Unreal Love ~ jp

24. Necklaces and wasted time

(an/ ik in a previous chapter i said kate gave back the earrings, however for dramatic effect. I've changed my mind that it's the necklace. Just to clarify.)

"So how have you been?." James asked Kate as she pointed her wand towards the small kettle and hearing it begin to bubble.
"It's been ok, everyone's been busy with their real relationships, so i've been on my own quite a bit but that's fine, I enjoy my own company." Kate answered with a small nod. She knew she had to get out of this situation as quickly as she could, her heart was thumping through her chest as the boy she'd been avoiding for months had caged her in. Unable to escape.
"How about you?" Kate reciprocated his earlier question.
"I dated what I thought was the girl of my dreams. Decided that she wasn't. Realised that I'm a huge idiot." He laughed and leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest.
"Why are you a huge idiot. You thought you were in love but you weren't and that's ok." Kate asked and scrunched her face at him.
"I spent, what, a month and a half with a girl who didn't really, and never really liked me. And ignored the one who's been one of my best friends since Halloween." James admitted with a sad smile.
"It's fine James. You were just euphoric after finally getting the girl you had a crush on for years." Kate had pretended she hadn't felt the knife of rejection stab into her torso and rip all the way up to her throat.
"So we're going to be friends again? You mysteriously turning up wherever I am and dragging me in on your antics." Kate asked with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.
"Exactly that." James confirmed.
"Great." She rolled her eyes playfully at him.

The two had quickly fallen back into their old habits. Sitting in that cozy kitchen opposite each other on that small rickety table, laughing and talking for what had felt like hours. Cups of lavender tea filling up and being drank as time flies by.
Kate was ignoring the ache in her chest as she watched James smile and laugh.
"I wish I could bake as good as you." James said as he took a bite into a pasty that has been in the fridge. It crumbing all over his lap.
"I could teach you." Kate started. "If you want." She rushed out.
"Yea I'd like that. Now?" James said hopefully.
"No not today." Kate laughed at his eagerness and his disappointed slumped shoulders. "We'll make a day of it. I promise."
"Good." James yawned. "Your lavender tea has done a number on me." He said as he lifted his arms up above his head and stretched.
"That's because you're not tolerant to it." James's face was sleepy and his hair had fallen even messier than usual sticking up every which way.
"I think this is our que to go to bed." Kate said and slowly stood up from the wooden chair.
If she was being truthful, there was nothing she would want less than to leave here at this moment. It had brought back every single memory from their charade, ruse, lie. And it made Kate feel as if she was floating.
But none the less, the two make their way back through the painting of the fruit bowl and turned to each other.

"I'm um going to go this way." Kate awkwardly commented, swaying on the balls of her feet and pointing over her shoulder.
"Ah, I was going to go that way." James replied and pointed over his shoulder.
Kate looked down to the floor and made a hasty goodbye and started to make her way back to the common room the long way round and she heard James's foot falls get quieter and further away.

"Kate wait!" He'd shouted just as she was about to turn the corner and turned her head to see James running down the corridor towards her.
"I forgot." He wasn't panting or even out of breath, Kate noted. "To give you this back."
He pulled the delicate chain out from his pocket and the bright, diamond encrusted charm shined in the light.
"I noticed you still wear the earrings, so you can have the matching set." James gently laid the necklace that had been so expensive down into Kate's hand.
She blushed a bright pink however the bright tone was dimmed by the low light of the corridor, only lit by a couple of candles lining the wall.
"Thank you." She muttered and felt the words tumble out over her tongue before she could stop them. "Could you put it on me?"

The storm in her stomach was back as she turned her back to James and lifted her hair up from around her shoulders as he draped the piece of jewellery around her neck.

-

Lavender. Lavender was the thing that filled his senses when she lifted her hair up from her neck. That smell was Kate's smell. Lavender and Kate were synonymous. He saw his hands shake as he brought
the chain around her neck and gently did up the clasp, watching the charm fall gently down her chest.  He got one last waft of lavender as she let her hair
drop back over her shoulders.

-

She could feel his breath fan over the back of her neck, he was concentrating. He was close, she could feel his body heat radiating as he towered over her and pulled the cold chain around her. She tried to not shiver as the chain and charm slid into place. She could feel his breath on her hair after she had let go and let it fall.
"Than-" Kate began still having his back to him.
"Goodnight."
By the time Kate had span around James was already half way down to corridor and out of earshot.
"Night." Kate whispered into the nothingness of the empty corridor and grasped had the beautiful necklace as she began to walk back to the common room.

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