Eyes full of stars | ✔️

Chapter 11: Keep holding on

I laughed.

"What's so funny?" a soft voice in front of me asked.

I raised my head and I met Toby's amber eyes and sweet smile. I quickly blocked my phone and put it in my purse.

I smiled at him. "Hi! Nothing, just a joke from a friend."

Toby didn't change his expression. "Well, tonight I'll try to be as funny as them" he claimed. "I like the sound of your laugh."

I blushed. "We're about to watch a horror movie, there won't be many opportunities to laugh."

He raised his eyebrows and took a step towards me. "Someone will have to break the tension at some point and it will be me." 

Yes. His eyes were full of stars SO MUCH.

"The only thing you will break tonight, will be the record of the most terrified male in the theatre" I smiled.

Toby shrugged. "Isn't this breaking the tension? Wouldn't you laugh because of it?"

I stared at him in silence for a moment, my eyes narrowed. Then we burst into laughter together.

"You're just like a child" I commented while we were entering the theatre.

"I am a child" he said.

***

The movie scared and entertained us both and, watching each other's backs in case a demonic nun was following us, we went to have some fish and chips together. I even spat half of my fish in the middle of the crowd in Shaftesbury Avenue because Toby really couldn't help making me laugh like an idiot.

Ignoring all my protests, he then insisted to walk me home. He wouldn't listen even when I told him that I lived in Chiswick Park, which was very far away from Sebastian's home in South Kensington. So I had to give up eventually.

"Tell me, are you planning to move out to live on your own or stay with Sebastian?" I asked when we got out of the Chiswick Park station, headed to my house.

It took a few seconds before he replied "I'm not sure yet. There are a couple of things I need to figure out."

More awkward silence followed. I needed to find something else to talk about very quickly. "You mentioned the fact that you have been living in the United States for the last ten years. Where, exactly?"

"Nantucket, Massachusetts" he replied, his head down. "I was offered a job right after graduation and I moved there." He raised his head and looked at me. "Have you ever been in the United States?"

I shook my head. "No. But I would like to visit sometime."

"You would love Nantucket" Toby smiled. "What about you? Are you from London?"

"No, I moved here five years ago. I was born in Cornwall, my family owned a farm."

"Cool!" he exclaimed. "I guess you often go there."

I shook my head again. "No, I had to sell the house, the business, everything." My voice went deeply down. "After my dad's passing."

Toby stopped walking and looked at me very intensely. "Oh" he murmured after a short silence. "I'm so sorry, Lily."

I held back the tears that were already filling my eyes and I stopped too. "Thank you" I said. "You're very kind, Toby."

We just looked at each other in silence for a moment, then I started walking again and Toby followed with no hesitation.

"My father died right before I left for the US" he said in a soft tone, out of the blue. I turned my head towards him very fast. He looked back at me and smiled, his eyes bright. "I know how it feels" he whispered. "I know how much it hurts."

I believed him, I saw the pain in his eyes and voice, it was just like mine. I didn't know what to say, but I thought that words were not necessary. I took his hand and squeezed it gently, to make him feel my sympathy. He returned the gesture and I knew that we really understood each other beyond words.

We arrived to my house and stopped right by the door.

"Thank you for accompanying me home" I smiled, taking the keys out of my purse. "It's better for you to go, or you'll arrive very late".

"I'm a quaint gentleman, after all" he said with his jokingly smile on. He slightly bowed. "Thank you for spending an evening with a lonely troll... I mean, my thanks don't include that creepy demonic nun of the movie, of course."

I laughed again. "Goodnight, Mr. Most Scared Male in the Theatre."

"Goodnight, Miss Best Laugh Ever."