Cupid's Bow
Chapter 8
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"Off."
I startle at the feeling of fingers pulling on the ripped corner of my top.
My reflected gaze darts to the reflected Edward in the water, kneeling beside me and lightly tugging on the ruined material. Abruptly, I yank myself away from him, fear crawling into my insides at his word, his touch.
He stares at me across the newly created space, confused, his hand hovering in mid-air.
"W-what are you d-doing?" I grip my top to me tightly, suddenly doubting what I saw, or didn't see, in his eyes earlier.
His head cocks to the side in reply, his gaze running over my clothes. "Hot." His glance swerves back to mine before he places his hovering-hand over his glittering chest. Then, shrugging, "Off."
I gawk at him…
…then start shaking my head pretty bloody quickly.
"No," I squeak, shifting away slightly. "No, thank you."
So he won't pick me up or anything again, I quickly scoop my hands into the water and splash it onto my face. A shudder of pure relief trembles down my spine at how good it feels. It's icy-cool, and I do it again and again, letting the water run down my hair, soaking my scalp in delicious little rivulets of sensation.
Out of the corner of my eye, Edward smiles widely.
I peer at him hesitantly. "It's… I feel better now."
Without a word, he dunks his hand into the water and pulls it back out, dripping.
Wide-eyed, I watch the droplets cling to the tiny diamonds embedded into his skin, and, for a second, recall the moment I first saw him in the water, and feel my cooled-down cheeks flush slightly.
His wet hand touches my bare neck. His eyes catch mine. "Bet… better?"
I swallow thickly, breathe in, breathe out – feel his hand follow the movement. "Um…"
He dips his other hand, lifts it, and places it on his own neck. Inching a little closer, a fixed look steals across his features as his eyes drift closed for a minute. My heart whirrs and –
"Fast," he breathes, voice awed, peering at me. He flexes his hand on his own neck slightly before he smiles, soft and gentle. "S…same."
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Apparently, on Cupid's Bow, the atmosphere is so accommodating and, well, just flat-out friendly, towards human beings, that here, houses are pretty much obsolete. It was one of the things that made it 'the place to be!' – the titillating idea that you could sleep out under the stars, every single night of the year, without worrying about infection or disease or cold.
Personally, I found that idea to be a bit… barbaric.
So when the sky starts to darken, apprehension starts to wring at my insides. We'd been walking since we'd cooled off by the little water pool, passing no buildings, no Things, no… nothing, really. All I saw, over and over, was colour. But, I suppose, one good thing about seeing nothing was it meant that I hadn't seen any more of Them, either.
Maybe I can manage with one, but there's no way I could deal with being outnumbered.
He pauses.
Tilting my head up in the fading light, I ask, my voice tight, "Why are we stopping?" I guess it was naïve of me to think we'd get there – wherever there is – before nightfall, but hope is inherently naïve, I suppose.
His eyes scan the green for a minute. Seemingly satisfied with whatever it is he does, or doesn't, see, he drops his head, his green-gold merging together as he gazes at me. "Sleep," is all he says, taking one more step forward before… sinking to the ground.
Nerves tighten in the pit of my stomach as my eyes dart all around. I am really uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping outside. It's too… open. Plus, the quicker I find the Thing, the quicker I can go home. He must know this place like the back of his hand by now, so…
"No… sleep," I say, mimicking his pattern from earlier.
Maybe he can sense my apprehension or whatever, because a look of understanding pools in his splashed-out eyes. Reaching up, he gives my fingers a little tug. "Bel-la sleep. Bel-la… safe."
My eyes widen as I quickly pull my hand away, winding my arm around my ribs. "That's not…" But it is.
"Safe," he insists, patting the ground next to him. "Sleep."
I look at the green, the ground, and then him hesitantly. I don't think I'm going to win this one, and I am a bit tired, but…
"Tomorrow?" I ask, then clarify, "We'll find the Thing tomorrow?"
After a minute, he nods. "Tuh… tomorrow."
So sighing, I let myself sink to the ground, clutching my knees tight to my chest. I don't look at him even though I can feel his gaze on me, instead opting to stare out into the dark. I won't let myself fall asleep, because despite what he might say, I still feel uneasy. I haven't stopped feeling uneasy today.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch his position change, until he's lying flat on the ground, his body tilted to face me. He scoots a little closer – because I left a considerable bit of space between us – and I pretend I don't see.
Slowly, he reaches out and lays his hand on mine, before winding his fingers around my tightly interlocked ones. My quick heart dries up all the water in my mouth, but I let them loosen and fall, let him slide his fingers between mine… and I pretend that he's the only one holding on.
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A/N: Big thanks to the FicSisters for featuring this story on their blog this week! You guys are lovely. :)