Heart on Fire | Noah Sebastian

Chapter 12

Belle left me to shower and wandered off to her bedroom up the hall. She left me with a cheeky smile as I watched her disappear behind the door. Her bathroom looked practically untouched, much like the rest of her house. Her bathroom had a basic white basin with a single cactus plant in a white and grey pot and hand soap in a grey slate container to match the grey slate tile. Her bath towels and hand towels were matching aqua blue. It kind of felt like being in a luxury hotel room bathroom with everything being so clean and coordinated.

I felt awkward as I stripped naked and took a shower. It's always awkward taking a shower at a new person's house. I wiped myself over with some soap to make myself smell clean and got out. I towel dried my hair and scuffed it up a little so I didn't look like a drowned rat. I checked myself out in the mirror, wondering just how this lanky mess became so lucky to find someone just as wonderful as Belle. I took a few deep breaths and psyched myself up. I'm spending the night with Belle. I could hardly contain my excitement. I felt like a kid the night before Christmas, the excitement enveloping my bones and rushing through my blood. I had no intentions, yet, but I was just excited to be with her.

I made sure to turn off all the lightswitches in her house and slowly wandered up to her bedroom. As I entered, I was greeted with a dimly lit bedroom with candles softly glowing on both bedside tables that smelled of fresh roses. Belle was laying in her bed under the blankets propped up by a giant pillow, patiently waiting for my return. A small grin played on her face. Her bedroom was just as immaculate and luxurious as the rest of her house. She had a fluffy white laced quilt with matching pillows. I almost felt like a criminal touching it.

"Hi Noah," Belle smirked from the bed as I stood in the doorway. "Would you like to come join me?" she asked as innocently as she could. I could tell she was a little giddy and honestly, it was so cute. I've never seen her giddy.

I closed the door and made my way into the bed and she lifted up the covers inviting me in. Once I was comfortable, we turned to face each other. Belle's head almost disappeared in the giant pillow. We smiled at each other in silence. Belle's eyes looked to mine and disappeared below, possibly from shyness. I looked at her and embraced the beauty that lay before me. The candle glow cast a shadow upon her that accented her in ways I've never seen before. I noticed how her cheek bones stood out and how her lips whilst resting played a small smile in the corners. Her hair, now fluffed dry and finally out of a pony tail draped around her and fell just below her shoulders in small waves. I noticed how her lean arms, showing small muscular lines seamlessly blended into her side, which dipped in sharpley and moved up to her small hips. Her legs softly decline and disappear. Her outline was stunning.

I never knew true beauty like this existed in real life. I was convinced people only noticed this stuff in movies and stories, but here she was, beauty in its rawest form, laying right in front of me. A small shadow cast out the colour of her eyes but that's okay, I knew what colour they were. I had to fight the urge to bring her to me and kiss her again, but I don't want Belle to think I have any particular intentions only. I let my hand gently stroke her cheek. Her smile broadens. "You're so beautiful Belle" I whisper to her.

Belle dipped her head down in an attempt to hide her blush. She eventually returns and looks into my eyes. "You're so beautiful to me" she whispered back to me and caused my heart to flutter within my chest. Her finger traces my arm. "Thank you for being here tonight" she laments.

"Of course I'm going to be here" I assure her. A glow in Belle's eyes appeared. The candle light reflected from a watering in her eyes. "I'm always going to be here".

"I've never really felt like this before, but I was scared to be hurt today" she began. She paused to sniffle. My hand mindlessly graced over her cheek and face and hair and shoulders. I knew this was comforting her. "I've never really been scared before... like I've never been scared like I was today. Having you in my life, I was scared I could have left you behind". A small drop left her eye that I swiftly wiped away. "I've never doubted a decision in my whole career until this morning, but I knew I was right. I saved those two people". Belle struggled to verbalise her thoughts but I understood what she meant.