Chapter Five: The Day After
The next morning Will woke up to find himself at the desk in his study. Quickly he looked for what had woken him up and found Alaina standing at the open door with a grin on her face.
"Is this what you do when I'm not watching you?" she teased, coming over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck in a quick embrace.
Will smiled and rubbed his eyes. "I must have fallen asleep," he mumbled with a yawn.
"Must have." She laughed, flipping her long dark hair behind her back.
He looked at her for a minute and was shocked at how much they did look like one another. Alaina was what he would look like if he were a woman.
"What?" she asked, becoming serious as her father examined her.
Will just smiled and sat back.
"Do you want me to go get you some coffee?" she asked, and he nodded.
Alaina quickly hurried out of the room, giving Will a few moments to think about yesterday. It was a strange day, and he had constantly wondered what she kept on saying she was sorry for. He sighed and moved over to where he was sitting in a more comfortable position. In two weeks he and Alaina would be on the Constance, sailing to wherever they wanted. But he was worried that something would happen.
'I'll be dead before anything happens to her,' he thought grimly.
Presently Alaina came back in with two cups and handed him one. "Thank you," Will said gratefully, accepting the cup and motioning for her to sit down.
Alaina did as she was asked and sat down in another chair. Will sipped his coffee for a moment trying to think about how to approach this.
"Alaina," he began, and she looked at him, a peculiar expression on her face. "About yesterday—"
"I'm sorry about yesterday. Alex and I shouldn't have been running around the coast like we were," she cut in, but avoided his eyes.
Will stared at her for a second, not believing her. "Alaina," he growled in a low tone, meaning he was serious.
"What?" she asked innocently. "Okay so we weren't running around the coast," she admitted, taking a deep breath.
"Why did you keep on saying you were sorry?" he asked finally, setting the cup on top of a few papers on his desk.
Alaina stared into the china cup. 'How can I tell him that I saw him? Especially now?' she thought, grimacing at what her father's reaction would be to know that his daughter had seen Elizabeth's murderer and never told him. "I don't remember," she lied.
Will leaned on his knees. "I don't know why you think you have to lie to me. I can tell when you're lying," he reminded and he could see the color beginning to drain from her face.
"I can't tell you," she said in a soft voice.
The room was silent for a moment, but it seemed like eternity to Alaina who didn't even dare to look up at him. Will had a nagging feeling in his heart that it had something to do with Elizabeth, something that had happened between the two that Alaina didn't want to share.
"I understand," he said finally, breaking the silence, and Alaina nodded. "But I suggest you stay inside while it's raining from now on."
Alaina nodded and shuddered at the small draft she suddenly felt. Will noticed it and immediately became worried as she got up.
"I'm going to see what the boys are up to," she informed, setting the cup of coffee down on one of the small tables. Alaina knew her father was watching her as she left, and she began to rub her arms to try to get warmer as she began to feel colder.
Will drank the rest of his coffee in silence. The only thing that could be heard was the ticking of the large grandfather clock out in the hall. He sat in thought for a few minutes thinking once more about Alaina. He hoped she wasn't getting sick after running around in the rain yesterday, he didn't want anything to happen to her.
"Allie?" a voice was heard from the front hall.
Will immediately got up and went out there to greet Alex. He was the only one who called her Allie. "Alex," he greeted, leaning on the doorframe of his study entrance.
"Oh, uh, hi Mr. Turner," the boy turned to greet him.
Will studied him for a moment. Alex was nervous about something, it was as plain as day. Alex looked a lot like Alaina; they could probably be mistaken for siblings.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" Alaina asked, coming out from the parlor.
"Uh, Allie, can we talk?" Alex asked, looking at Will sheepishly.
Alaina shrugged her shoulders. "Sure," she said, leading the way back to the parlor.
Will watched and noted Alex was twitching slightly. 'I wonder what those two will do next,' he thought grimly.
"What?" Alaina asked, sitting down on the sofa and looking at him.
"Umm, Allie…" he began, trying think about how he wanted to say.
Alaina raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" she asked again with a slight laugh. He was never this nervous with her.
Alex rubbed the back of his neck and sat down beside her. "About yesterday…" he said, trailing off and looking in her eyes.
"What about yesterday?"
"You know," he said, circling his wrists, hoping that he wouldn't have to say it.
"No, I don't. Alex, so many things happened yesterday! You're going to have to be more specific."
"About the whole kiss thing—" he began, but Alaina cut him off.
"Shhhh!" She panicked, putting one of her fingers on his lips.
Alex smiled at her as he felt her soft skin against his lips. Alaina quickly looked behind him to make sure nobody was there. She breathed a sigh of relief that no one was there and looked at Alex to see him grinning. Alaina was going to ask what was so funny when she realized why. She pulled her hand back and scowled at him.
"Don't be mad Allie," he told her, leaning in so he was only inches from her face, making her blush.
"Leave me alone Alex," she said, shoving him back.
"Okay." He sighed, getting up. They both knew that of all the weird, stupid, and wild things they did, kissing each other was the biggest mistake ever. "Hey Allie?" Alex asked suddenly, stopping and turning to look at her.
"What?" she asked, irritated that he brought up the subject.
"I hope you have a nice trip."
"I will, you don't have to worry about me you know," she told him, resting her feet on the coffee table in front of her.
"Just be careful, okay?" he told her, and Alaina looked at him and nodded.
'So what if we kissed? Its not like the end of the world,' she said to herself.
"Oh, and Allie?" he said, stopping once again and looking into her eyes.
"Yeah?" she asked, blinking as she looked in his green eyes. She had never noticed how incredible they were; it was like she could get lost in them. 'Urg! Alaina Marie Elizabeth, stop thinking like that!' she scolded herself.
Alex put on his usual mischievous grin and made a quick kissing sound with his lips. It took all Alaina had not to giggle, instead she picked up the nearest pillow and chucked it at him.
"Jerk!" she yelled after him, her voice not being able to contain her laughter.
"You know you love me!" He laughed, dodging the pillow and heading for the front door.
Alaina could hear his laughter until he went out the door. After a minute she slowly rose and picked up the pillow then sank back down on the couch, clutching the pillow and sighing happily, glad that they were still just friends.
***
The next morning Will woke up to find himself at the desk in his study. Quickly he looked for what had woken him up and found Alaina standing at the open door with a grin on her face.
"Is this what you do when I'm not watching you?" she teased, coming over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck in a quick embrace.
Will smiled and rubbed his eyes. "I must have fallen asleep," he mumbled with a yawn.
"Must have." She laughed, flipping her long dark hair behind her back.
He looked at her for a minute and was shocked at how much they did look like one another. Alaina was what he would look like if he were a woman.
"What?" she asked, becoming serious as her father examined her.
Will just smiled and sat back.
"Do you want me to go get you some coffee?" she asked, and he nodded.
Alaina quickly hurried out of the room, giving Will a few moments to think about yesterday. It was a strange day, and he had constantly wondered what she kept on saying she was sorry for. He sighed and moved over to where he was sitting in a more comfortable position. In two weeks he and Alaina would be on the Constance, sailing to wherever they wanted. But he was worried that something would happen.
'I'll be dead before anything happens to her,' he thought grimly.
Presently Alaina came back in with two cups and handed him one. "Thank you," Will said gratefully, accepting the cup and motioning for her to sit down.
Alaina did as she was asked and sat down in another chair. Will sipped his coffee for a moment trying to think about how to approach this.
"Alaina," he began, and she looked at him, a peculiar expression on her face. "About yesterday—"
"I'm sorry about yesterday. Alex and I shouldn't have been running around the coast like we were," she cut in, but avoided his eyes.
Will stared at her for a second, not believing her. "Alaina," he growled in a low tone, meaning he was serious.
"What?" she asked innocently. "Okay so we weren't running around the coast," she admitted, taking a deep breath.
"Why did you keep on saying you were sorry?" he asked finally, setting the cup on top of a few papers on his desk.
Alaina stared into the china cup. 'How can I tell him that I saw him? Especially now?' she thought, grimacing at what her father's reaction would be to know that his daughter had seen Elizabeth's murderer and never told him. "I don't remember," she lied.
Will leaned on his knees. "I don't know why you think you have to lie to me. I can tell when you're lying," he reminded and he could see the color beginning to drain from her face.
"I can't tell you," she said in a soft voice.
The room was silent for a moment, but it seemed like eternity to Alaina who didn't even dare to look up at him. Will had a nagging feeling in his heart that it had something to do with Elizabeth, something that had happened between the two that Alaina didn't want to share.
"I understand," he said finally, breaking the silence, and Alaina nodded. "But I suggest you stay inside while it's raining from now on."
Alaina nodded and shuddered at the small draft she suddenly felt. Will noticed it and immediately became worried as she got up.
"I'm going to see what the boys are up to," she informed, setting the cup of coffee down on one of the small tables. Alaina knew her father was watching her as she left, and she began to rub her arms to try to get warmer as she began to feel colder.
Will drank the rest of his coffee in silence. The only thing that could be heard was the ticking of the large grandfather clock out in the hall. He sat in thought for a few minutes thinking once more about Alaina. He hoped she wasn't getting sick after running around in the rain yesterday, he didn't want anything to happen to her.
"Allie?" a voice was heard from the front hall.
Will immediately got up and went out there to greet Alex. He was the only one who called her Allie. "Alex," he greeted, leaning on the doorframe of his study entrance.
"Oh, uh, hi Mr. Turner," the boy turned to greet him.
Will studied him for a moment. Alex was nervous about something, it was as plain as day. Alex looked a lot like Alaina; they could probably be mistaken for siblings.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" Alaina asked, coming out from the parlor.
"Uh, Allie, can we talk?" Alex asked, looking at Will sheepishly.
Alaina shrugged her shoulders. "Sure," she said, leading the way back to the parlor.
Will watched and noted Alex was twitching slightly. 'I wonder what those two will do next,' he thought grimly.
"What?" Alaina asked, sitting down on the sofa and looking at him.
"Umm, Allie…" he began, trying think about how he wanted to say.
Alaina raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" she asked again with a slight laugh. He was never this nervous with her.
Alex rubbed the back of his neck and sat down beside her. "About yesterday…" he said, trailing off and looking in her eyes.
"What about yesterday?"
"You know," he said, circling his wrists, hoping that he wouldn't have to say it.
"No, I don't. Alex, so many things happened yesterday! You're going to have to be more specific."
"About the whole kiss thing—" he began, but Alaina cut him off.
"Shhhh!" She panicked, putting one of her fingers on his lips.
Alex smiled at her as he felt her soft skin against his lips. Alaina quickly looked behind him to make sure nobody was there. She breathed a sigh of relief that no one was there and looked at Alex to see him grinning. Alaina was going to ask what was so funny when she realized why. She pulled her hand back and scowled at him.
"Don't be mad Allie," he told her, leaning in so he was only inches from her face, making her blush.
"Leave me alone Alex," she said, shoving him back.
"Okay." He sighed, getting up. They both knew that of all the weird, stupid, and wild things they did, kissing each other was the biggest mistake ever. "Hey Allie?" Alex asked suddenly, stopping and turning to look at her.
"What?" she asked, irritated that he brought up the subject.
"I hope you have a nice trip."
"I will, you don't have to worry about me you know," she told him, resting her feet on the coffee table in front of her.
"Just be careful, okay?" he told her, and Alaina looked at him and nodded.
'So what if we kissed? Its not like the end of the world,' she said to herself.
"Oh, and Allie?" he said, stopping once again and looking into her eyes.
"Yeah?" she asked, blinking as she looked in his green eyes. She had never noticed how incredible they were; it was like she could get lost in them. 'Urg! Alaina Marie Elizabeth, stop thinking like that!' she scolded herself.
Alex put on his usual mischievous grin and made a quick kissing sound with his lips. It took all Alaina had not to giggle, instead she picked up the nearest pillow and chucked it at him.
"Jerk!" she yelled after him, her voice not being able to contain her laughter.
"You know you love me!" He laughed, dodging the pillow and heading for the front door.
Alaina could hear his laughter until he went out the door. After a minute she slowly rose and picked up the pillow then sank back down on the couch, clutching the pillow and sighing happily, glad that they were still just friends.
***
