The Lady Knight

Chapter XXVI: Feelings and Frustrations

"I am well aware," I rolled my eyes, pulling them towards myself, "and I can carry them, no problem."

He crossed his arms and stared down at me sternly. "Julie."

I imitated his stance, not willing to give in. "Nick."

There was a beat of silence, before we both reached out at the same time to engage in a violent tug of war with the blankets. Whatever thoughts I had of us being friends again vanished into thin air, as I attempted to regain my hold on the blankets.

"You are being annoying! Release them, Nick!"

"And you are being stubborn! You are only beginning to learn to hold a mug, and now you want to carry heavy blankets? What if it disrupts your recovery?"

"Release them!"

"Nay!"

This repetitive argument ensued for a long while, before I lost my feeble grip on the blankets.

"Nick, look out!" I cried, as I let go.

The inertia caused by the amount of force he was using to pull the blankets caused him to topple backwards and caused me to pitch forward as well. I squeezed my eyes shut on instinct, fully expecting and preparing myself to come face-to-face with the snow-covered ground and freeze on contact.

But I did not.

Instead, I found that I was pressed up snugly against something warm and hard. The scent of fresh pine trees wafted up my nose, and a pair of arms was locked tightly around my waist.

I froze, surprised. Had I landed on top of Nick?

My eyes flew open at the thought, and I jerked my head up at once, only to stare straight into a pair of huge grey eyes.

At that moment, I vaguely remembered my beret falling off my head, but I was past caring. His eyes held mine in an almost hypnotic manner, and slowly but gradually, a silence wrapped itself around us, a silence that was heavy and comfortable at the same time.

In that one instant, time came to a standstill, as all thoughts fled my mind. We were so close, that I could count exactly how many freckles there were on his nose, and exactly how many lashes framed his almond-shaped grey eyes whose irises were visibly darkening.

He raised a trembling hand to the side of my face, brushed back a few stray locks behind my ear and held it there, his gaze never wavering from mine even for a moment. Without conscious thought, I found myself leaning into his palm, as his thumb briefly brushed across my cheekbone.

I did not know what was happening, and neither did I know how to make sense of the unfamiliar myriad of emotions that were coursing through me all at once, overwhelming my mind completely. They were as intense as anger, yet as soft and wonderful as peace and happiness.

They were a strange motley, and I did not know how to give them voice.

My cheeks burned bright red, much to my embarrassment, but apparently, not to his. A breathtakingly crooked smile lit up his features, as he gently drew my face down even closer to his, until my lips were a mere hairbreadth away from his.

If I tilted my head even a little, I would be kissing him.

That thought did it. I felt as if someone had doused me with a huge barrel full of ice, cold water.

I rolled off him at once and stood upright, slamming my back against the tree trunk behind me as I did so. My breathing was heavy, ragged, as I struggled to compose myself.

Nick sat upright, confused, as he ran a hand through his hair, deep in thought.

But I dared not meet his gaze.