A Glance Means More Than A Word

Part 3 - His eyes overflowing with romance

That night was particularly clear, the moon was shining above their heads, despite all the torments the two teenagers were going through, this night had everything to be serene.

The laughter and the cries of their comrades were far away, we only heard the sound of crickets, Gilbert had guided Anne a few steps behind the ruins, out of sight, they had stopped in front of the trees that surrounded the place.

The young redhead simply had difficulty knowing if what was happening at the moment was real. He had just taken her hand? How had this happened? Why didn't he let go of it now? So many questions were racing through her head, only she was unable to react. She froze when the dark-haired boy decided they had to stop under an old oak tree.

Gilbert was now standing in front of the redhead, he looked her in the eye and tried to perceive what the young girl was feeling at that moment, her expression seemed so pensive, her mind seemed elsewhere, so he couldn't guess.

Then he looked down at his own hand, realising that he was still in contact with her skin, he was still holding her hand. Why had he done this? Was she going to hit him on the head for being so bold? It seemed so natural to him, as if it was instinctive, that he hadn't even asked himself a question before acting.

Even if it seemed spontaneous to him, to feel her hand in this way, to feel so close to her, it was a real first.

Of course, there had been dancing at school, he had been able to feel her hand more than once, her skin seemed so soft and delicate, he couldn't take his eyes off her during the whole dance, but how could he? She was so smiling, so cheerful, so graceful, so Anne.

In fact, it was only at the last note of music that he realised she was the only one at that moment. But at that point, the young man had not yet realised that there had been only her at all times and that it would always be her.

This evening, illuminated by the moonlight, Gilbert contemplated the young redhead, his eyes were so tender, and since he was unable to express it in words, he thought it was the only way to make her understand. So he still held the girl's hand, caressing her almost with his fingertips in his mind, but in reality he did not dare to make the slightest movement for fear of rushing her.

Suddenly Anne woke up from her almost vegetative state, she looked down, to see the hand of the dark-haired boy still in hers, was it real? This question was constantly in her mind. Gilbert really cared about her, but was it out of simple friendship? That must have been it. Gilbert couldn't... no, she couldn't even think about it, it was ridiculous and senseless. But he always held her hand so softly, how could she just not notice it? It didn't look like friendly behaviour, it was... it looked like... No, she couldn't believe it.

The girl then looked up to meet his eyes, she got lost again in his hazelnut eyes. It was like the other night at Miss Stacy's house, when Gilbert stared at her as if he was trying to read something in her eyes, as if he was trying to understand her thoughts, like real kindred spirits. This evening Anne had lost control of her eyes, they had deviated suddenly on the brown boy's lips, unconsciously.

And now this scene was being replayed again, what could she do this time to escape it, slap herself perhaps? It would probably be too much of a violent reaction, but she didn't want to be that kind of girl, that boy standing in front of her, had never been for her after all. And even Jerry's speech the day before hadn't been enough to convince her, anyway Gilbert had gone to Charlottetown despite what she might have said to him yesterday, so it did mean something.

When she realised that she was no longer looking the young man in the eye, but was now staring at his lips, she tried to pull herself together, it must have been the few side effects of the rum. What else could it be? She had to find a way to stop it at all costs, otherwise who knows what she would be able to do, if she just let her body do it for her.