Violet.
"No."
I stand five feet away from him and stare.
"Why not?" He grins, balancing on one foot on the very edge of the drop.
We're on the roof of the theatre and his feet are half off the edge. Half of said ledge is deteriorating and cracked, whilst it's also a little windy up here.
"It's sturdy. Cross my heart." He says and then jumps to prove it. Nothing happens until a small clump of the cement breaks off and falls onto the pavement behind him.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
He shrygs, "Well, if we fall, I'll catch you. Or do that cool spinny thing where you're in my arms and I'll land on my back so you'll be fine. Cool?"
"Yeah, that's eased me completely." I smile sarcastically, "Falls account for three fourths of all fatalities in the roofing industry-"
"As sexy as it is, I don't need your nerdiness right now." He reaches out a hand to shut me up.
I look down to it and don't move. When I look back to Everest, he puppy grins and it makes his nose scrunch a little. Ugh. I give in, clasping my hand with his. First, I let him convince me to skip school today after everything that happened in the café and now I'm possibly letting him lead me to my death. Great.
Gently, he pulls me up onto the ledge until I'm standing right besides him. The drop's big because the theatre's a large building, even when derelict and I clutch his t-shirt as I peer down. I'm not scared of heights. I just don't trust this ledge.
The wind brushes against us and the skies darken above, a tell that it's gonna rain soon. I let the view sink in, just the tops of houses for as far as I can see. A scape of Kilned and the sky.
"Do you think if we scream loud enough aliens could hear us?" Everest asks, genuinely, "Especially if they're close to us right now."
"I think I see one." I squint at the sky.
Everest tries to follow my gaze as I fight a smile, "What? Where? I've always wanted to be abducted."
"There. Right there, idiot."
"You'd be horrible at giving directions." He holds up a hand to shelter his eyes and searches, "Dude, where?!"
"Follow my gaze." I say and when he looks down to me, I smile like a doofus. I'm looking at him.
His face scrunches up adorably, "Did you just call me an alien?"
I nod a few times and he's fighting a smile, "Oh, you're so proud of yourself, you deviant."
"Would it soothe you if I called you Stitch instead?" I ask, still smiling. Stitch, from the movie he likes, is an alien. I've never seen the movie but I know that. It works.
His grin lights up his whole face and he mumbles, looking away, "Yeah. I mean, I guess."
I laugh a little now and pull away from him, setting one foot in front of the other as I start to walk across the edge. Everest sits down so his legs are hanging over the theatre sign, on the front of the building. Most of the letters have fallen off and it's moments away from collapsing.
I smile as I keep taking steps, always having loved the thrill of doing something I shouldn't be. I could fall being this close to the edge. I keep my arms out and pick up my pace a little, avoiding any of the big cracks.
"Who's your first favourite?" Everest asks thoughtfully and I furrow my eyebrows, turning around and walking back to him.
"Huh?"
I keep my gaze on my shoes, occasionally looking up to glance at him. He's leant back on his hands, legs dangling, "You said Leia was your second favourite girl. Whose your first?"
My stomach turns at that. I always say it as instinct. Nobody takes top position. When I was a kid, I used to be so stubborn about it and so now, it just comes out naturally. First place will always be Auburn. Favourite girl in the whole wide world.
I try to avoid the question as I walk past him, "I have a hamster too."
He cranes his neck upside down to watch me as I walk.
"Her name's Ripley." I say.
"Do you have a fucking goat too? A farm in your fancy back garden?" He raises an eyebrow.
"No but I have two horses." I smile and he scrunches up his face, "Farm's the plan."
When I'm about to pass him again, his hand wraps around my leg to stop me. His eyebrows pinch, "Sit. You're stressing me out."
"Oh, I am?" I scoff, "So you can dangle off the edge but I can't?"
"You were getting way closer than me." He gently tugs my leg and I lower myself, sitting besides him, "I couldn't catch you if you fall."
I dust my hands and look down to my legs dangling over the drop, much shorter than his. We're right next to each other and his proximity is still something I need to get used to. Especially since the last time we were this close, his hand was between my legs.
I reroute my thoughts to absolutely anything but that and blurt, "Auburn's first. Leia's second. Ripley's third. Bo and Maple are next."
"Auburn?" He asks and even just hearing her name, it's like someone's slicing open my chest. It's so obscure. How once she took up our whole lives and now nobody in the manor speaks of her name, because of the pain it causes.
I nod.
"Talk to me." He says gently, "Right here, right now, you can say anything you want to say. I'm listening."
I shut my eyes, hating the way that sends a pang of emotion to my stomach. I'm listening. For years, I wished for someone to just listen. To acknowledge that I'm here too, in that house.
And he says it with such strength. Like he means every word and I don't know why. I don't understand why he smiles at me like he does. Why he holds me to his chest like he wants to protect me.
You're undeserving of any affections, Violet. Of love.
I try to shut her voice out and instead focus on Auburn. As much as it hurts, thoughts of Auburn are a lot prettier so I break the silence, "Auburn's my sister. She has these green eyes. A lot like mine but she got prettier ones."
Everest's quiet, listening, so I continue nervously, "Auby never eats her carrots unless I do too. She only likes watching cartoons if she's sat on my stomach with her earmuffs on and she says blue eyes scare her." I look up to Everest and smile a little, "But I don't think she'd be scared of you."
His lips tip up a little too and he's watching me, eyes full of gentleness, "How old is she?"
"Three." I say and then I look away, bringing my knees to my chest, "She was three."
I can feel Everest tense besides me, "I'm sor-"
I shake my head, not wanting an apology, "We nicknamed her Auby. She smiled unconditionally and loved with a heart that was a little too small for her and if I think hard enough-" I breathe, "If I just stay quiet and imagine hard enough, she's right here. And she's still smiling."
This ache, in the centre of my chest, feels like something I'll never ever be able run away from. It sinks me, darkening everything.
I hug my knees tighter and try not to think of Auby in my arms. A burning building in front of us. Me screaming over her body and knowing, she'll never open her eyes to see me again.
"Talk." I say to Everest, "Talk to me. Please."
"About anything?"
"Anything." I nod, keeping my chin on my knees. If I think too much about all I've confessed, I'll want to bolt. I'll want to stay completely away from him, hide myself until he can't get to me.
"Okay." He says, "Um- I never had siblings. Even though I really wished for them. And I like carrots too."
He's silent for a second before he takes a breath and then continues, more slowly, "My mom and dad were good people. Or at least that's what everyone told me. I have nothing to know them asides from a picture frame and a journal."
He looks down to the drop, "There were a stack of books that were the only things left. And a journal that they wrote in. It was-" He finds it difficult to find the words.
Impulsively, I take his hand.
I twine it with mine whilst I wrap my arms around my knees again, an urge for him to keep going. That I'm listening too. I don't look at him so I don't get nervous.
His hand squeezes mine back and he takes a second before speaking. He looks pained as he does, "Everest's first roll over. 21st August." His shoulders become tauter, holding tension, "Everest's first time trying baby food. Everest's first word. 18th November. Ev starts to walk. 6th February."
"They documented everything?" I ask and he nods, not looking to me.
"It wasn't a lot. Just a sentence and then the date of when something happened. There's some drawings, little hearts and doodles and stuff and when I was a kid, I used to trace over them with a pencil and imagine my mom drawing. As stupid as it sounds, it felt like I was doing something with her. Even when I was just drawing over a fucking heart." He says and I hold his hand to me, my heart aching in my chest.
"It was always weird. Seeing their love written in writing but never having felt it. Knowing I had parents but then growing up wondering what a family could feel like. They fucking documented when I accidentally winked one time and-" He shakes his head, "I ended up alone. Without either of them. No memory."
The instinct blurts out of me, "I'm sor-"
"If you don't let me apologise, neither can you, sweetheart. I just- in an odd way, I know loss too, I guess. You're not all alone, Vy."
I meet his eyes now, my chest enflaming with this urge to just hold him tightly. There's sadness buried deeply within Everest Jones and I feel stupid for never having seen it. But the truth is, unless he told me, I don't think I'd ever have seen its true extent. He's as locked away as anyone can get but his façade acts as if he's a wild, open book.
And in this moment, I think I'm a little screwed. I don't want to run from him. I want to know him, the parts that are all hurt and he doesn't let anyone see.
I think he's more like myself than I would've ever thought.
So, for this moment, I let go.
Slowly, I rest the side of my head against his arm. Even if it makes me a little nervous. Immediately, he lifts it and wraps it around me so I'm pulled to his side. Where I feel stupidly safe.
His thumb gently moves up and down my arm, a soothing gesture and he whispers against my hair, "Vy?"
"Hm?"
"I think I like silence like this, if it's with you." He says and my stomach flips underneath me. I blush a deep red and try to hide against his arm but he doesn't let me, a smile splitting his face.
My head's tilted up to look at him and I know that eventually, I need to go home. Even when I don't want to. Right now, I really don't want to.
His lips tug up at the corners and he asks, "So-"
"So." I clear my throat. His eyes are stupidly pretty.
"So," He drawls now, "Want a slurpee?"
Our grins are wide and stupid and I nod repeatedly, "Remedy to all."
"Oh yeah. Come on, baby." He lifts up a little too quickly and fear abruptly runs through me when he stumbles. I don't realise what I'm doing before both my arms wrap around his legs and I pinch my eyes shut.
Everest snickers. He didn't fall. Jesus Christ. I slowly flit one eye open, my cheek pressed against his knees, "Stop laughing. Are you stupid? You could've died."
"I'm sure your koala hug would've kept me upright." He taunts and I glare, unwrapping my arms from him and flushing. I spin around and hop off the ledge as Everest does the same.
His hand takes mine, like its any ordinary thing. I'm sure it is for him but it is not for me and I'm flushing again. What if my hands sweat? My hands are the cold ones, his warm me up nicely but you never know-
"Stop thinking." He tugs me forwards so I'm besides him, walking us down the stairs of the theatre until we're outside.
***
"So Sage is the grumpy one?"
I take another sip before I nod, "Sage is the oldest and the grumpiest. Most serious."
"And Grayson's the dick." He squints like he's trying to memorise.
"I did not call him that." I frown, the two of us walking out of the corner store with our slurpees.
I tried out a new flavour that has something to do with mango and I'm gonna be pretty honest, it's awful. With a capital A. But Everest paid for me and I don't want to be rude, even when I'm eyeing his strawberry and cherry one.
"Yeah, yeah. You implied it." He waves me off as we stalk down the street, "And Azure's the little terrifying genius."
"Mhm." I wrap my lips around the straw, "But he's a softie at heart. I swear." I have to fight back spitting out that whole sip when I next speak, "So you've known Ria since freshman year?"
"She moved from England and I met her. The brit fell madly in love with me in an instant."
With someone as easily intimidating as Ria Romano, that doesn't seem likely. She's her. Everyone wants to look like her and everyone wants her boyfriend but they're a fierce pair. They're also ridiculously attractive. Aurelie had a crush on her for like a year.
Today was the first time I ever spoke to her and her gentleness took me aback. She has such an easy ability to calm someone down, a tenderness thats hidden behind how scary I thought she was going to be.
"Fine." He concedes, "She hated me. But eventually she loved me."
"And you've known Luca since you were nine-"
"You walk like a turtle, Vy." He turns around to me, eyebrows pinched, "Turtle speed, Violet Fawn."
"Sorry I don't have abnormally limber legs." I pull my face back. He has to slow down every few seconds because no matter the circumstance, if I'm relaxed, I will walk as slow as I like.
I smile, my lips around the straw and he narrows his eyes, "You're just saying that because you're fighting the urge to straddle them."
I choke on the stupid mango.
A laugh breaks from his chest and then he's turning around, crouching in front of me.
"What are you doing?" I furrow my eyebrows.
"Oh, just shitting— hurry up." He looks over his shoulder to me and I realise what he means. Piggyback. I have to tamper down my excitement because I've always loved piggybacks.
"I'm not getting on your back." I stand my ground.
"If you haven't noticed already, sweetheart, I'm not good at taking no for an answer. Chop chop." He responds, not conceding.
"What if someone sees?" I ask.
"We can run. I'm faster than you." He says as I brace my hands on his shoulders, already having to stifle a smile.
"You wish, Stitch." I say and when I jump onto his back, his hands latch onto my thighs to keep me steady. He stands up straight and turns to the wall where he set his slurpee.
He leans down and I pick it up for him, holding both of our slurpees with each hand and bracing my arms around his neck. God, I love being so high up. It's annoying that he gets to be all the way up here. I'd be so cocky if I was tall.
"I can see your grin." He says, turning to where my chin's on his shoulder.
I try to get rid of it but it doesn't work and I shrug, "I like piggybacks."
"You weigh scarily like nothing, Vy." He looks at me as we walk and I take a sip from the disgusting mango slurpee, braving my face so it doesn't show.
"Dancers have strict diets, dumdum." I say and then my eyes snap wide open. He doesn't know that. And I didn't need to tell him that. I don't want him to find out too much about my family or my past.
"A dancer?" His lips part, "Is that why your legs are so fucking quick? Thank fuck. I thought I was losing my edge but you lied by omission." He accuses but before I can argue against that, he speaks, "You're a dancer?"
I do my best to avert the topic and spot a corner bookstore that Azure likes to spend his time in somedays, "Walk us there."
"Ew. You're not turning me into an old person." He does not walk us over there.
"An old person?" I look down to him and he opens his mouth for his slurpee. I move the cup so his lips can wrap around it, whilst taking a sip of my own.
He kicks a rock against the ground and nods, "Books are for old people and I am a youthful, free spirit. My spirit can't be tampered with, by a bookstore. It also looks like a fucking haunted house."
"It looks pretty." I say. It's a very worn-out building but I think it looks more beautiful that way. The black lettered sign and wood-paned windows, showcasing the inside. It's small and very cluttered but so cute.
"That's what an old person called Agatha would say."
"Come on. Please." I rest my chin on his shoulder and try to lean forwards to catch his gaze, "Please?"
He turns over his shoulder to glance at me and I try not to pull back, even with how close our lips are. Everest smirks, "Maybe you should kiss me firs-"
"We're not kissing again. Get over it." I clip and he smiles, starting to walk us across the street to the little bookstore. I shuffle a little so I'm even taller and could rest my chin on his head, continuing to give him his sips of the slurpee.
As we get close, I lean forwards and brace my palm on the wooden door to push it open. I smile as the bell chimes above us and we're met with Irene's. Owned by Irene, who should be here somewhere and my face falls, "Put me down."
"No."
"What?" I pull my face back, "Irene's here and she's like my grandma and I don't want her to see me like th-"
He snorts, "Irene. See, I told you. Old people."
"Everest, put me dow-"
An excited voice chimes in from behind us, "Violet?"
Everest spins us around and I smile sheepishly as I meet Irene's eyes. My arms are locked around Everest's neck, a slurpee in each hand and his hands are braced on my thighs. Irene's known me since I was a toddler and has never seen me with a boy, asides from Dean, who she hates.
"Hi, Irene." I swallow.
She's not a judging sort of person as she looks us both over. Irene's the sole owner of this bookstore, in her 60's and the gentlest sort of woman around. With three cats. She wears a chunky sweater that literally just says Cats!
"Well, way to move on." She hums, fighting a smile as she looks Everest over.
I blush bright and Everest glances at me before walking us towards Irene, "I'm Everest. Or Ev. You can call me whatever you like, Mrs...."
"Easton." I mutter to him.
"Mrs Easton. My pleasure." He holds out a hand and takes hers, kissing her knuckles. I roll my eyes.
Irene laughs a little and reaches up to hold my face affectionately. She briefly does the same to Everest and I quickly hiss at him, "Put me down."
"Kiss me first." He whispers, looking at Irene when he next asks, "Is this your place, ma'am?"
"For 37 years." She says with gentle pride in her voice. So am I just supposed to continue clinging onto his back throughout this whole- "And no need to call me Mrs Easton, dear. It's just Irene."
"That is a beautiful name." He says, in this sweet voice and I pull my face back.
This little two-faced liar.
"Sweet talker, huh?" Irene raises a playful eyebrow, "You seem like trouble."
Everest cuts in quickly, "Oh, I'm sweet like sugar, Mrs Easty. Come on now."
I nod, sipping my slurpee from behind his shoulder, "Sweetest inmate around."
"Can it, princess." Everest says, though he's fighting a smile as he turns over his shoulder to see me.
I shrug, "Lying's against my moral code, sweet-talker."
His lips tip up and so do mine as I wrap my lips around the straw. I watch his eyes flit down to my lips and remain there for a second, lingering and it heats my insides-
"Well, well, well, Vy." Irene tsks and snaps me out of it, "I must say, I'm proud of you, little birdy. I honestly believed you'd be a holed up house ant for the rest of your life and dear, am I glad! You two look perfect."
I pull my face back in offence whilst Everest chews on his bottom lip to hide a grin.
"House ant?" I mutter, "And we're not-"
"Thank you, Mrs Easty." Everest sighs and walks us over to the counter that she moves to stand behind, "We had a tough ride but I wouldn't trade my sweetheart for the world."
I'm glad I wasn't sipping on the slurpee there or I would've choked. Fatally.
Irene swoons up at him, "How did you two lovebirds meet?"
"We aren't lovebi-"
"It's a tear-jerker. Really." Ev feigns a sniff, "Makes me emotional every time. I wouldn't mind rehashing it."
My eyes are snapped wide open, slowly flitting between Everest who's battling a cocky grin and Irene who looks smitten and excited to hear our tear-jerking love story.
Everest swings his head to me, "How about it, baby? Wanna tell this sweet woman how you fell madly in love with me?"
I narrow my eyes, "Maybe you'd prefer telling your version. Of falling madly in love with me."
"Nuh uh. You've always been such a great story-teller and Mrs Easty only deserves the best." His grin is knowing and taunting and very slappable, "You wouldn't want to disappoint her. Isn't that right?"
There's challenge in his eyes, and in the eyebrow he raises. Testing to see if I back down here or not but I look to Irene and I'm a sucker. Because she is possibly the most adorable woman and right now, she looks ecstatic. There's no possible way I'm ruining that.
I look to Mrs Easton, "He almost got me arrested."
Now, Everest chokes on his slurpee. Irene's eyes slowly widen.
"Cardiac arrested." Everest cuts in, "Because I was the most beautiful male specimen she'd ever seen."
"Nope. I'm pretty sure it was just-"
He interjects, smiling as he starts to steer us away, "Actually-" He clears his throat, "Irene, we need to look for a book. So we're gonna leave you be, peacefully, and walk over there."
I add, "Far from any mention of felons."
He chuckles nervously and spins us, pivoting in the complete other direction. I hide my face against his shoulder, half groaning and half laughing, "I hate you."
"You can say it as much as you like, Violet Fawn. I won't ever believe it." He says back, walking us between the cramped bookshelves as he looks over it all.
I scour the top shelves because for some reason, the best ones are always far from reach. I've always loved this place, even if I don't go to it as often anymore. Small and homely, with little couches and ottoman chairs at the back, decked with throws and pillows. On his bad days, Azure hides out there.
The bookshelves aren't very orderly, some stacked and others a little disarrayed. It's cramped and messy in this way that makes it beautiful, dark wooden shelves and walls.
"What'd you think?" I lean over to try and catch Everest's gaze.
"Still feels like it's stealing my youthful spirit," He says, "But it doesn't look as haunted as I thought."
"Books do the opposite of stealing your youth." I wrap my arms around him as he hoists me higher and reach a hand out, fingers brushing against the spines as we walk, "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends. Charles. W. Eliot."
"Is that why you like them?"
I shrug, "What I searched for but could never find in reality, I found it in fiction. So if I ever felt alone, I always had friends to turn to within pages."
"What were you searching for?" He asks gently.
Home. Safety. Love.
I wipe those thoughts out and grin instead, "Dragons."
A smile lights up his face as turns a corner, down another row of shelves until we reach the back lounge area. Gently, he turns to sit me down and then sits himself besides me. Immediately, I'm reaching over him to the bookshelf near us and reaching for the book I spotted.
"Vy." Ev grunts when I accidentally elbow him in the...nether regions.
"Sorry! Just a second." I flush and stretch just a little more, trying not to think about how I'm half-draped over him. That is until his hand gently skims my lower back. I take in air sharply and he rests his hand there.
My fingers just skim the spine of the book so I shift closer, only making it so I'm over Everest more. I didn't think this through. Everest gently drawls a finger along my back, as if tracing. It's slow, almost torturously slow and I quickly snap out of it, snagging the book and returning to my position.
I don't look up to him after that, quickly opening up the book-
Everest tips my chin up, his voice low and edging with something, "Something the problem?"
I shake my head. But he glances down and I'm shifting my legs, specifically my thighs. I see the way his lips tip up just slightly and then he glances up at me, as if to say you were saying?
I avoid his gaze and thumb through the book, the worn pages and deteriorating cover. I cross my legs on the couch and turn to face him. Everest lifts his hips and gets comfortable, one arm around the back of the couch behind me.
"You know the remedy to your horniness?" He says with the utmost casualness, "Kissing me."
"My horniness is none of your concern. And you're definitely not the sole remedy." I say, and surprise myself when I don't cower. Or stutter.
"What is, then?" He angles his head towards me, "Do tell."
"Shut up." I keep my gaze on the book and far away from Everest, even when I know he's so close.
And then his soft lips are nearing my ear, "What is it you think of, sweetheart?"
"Not you." I manage to say. Jesus. I've never been so blunt about these things. But with someone so shameless, it feels like it comes easier. I don't want him to win.
"But now," He tilts his head so his hair brushes against my neck, "If I simply say, think about me, the next time your hand's between your legs, your mind's gonna run to me. Will you tell me when it happens?"
"It won't happen." I retort, lifting my gaze to him, "Your ego needs a check."
"Keep me in your head." He says and his lips tip up.
"You're easily forgettable."
"I can make you remember me. All of me." His fingers gently twirl the ends of my hair, behind my back, "Just say the word."
Ever so slightly, he tugs. Just enough so my gaze can't be pulled down to the book in my lap and only to him above me.
Everest watches, the way my eyes are fighting not to flit shut when I'm so close to his warmth. He looks down to my fingers clutching the book hard enough that my skin turns pale and the highs and falls of my chest. Fast. Unsteady. Wild.
He lowers. His lips skim mine and all at once, I remember their softness. The way they moved with mine and took me to a world of pleasure. The way we breathed together and kissed together, me and him. Weeks ago.
He pulls his face back slightly and my body follows, leaning towards him and then he returns. So close for me to grasp. One of his hands languidly slide underneath my skirt, warmth sinking into my cold skin.
"I could lay you right here and teach you wild." His hand on my thigh reaches higher.
Oh god.
Wild. But I want to win. I want him closer and higher and wilder but that feeling after I kissed him the first time was awful. With everyone that has ever touched me, I've always felt like a pawn.
Everest, I don't know what he wants with me. If he's true and if he yearns for me like I yearn for him right now. And honestly, I don't want to find out. If he hurts me too, I'd like to avoid it for as long as possible until the inevitable happens. He's somebody new and refreshing and he makes me feel...happy. I'd like to keep that instead of lose it.
So I'm the one to pull away, breathing unsteadily, "You're the one who started the bet."
His eyebrows pinch and his chest is rising too, "And you said no."
"I won't lose." I taunt and he nears me, slight desperation seeping through his features, "This is your doing, Everest Ronan."
"I fucking hate Everest Ronan." He says and then pinches his eyes shut. He runs a hand through his hair before slowly retrieving his hand from under my skirt and pulling back.
Our breathing is heavy and uncertain and fills the air around us. Everest shifts, adjusting himself as he tilts his head back on the couch so I'm met with his sharp jawline and adams apple. My eyes snap wide open, "Are you—"
He turns his head to look at me. I glance down to his problem and then up to him.
"Yes, sweetheart. You made my dick hard." His lips tip upwards when I flush and return my attention to the book in my grasp.
"What is that?" He asks, his voice a little tight with tension so I'm assuming he's asking to distract himself.
I flip through the pages, "The Picture Of Dorian Gray. It's- its about a man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. But the painting of him reflects his true self, when his appearance can't."
I muster up the nerve to keep going, "So he descends into crime. And corruption and his outward appearance stays as beautiful- it's, but his painting gets uglier and— why are you looking at me like that?"
There's such a gentleness to his eyes and it's throwing me off. I can't possibly speak when he's looking at me like that.
"You haven't run from me yet." Is all he says, quietly.
I pause, meeting his eyes and admit, "I'm trying to stay."
He smiles now. A soft one that makes him look prettier when he's lazily sprawled and his head's tilted back on the couch like that, a bookstore behind him.
"Good." He shifts so he's more angled towards me, "Now, keep telling me about your picture guy."
"If you hurt me, like I'm some fun way to pass time, I'll kill you." I say hurriedly. Putting it out there. As blunt as that may be. I'll kill him for pulling me in so deep. And then kill myself for falling for it.
He shakes his head, "If only you could see my fucking mind when I look at you, Violet."
I tense slightly. With the way he's looking at me, I also wish I could see inside his mind. I know I'm not a masterpiece but seeing from his eyes, it'd be interesting. And hopefully not embarrassing.
"Your picture guy." He reminds.
"Dorian Gray." I correct.
"Yeah, yeah. Dory." He waves me off, "Does he have a Nemo?"
"No." I smile and sit up, "But he has a Sybil. She's a poor actress that he falls in love with. She commits suicide. Poison."
"Jesus, Vy. Not a fan of light-hearted books?" He grimaces.
"These ones are cooler." I assure.
"Sybil." He snorts, "That might be the most old person name yet."
Smiles light up our faces and as I keep telling him the plot of Dorian Gray's tale, eventually, he becomes invested in it. I don't really realise I'm rambling and Everest never lets on, even when I speak a little too excitedly about certain plots of the book.
He listens. And he looks at me like what I'm saying is the most interesting thing in the world, when I'm certain it's not. He makes stupid little comments that incite smiles and gets me the books from the highest shelves.
I don't know how long we spend there. My legs crossed, his hands crossed behind his head. But each minute, it feels as though I'm silently waiting for the next time his smile comes out. I wait for the plot points I know he'll gasp at and the characters he'll make fun of.
And I don't realise until later that he switched our slurpee's half way through, so he had the rotten mango flavour instead of me.
I don't realise that it feels as though we've made our own very sanctuary, with a boy I'd never thought I'd even speak to. In the corner of a bookstore, I think Everest Jones traps me in his orbit a little more.
I fear it. And now, I also find myself waiting for it.