William swallowed, his throat aching with parchedness as he did so. His hands were clutching at the bar before him as if it was a lifeline, and the skin around his knuckles had paled to white. He daren't look around; instead, he kept his eyes on his feet, which were tapping nervously. "Julia?" William rasped, quietly, shifting his weight from side to side.
"What is it, William?" Julia's voice- in stark contrast to his- was loud and enthusiastic. No doubt, there was a frenzied, excited gleam in her blue-green eyes. From what William had thus far observed, Julia was quite the thrill-seeker, having been both skydiving and bungee jumping previous to today's adventure. William had never in his life even boarded an airplane, let alone jumped from one- but he had nodded reverently, as if he wished to experience such a thing. From that, Julia's idea had sprung.
The six days spent with Julia had been dreamlike, in essence. She had cleared the hectic schedule prepared for her by the legendary Thomas Brackenreid for him, a thing that William still found most puzzling. According to her, she was to meet and dine with some of the wealthiest and most famed residents of Toronto, including the mayor- but she had no interest in such events. "They are dreadfully boring. Prominence and riches do not make a person interesting," she had said, off-handedly, when he had questioned this statement further. "I would much rather spend my time in Toronto with you." At this, his heart had contracted.
Being with Julia was natural, and as was talking to her, as if William had known her for the entirety of his life, or at least a good portion of it. Never before had he felt so at ease with another person, save Susannah, and that was wholly different. Extraordinarily enough, it appeared that Julia felt quite the same way. She had made several comments about feeling as if she knew him from somewhere. William had taken these opportunities to lightly tease her about the telephone incident; he enjoyed the way she blushed each time it was mentioned. Julia was interesting, tremendously interesting, and he was not attracted to her beauty- rather, he was attracted to her, to Julia Ogden. Julia encompassed beauty, and kindness, and wittiness, and intellect….
"William, you don't look very… well," Julia cut in, craning her head to look at him fully. Her curly hair, pulled back into a loose ponytail, was falling free, whipped into a frenzy by the wind, and her cheeks were flushed with exhilaration. Her lips pursed as she observed him, and then she corrected herself. "Understatement. You look terrible."
"Thank you, Julia. I needed to be told that," grumbled William, blanching a little as the cart jolted. Tension knotted within him as he chanced a glance upward; the track, bright turquoise, stretched on, jutting into the sky. "Are you certain this is safe?"
"I do believe that you are scared," Julia replied, with a grin. Clearly, she was enjoying this as much as she was the ride. "It's only a roller coaster, William."
"I am not scared." William spoke through gritted teeth, though his edgy demeanor betrayed him. "I just do not believe the ride is as safe as it could be. The protection measures are very meager, and we are-" he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with much-needed air. "Very high up. The Leviathan is approximately 93.3 meters high. Its angle of descent is about 80 degrees." A cold breeze pushed at William upon these words.
"I'm aware of that. You've told me about ten times," Julia said, with an air of patience. She gave him a sideways glance. "I'm surprised, to be honest. You gave me the impression that you enjoyed things like this, the other day. That's why I chose Canada's Wonderland as our final date before my departure- well, if we plummet to our deaths, I suppose I shall not be returning to America tomorrow." Her tone was neutral, with a thoughtful edge to it, as if she found the concept of falling from the peak of the Leviathan to be an intriguing one.
"Very funny," William groaned. As the coaster continued to ascend, William closed his eyes in a brief moment of frustration. "Why is it taking so long?"
Julia laughed. "As you said, it is approximately 93.3 meters high. Besides, I like the feeling of apprehension that it creates. It's all very gripping."
"If you say so," William murmured, doubtfully. He held his breath as they reached the top of the track, and as he did, he felt Julia's hand slip into his. This distracted him greatly, and he very nearly forgot what was about to happen. Then his stomach dropped.
0oOo0
William stumbled off of the ride, walking blindly toward the exit. Julia was at his elbow, guiding him, her expression as bright as the sun. He could not comprehend her joy; he felt almost hollow with shock. "Julia, I believe I may be sick," he announced, slumping onto a nearby bench and putting his head in his hands. "Why would anybody put themselves through that? It was traumatizing!"
"Aha," Julia declared triumphantly, sinking down beside him. "So, you were scared!"
He shot her his best scandalized look. "No… I just feel physically…. Sick."
"Okay," Julia replied, perfectly cheerfully. "So, after you've recovered, we can go again?"
William choked at the very thought.
0oOo0
They sat just outside the park, on a slant of rolling grass. Several trees dotted the strips of greenery that edged concrete, cement, and bricks, and William leaned against one contentedly, his eyes half-closed. He watched as masses of people walked past, chattering all the while, expertly weaving their way around each other. Cars rolled past, searching for parking spaces, their colors, sizes, and shapes diverse, and William found himself almost wishing that he had a car. He didn't need one, of course- often, subways, trains, and walking were far more reliable than the ever-cluttered roads of the city- but he had always had a fascination with them. Automobiles were amazing, as were many things in this world. William had never been able to understand why more people didn't stop to appreciate the wonders that surrounded them. Everybody was always rushing, here and there, never slowing, never pausing. He often wondered what life would have been like back in the Victorian and Edwardian Eras. Surely, it wouldn't be polluted? Surely, life would be simpler, unhindered by the complications of technology? Would he have been the same man, if he had been born in, say, 1861? He hoped that he would have been, hoped ardently that his principles and morals would remain more or less unchanged by time.
His gaze shifted to Julia. She was sprawled out on the grass, her face slack and peaceful. She still donned tinted shades and her hair was carefully hidden beneath her head, but William felt as if he would recognize her through any disguise. The picnic basket lay beside her, tipped on to its side. He had been suitably impressed by the food she had brought along, especially after she claimed to have made it herself; the quaint little sandwiches had been most delicious. Even though the rumble of cars and talking soiled the air, and the Leviathan- William shuddered at the very thought of it- thundered by frequently, the moment was serene and calm. He could have stayed in it forever.
But Julia was to leave, in less than twenty-four hours of time. She would be in New York, unreachably far. Doubtless, she would forget about him and take up with the handsome Darcy Garland, her co-star… William's hands clenched at the mere thought of it. He absolutely could not let that happen; but how could he stop it? Julia would not want to maintain a long-distance relationship, and she was free to do as she pleased in America. He would likely never see her again, except he would, in posters and commercials, in magazines. It would be infinitely painful for him.
Julia's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment she seemed disorientated. Then, her lips pulled into an amused smile, and she sat up. "I dozed off," she explained, patting at her tousled hair as to smooth it. "And didn't quite know where I was for a moment."
"I noticed," William agreed, his eyes opening more fully. He leaned forward, no longer drowsy, as she turned herself around to face him. "We haven't been noticed, so far."
Julia's face drew inwards, her eyes darkening in seriousness. "Yes, thank the heavens. About that… I just… before I leave, I wanted to apologize properly."
William's eyebrows shot up; this he had not been at all expected. "Whatever for?"
She moved restlessly in the grass, altering her position and wrapping her arms around her legs. Her chin rested on her knees, but she maintained eye contact with him, entirely solemn. "I've been very selfish of late. As I got to know you, I realized just how much you cherished your privacy. I knew that the more time I spent with you, the more likely it became that reporters would discover us. Reporters are…. Well, in my experience, they are like vultures. Once they find something, they devour all scraps of information, until there is none to be found. If they had found out about… us… they would have spilled your secrets everywhere. You wouldn't be left alone for some time. Despite this knowledge, I continued to see you." She frowned deeply.
"Julia, I knew the risks as well as you did. I'm not completely clueless, you know," William replied, with an attempt at self-deprecating humor. "I won't deny that I thought about the bad things, like the reporters and paparazzi… but I found myself enjoying your company so much that it didn't matter. It was all worth it. You have nothing to apologize for." His brown eyes were earnest, beseeching, and as he watched, the guilty look that clouded Julia's faded.
"Well, that's a relief. And, for the record, I enjoy your company as well. So much, that I shirked a dinner with the mayor of Toronto and much annoyed him. I may be exiled."
Even though he heard the joking tinge to her comment, William felt a pang of anxiety. "I didn't get you into trouble, did I?" he asked worriedly. "If anybody is angered by-"
Julia rolled her eyes, leaning back, as to catch a golden ray of late afternoon sunshine. "Breathe, William. I was only kidding. The mayor has several young children who are big fans of mine. I sent them autographed postcards and DVDS. He was content. It was all Thomas's idea, of course. That man is- well, I'd say a genius, but that would be somewhat inflating the truth." She grimaced, as if recalling a particularly unpleasant memory. The light caught her hair and her skin, threading it with a dark gold color, and she sighed in contentment as it warmed her.
William simply observed, with a slight smile on his face. "It sounds as if the people that you associate with are very humorous."
"Not as funny as George," Julia said, immediately. She continued, mischievously. "I must speak with him again. I have several ideas for that novel of his, ones that I think he will appreciate."
William shook his head, with feeling. "As long as I am elsewhere. You two will drive me insane. Next, you'll be helping him with his paranormal theories."
"I'll get right on that," mumbled Julia. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger in silence as the seconds ticked on, and then she sat up and moved closer to William. "Being as we won't talk face to face for some time…." Julia began, only to be interrupted.
"We will remain in contact, then?" William's question was hurried, and he half-flinched, truly dreading her inevitable answer.
Julia tipped her head, confused. "Of course we will. Unless…. Perhaps… you don't want to…" her words became jumbled, almost incoherent. "If you don't want to remain in contact, I completely understand."
"Julia," William spoke slowly, steadily. He reached for her hand, and this time, he properly took it, between his own. "I do want to speak to you, even after you leave. I thought that you wouldn't want to. After all, it will be difficult, with our conflicting schedules."
Julia's obvious relief was refreshing to William; she did want to try. He told himself that his qualms had been for nothing; but doubt still prickled at him. It might not work. She might, while working with him, fall for Darcy Garland…
"I intend to take you to the airport tomorrow," William said, abruptly, and rather rashly.
Julia stared at him, exasperated. "We've talked about this. Somehow, the media has managed to get hold of my flight and departure time. They'll be waiting at the airport for me. You can't be seen. I can take a cab; it's no problem at all."
William had a stubborn set to his jaw. "I don't care. They can badger me all they like; I won't tell them anything, and I won't fall for their taunts and tricks. I want to see you off."
"William," Julia protested, looking at him as if he were insane. "Be reasonable."
"It's perfectly reasonable for me to want to say goodbye to you, to see you onto your flight. I've made a decision, Julia, and I can be just as stubborn as you."
She looked like she wanted to argue further, but- unexpectedly- she accepted defeat. "Fine. You know, of course, that they will ask you about the nature of our relationship? If we have a relationship?" She sounded cautious.
"What should I tell them?" William asked, looking her squarely in the eye.
Julia shrugged, in an awkward sort of manner. "If you're comfortable with it… the truth. If one of the reporters asks if we're together… say yes."
William's answering smile was, as it always was with Julia, genuine and euphoric in equal measure. A sudden spurt of courage egged him on, and he drew Julia toward him. They kissed, and it was as if there was nobody on Earth but the two of them.