"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs" -Charlotte Brontë"
❦
"What are you doing here-?" Annabelle asked, Gilbert frowned "What are YOU doing here you haven't been at school for days?" his eyes burned into her own.
Annabelle hesitated.
She was in enough shock at his appearance and now she had to make up a plausible lie.
"I am...I just um. I had a cold like i told you"
She cursed herself for her stutter, she couldn't help it, everything was happening too fast. Gilbert scoffed, but this time it wasn't in that humorous tone she had become accustomed to. His tone was almost angry. Was Gilbert...Angry?
"A cold.?" He questioned, tilting his head slightly
"Yes a cold" she asserted
"right.'
This for some reason pinched a nerve, Annabelle couldn't handle this, she couldn't handle this anxiety, the stress, his glare, her skin feeling far too warm.
"I never asked you to," she said, her tone hardening
Gilbert's face shifted, the silence hanging between them for a little while until Gilbert began again, this time softer,
"Annabelle..."
Annabelle looked at the boy in front of her. The boy who had seemed to refuse to leave her alone since day one, the boy who had saved, tormented and excited her.
The boy who had brought out a side of her she'd never known before. Her breath was cut as she forced out a response hoping to find the rest of the sentence along the way.
"I- Gilbert. I just. I just haven't been well but I've wanted to...talk about it properly"
He looked up with a hopeful expression. "Could we meet somewhere when you are back at school or whenever you can?"
Annabelle hadn't let it hit her yet, that he had grown even taller since she'd last seen him, he had changed so much in only a month, he now looked even more like a man.
His shoulders which had previously barely come above her own, were broader, face a little bit sharper and brown curls thicker and longer. Annabelle wanted to say no, to avoid him forever. For him to disappear, or have never even noticed her existence in the first place.
"Yes of course." she said, forcing a smile
But in response was a genuine smile from him, his feet softly stepping a little closer to her
"I mis-" but Gilbert didn't finish his sentence before the apothecaries door rang, opening behind them, Daniel's tall dark figure stepped out, in one hand a paper bag and in the other, a book.
A nnabelle's book.
He stopped in disarray staring in between Gilbert and Annabelle before smiling politely,
"Sorry Annabelle you left this behind" Embarrassed and with a burning face she looked up at him before reaching her hand out to take it from him , he hesitated for a second as her finger slightly brushed past his own.
"Non voglio che ti perda nessun mistero" he said in a low voice
translation: 'I don't want you to miss any of those mysteries'
Annabelle smiled, nodding slightly as her body stiffening between the two men on either side of her. Finally, Daniel recognised Gilbert's presence, straightening his posture, Gilbert's face tensed visablly, the presence of Daniel seemed not to bother him, but yet the slight clench in his jaw told Annabelle something different.
Neither man made a first move to introduce themselves.
"I'll see you around Bella" Daniel called, throwing a wink her way before walking away.
Annabelle looked down at the book, glad for its return to her, she hadn't even gotten to truly start it yet.
"Who was that?" Gilbert questioned tonelessly, eyes following Daniels back behind Annabelles frame
"Oh, he-"
"ANNA come on darling we have to go" Annabelle looked up to her aunt sitting in the carriage waiting for her presence, the clouds in the sky beginning to cover up the sun warning of rain.
"I have to go Gilbert, I'll see you soon okay?"
Gilbert nodded stepping back as Annabelle ran towards the carriage dodging the crowds of people scattering to cover their stalls and pack their cases before the rain came down. She offered a small wave towards him as the carriage began on its way home.
He watched her fade away into the distance. His fists unclenched slowly as his heart slightly eased its prominent beat from her presence.
Annabelle couldn't help but turn her head slightly as she made her way home, she looked back at the town which she had missed so dearly but she couldn't help the pain that was creeping back into her chest.
YOU ARE READING
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Fanfiction"𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚." ❦ Annabelle Smith is dying, she has exactly one year to live. And as her family moves her to the country in Avonlea to live her last year as normal as possible Annabelle is faced w...
