We both looked away at the same time and laughed off the awkward moment.
“Wow, I heard that your eyes were unusual but I didn’t imagine—” he said softly.
“You didn’t imagine that they’d be as bright as yours?” I said, answering his sentence.
“No, that’s not it. Mine are bright but yours are beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a vivid green,” he concluded. “Last night all I saw was dark.”
“It’s funny, the rest of my family have brown eyes. I don’t know where the green comes from, must be a fluke,” I said self-consciously.
“Rose, I’d really like to get to know you better. Please give me the chance.”
“Aiden, I barely know you and I’ll be honest here, I’ve heard stories about you and they’re not all favourable. But I have never been a person to judge anyone prior to meeting them so I should be apologising, I was rude earlier, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. Let’s just get to know each other and see how we go, okay?”
“Sure,” he shrugged.
“Aiden, while you’re here, and while I have the advantage of not really knowing you that well, I’d like to ask a favour.”
“What is it?” he looked bemused.
“Your friend, Spencer? I believe one in my group would really like to go out with him, and I’m sure you know who I mean.”
“Ah, Debbie, yes. I thought she didn’t like him any more.”
“Well, she still does.”
“Okay, so what’s the favour?”
“At the Cley Hill party, you’ll give Spencer time alone. Let him and Debbie have some space, you know, together.”
“Rose, I have only Spencer’s best interests at heart. I told him to stay away from her because I thought she didn’t like him. But I will do as you ask,” he said as a half smile reached his lips. “But I have some bad news.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t take you out as I promised. I have a project that I have to help with, it’s…delicate you might say. ”
“Do you mean with your Grandfather?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “I really want to see you again sometime, but I have to do this for him. The project’s nearing its end, and I can’t afford to get things wrong.” He frowned, thinking of something sad, I guessed. I almost felt sorry for him but I didn’t know why.
“Okay, what’s the project?” I asked earnestly.
“I can’t tell you, it’s his life’s work. He needs me now more than ever. And I have to be around. I’m sorry.”
I was confused again but I let it pass. He had a habit of talking in riddles and now wasn’t the time for decrypting them. Last night he had been more eager to take me out and now he was cooling off the idea. Trust me to mess things up.
“Okay, maybe we can find some time to talk soon,” I said.
“I’d like that, very much,” he smiled. “And I’ll see you at the party anyway.”
“Will you talk to me or stay with your friends?”
“It’s not a good idea for you to be seen with me so openly. The Watch was dark so I saved your reputation,” he chuckled. “The party will be different. As you’ve already found out, I’m not very liked around here, and you’ve only just arrived. I wouldn’t want it to brush off on you,” he smiled sweetly.
“I don’t care what other people say, I’ll like who I want to like,” I said vehemently.
“Okay, then,” he grinned. “Rose, as a friend, please be careful with the people in your company.” He jerked his head in the direction of the others.
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
“If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to be careful who you trust; they’re not all they appear to be. And some will betray you.”
I frowned, my stomach plummeted as he spoke, the blood drained from my face as I scanned his.
A crease appeared above his already furrows eyebrows, pushed down over his sparkling eyes and his lips parted slightly. His face became pensive, and ominous. He was deadly serious and his now sombre gaze didn’t waiver as he stared into my eyes with seriousness.
I turned and looked out over the lake, to see the crystal water shimmering, and two butterflies chasing each other in the light wind. His words hit home, his warning was real.
“That is a very dangerous thing to say, Aiden,” I said slowly. “I’ve known Hannah and Mira since we were children. They’d never betray me. And the others are their friends. Why would they do that?”
“All I’m saying is to be careful, and I’m saying it as someone who only wants the best for you.”
“No, that’s not what you said,” I slowly stood. Our close conversation suddenly felt inappropriate. If I had been under a spell before, I was over it now. The dream flashed back and my defences went up again.
“You said they would betray me. Why would you say that?”
“A time will come when you won’t know who to trust. And I want you to know that you can always trust me, no matter what,” he stood up and faced me, and his eyes flickered around my face before poring into mine with his full meaning.
I apprehensively stepped back. “That’s not a very nice thing to say, you sound a little insane right now, Aiden. I’m going back to my friends and forget you said that, okay? I meant what I said earlier, but we’re done here. Goodbye.”
I kept my steps even as I walked from him but he was whispering something out of my ear shot, and I couldn’t pick the words out. As my pace quickened I felt a sudden hammer like thumping around my temple.
“Damn it,” I whispered, and tried to rub away the pain. Of all the times to get a headache it had to be now.
A streaking jab like a lightening bolt hit through my skull so suddenly that my balance went. I sank to my knees as I cried out, clawing my fingers through my hair.
The thunder inside my skull got louder and louder. I could only compare it to the blasting static, like tuning in a radio, but loud, really loud. Again and again it scraped, back and forth.
I opened my eyes but the view had turned a shade of red. There was red water in the lake, and red sky. Even the trees were a dozen shades of light and dark scarlet. I felt my stomach churn in protest so I gulped fresh air back down in defiance. It worked a little. Still kneeling my body wasn’t swaying as much. My ear drums beat loud and rampant.
For less than a second I thought I saw a pair of camouflaged faces through the trees. I shook my head at them. If they were there I wasn’t going to blow their cover.
“Oh my god, Rose, are you okay?” Aiden lifted me up and led me back to the bench. I had no power to object.
“I think I need to go home,” I managed to say, as I shielded my eyes from the sunlight. It was too bright, the red hue wouldn’t fade away and I suddenly craved darkness.
“I’ll get my car. Wait here,” his voice now grated too, and then he was gone.
I lay down on the bench. I could feel blood pumping around my temples to the roof of my skull and I tried to blank out of the static but it kept flicking on, off, on, off.
The next moments were a blur. I remembered the sound of running, more than one person, and it was all amplified too loudly and I grasped my head again, screaming in agony.
I heard concerned voices, before being lifted from the bench and gently placed into a car seat. Someone buckled me in, I didn’t know who.
“Rose, if you can hear me, I’ll phone you,” I think it was Mira, as her high pitched voice was distinct. “Aiden, make sure she knows.”
I let out another shriek as another wave hit and found short lived solace against the cool car window, as the car started moving.
It could only have been a few minutes, and we were slowing down.
“We’re just a moment away, Rose. I’ve phoned Daisy already,” his soft voice no longer grated but was full of concern. I felt his hand hold onto mine. I didn’t let it go, his cool skin was soothing. His thumb gently stroked my palm, and the tiny motion was light and relieving. The tend
erness in my temples ebbed away.
I heard the familiar gravel under the tyres and the motion of movement stopped. Aiden carried me, I could smell his scent and I clung to his sweater. I heard some shouting from a distance, Morgan possibly, cursing at Aiden.
Up and up we went before I landed softly on the bed. I could no longer endure the throbbing. The smarting jabbed once more before the coolness left my hand and I passed out into darkness.
Something cool and soft was placed on my forehead… my feet were free of my shoes and my legs placed gently down…….a soft touch stroked my hand to my fingers… a painful jab in my arm…was that my cry?……a hand held my own…. a warm cover placed over me……another cool sensation on my forehead… soft voices in the distance…whispering…my hand was held again… the black shadow drew me back in and took me to it’s centre.
The faint dawn light seeped in between my eyelids waking me. I opened them slowly, waiting for the smarting to hit, but there was nothing. No pain and no sign of soreness at all, my head felt clear. My eyes were a little hazy and dizziness stopped any sudden movements.
The soft hue of the early morning filtered through my window and I lay for a moment taking in my bearings, my body a little numb still.
My right arm ached like hell. I felt down and found a small plaster in the inside of my elbow so I yanked it off, my skin perfectly clear underneath. I wondered what it was there for. Had I needed an injection for some reason? Surely Mum had advised Daisy that I needed to sleep off a headache more than take drugs.
I tried to move my arm but my hand was weighted down, wrapped in one much larger.
Morgan had brought a chair close to the bed, his body bent over so his head was resting on the covers facing me. He was still fast asleep, and his short blonde hair glistened in the early morning light. Singular strands had fallen over his forehead which shimmered like strands of beaded glass.
While I sat motionless I was caught between my reluctance to wake him, and my need to stretch. My reluctance diminished as I began to remember.
Lucie. He had been with Lucie.
I blinked unexpected tears away as I looked down at the softness of his skin, and the perfect lines of his kindly face.
How could he have wounded me so deeply, so quickly?
Yesterday I had wondered about what love felt like. Now the warmth that emanated from his energy was invigorating me, I could feel the pulsing absorption into my skin and up through my veins.
But as of now, he was not my friend and had no right to hold my hand this way.
In my confused state I slowly withdrew it from his grasp and edged towards the opposite side of the bed. I got up, and found my slippers and dressing gown from behind the door, steadying myself from wooziness, before closing it softly behind me and heading down the empty corridor to the stairs.
In the kitchen I made a cup of camomile tea and wandered into the garden to watch the day break. The air was fresh on my face as I walked across the lawn, soft and forgiving under my steps, and sat on Daisy’s bench.
My ears were keener than before, as if my senses had shifted precedence. I could hear the insects buzzing around opening blooms, and the lawn sucking on the heavy dewed grass. The birds began their early morning calls, chirping beautiful sounds across the waves of air, and everything else was still.
Taking in the quietness I drank slowly keeping my eyes closed to listen harder. I draped my hand over the side of the bench and rubbed my fingers into the grass. There was nothing that needed my help. It was a tingly nice feeling, content almost.
Beyond the house to the kitchen I heard sounds. I hadn’t the energy to scan the house for people but someone was trying to be quiet, my astute ears picked up the soft footfalls which were coming closer. I guessed he might follow me.
I began to observe the garden, as the sun began to rise above the walls and the golden shreds began their morning ritual of warming the earth. What was shade began to colour in the sunlight.
“Hi,” the soft masculine voice purred.
I didn’t look in his direction, afraid that my crazy emotions may betray me. I continued in my forward fixation.
“Hi,” I whispered back.
He sat down, but kept a space between us.
“How are you feeling?” his calming tone whispered and his concerned voice was lovely.
“I’m okay,” I said and looked at him for the first time, I couldn’t resist. “No residue of headache at all, just tired.”
It was difficult to breathe suddenly and my stomach plunged into the depths of my gut. My blood started racing, no, charging around my body.
To my embarrassment my cheeks flared up against the coldness of the air so I fingered my loose hair drawing a lock across my face.
I didn’t want to feel this way. I wanted to hate him again.
“Daisy gave you a mild pain killer if you’re wondering about your arm,” he whispered.
“That will explain the plaster, but it wasn’t necessary,” I answered in defence.
“What do you remember?”
“Being carried upstairs, then nothing.”
“Aiden said that you fainted, he brought you home. While you slept you were murmuring things. You got quite agitated at one point, and it took all of us to hold you down and to stop you from thrashing out. You calmed after the injection. I stayed in case you woke and needed anything. I hoped you wouldn’t mind.”
I shook my head in answer. “I was thrashing? And what was I murmuring?”
“Well, I did like the way you almost hit Aiden. It made me laugh. He must have really annoyed you, which for Aiden is not difficult to do. And as for what you were saying, it was all gibberish, I couldn’t understand anything, sorry.”
We were still whispering I realised. Somehow it didn’t feel right to speak loudly in the quiet serenity of the morning.
“Do you get headaches a lot?” Morgan asked.
“One a week, sometimes less. At the moment more,” I sighed.
“Do you note down when they occur? Is it after eating a particular food, or an allergy to light?”
“No, but believe me when I say I’ve seen enough doctors. The headaches are purely random.”
“So what happened yesterday when it started?”
I tried to think back to the last memory I had. Aiden had upset me with his talk of betrayal.
“I was just chatting to Aiden, nothing special.”
“What did he say?” Morgan was leaning towards me, I noticed. His arm was now resting on the back of the bench. His fingers were closer so I tried to edge away.
“It’s all a bit hazy, I can’t remember,” I lied.
I continued to avoid his gaze and I began to sense his discomfort with it.
“Rose?” he whispered more sternly.
“Yes.”
“Have I done something wrong?”
I paused, I wasn’t ready for any confrontation yet. “No.”
“I didn’t scare you when you woke up?”
“No, ‘course not.” I said quickly, and giggled nervously at his ludicrous question.
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
As he spoke he stretched his fingers and stroked my arm. This was exactly why I couldn’t look at him, he was making me feel more than I’d like. But it was a straight forward question which at the moment I couldn’t answer.
Why didn’t I look at him? But the answer soon followed like a thunder crack. I was scared of these feelings, and I had no experience with this. My almost monosyllabic answers had not been by accident, I just couldn’t think properly at the questions he was asking. It was difficult to form words, or even utter them, such were my damaged feelings.
I avoided his last question and stood up, looking at him fully. No, he was too enthralling.
“I’ll see you later,” I managed to mumble. He called after me but I ran across the lawn to the house, dumped my cup in the kitchen sink and ran upstairs to my room.
The chair was still in p
lace beside the bed and I imagined him again as I had this morning, sleeping gently.
I dragged my fingers to my head pulling them through my hair. A thousand thoughts fluttered around my head. I felt as if I was being pulled and pushed at the same time in the inertia of it all. I wanted to sit down but I knew I would stand up again if I did. What was I doing? Why did I feel so confused?
I was so restless now there was only one thing I could do, I needed to run.
Daisy popped her head around the door just as I was heading out. She was over the moon at my rapid recovery and hugged me gently.
I asked her about Henry. He was now in an army hospital receiving treatment. The police had thought it wise to keep him out of sight for the moment. They were considering opening up the cold case file again on him and Agatha Millard. As yet, Henry hadn’t talked except to say that he had been held underground. No mention of ‘by whom’.
Daisy apologised but a scheduled meeting would keep her away for a while but she promised to return later to check how I was, and also explain about the security, the army, the tracking, everything. I couldn’t be mad at her any more and when she left she kissed my cheek and held me in a tight embrace, calling me her ‘Angel’.
It was moments like those when I really loved Daisy. Sometimes her frequent absences made me question whether I was important to her, her life was so busy. But I felt reassurance in her hug that she cared very deeply.
The run had been great. I had stretched all the aches from my muscles and filled my head and lungs with clear air. I felt energised and fresh again.
As I walked into the house, the phone rang.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hi Rose? I wanted to find out how you were,” Mira said in her bubbly voice. “Are you feeling better? We were so worried.”
“I’m feeling all right. What are you up to today?” I breezed back. Mira’s happiness was contagious. It was nice to talk to someone who had such a carefree disposition.
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