again, kissing me more firmly this time and my eyes close as I feel his tongue sweep over my lips once, twice asking for permission before he pulls back breathing hard.
He swoops in and lands a brief kiss on my lips once more before opening his door and walking round to hold mine for me. I step out of the car and he spirits me back into my bedroom. Placing a hand on my cheek he looks into my eyes as if searching for something before he disappears and I sink down onto my bed while my brain tries to play catch up.