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RECAP :
“So come on Ella Bear, let’s get inside and explore” Ari said playfully, pulling my hand gently and we began to walk towards the start of the path, pushing open the white fence door, grinning like kids.
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Chapter 17
Ari pulled me along, through the white fence, across the plush manicured lawn ‘s stone pathway and we both skipped up the white porch steps to the door. The sea’s gentle wind made my hair blow off to the side and Ari’s golden hair was still ruffled funnily from the drive as we stood grinning like kids in front of the door.
The same stained glass door I’d stood in front of as a child, waiting for ballet, tap or the after school playgroup, idly tracing the Art deco dark green, purple, and white swirls in the glass.
I just couldn’t break the huge grin that had taken over my face; I looked to my left, scanning the expanse of sea to the left of the cliff, as the different facets of the waves caught the sun, letting out a bright white light that made me squint. I could feel myself instinctively relaxing, my shoulders tensing less.
Sandy cove community centre, now Blossom row House, had always had this calming effect on me. I think it’s the sea. The rhythmic lapping of the waves against the shore, the quiet peace of it’s isolated private beach and grounds, combined with the clean salty air that swept in from the sea. It had been my idea of paradise and my dream home since I was about five.
I can’t tell you how annoyed I was when I realised that because it was government owned I couldn’t buy it when I was older. Seriously cheesed off.
I turned back to the door, to find Ari looking out at the sea as well with a slight smile on the corner of his lips. I could see his face’s incredibly even profile from were we were and noticed how relaxed he looked. “ This place makes me feel so calm, do you think everyone feels that as well?” he said softly, looking out onto the sea.
I couldn’t help but feel super jealous of Ari’s Grandpa Pete and the other retirees for living in my dream house. Almost made me want to be a pensioner. Like seriously.
I would be in there with old lady shoes, a grey wig and a walking stick if I thought it would allow me to live there for a bit.
I looked up at him and squeezed his hand, making him look down at me with a smile on his face. “ Yep. I think they do. Even in the winter when the sea shakes up a storm it’s weirdly peaceful.” I said, Ari replied wordlessly by squeezing my hand slightly as he remained looking out over the sea. I knew he felt exactly like me. This place was a slice of paradise for both of us and held huge chunks of some of our best childhood memories. I was suddenly aware of how although I had held Ari’s hand - my best friends hand- so many times before, something felt different as his warm hand encased mine. It was just like the shift I’d felt in our relationship when he arrived back.
I guess, what I felt was like the after tremors of an earthquake, which continue to change a landscape. Everything was still changing, settling into a new form, the consequences of the transformation rippled into our friendship subtly.
All I knew was that Ari’s hand didn’t feel like a boy’s anymore, it felt like a man’s.
A man who I wanted to hold me and put their hand on the small of my back, run his hands through my hair and softly across my lips.
This realisation washed over me and I felt my stomach twist with warmth.
Urghhh… did all of my revelations have to make Ari seem more attractive and out of my league?
I felt my face heat as, what I was sure would be a whopper of a blush spread across my cheeks. To try and distract myself and make my internal conflict less obvious I reached out and pressing the doorbell twice impatiently.
Ari chuckled “ You know I already did that.” He motioned towards the door “ But I get that you want to get in so your can fantasize about living here as a pensioner with your walking stick and –“
“ I was not fantasising ”
Ari turned to me grinning “ come’ on Ella bear, you so were.”
“Wasn’t.”
“ Yeah, I bet you were even thinking about dressing up as an oldie , putting on one of those long pleated granny skirts-“ Ari grinned knowingly and tapped my nose lightly with a finger.
I slapped it away playfully, trying to remain serious as I felt my traitorous face nearly crack a smile.“ yeah right Ari”
How the hell did that boy read my mind so effortlessly?
“ oooh and you probably thought about a grey wig with the curled hair! And-“
“ Oh shut up Ari!” I replied, trying to elbow him in the rib, cause he was holding my hand, he held on tight enough so I couldn’t move.
“ And … I bet you were thinking that the hospital wouldn’t miss a Zimmer frame or two huh? Or were you thinking we’d take the wheel chairs?” Ari continued in-between laughter.
I couldn’t help but burst out into giggles as well at the thought of sneaking into the hospital and stealing a Zimmer frame.
“ Hey – and why would I need two huh? You think I’m that I’d be so inept I’d need two!?” I said, feigning mock outrage as I raised my other hand to playfully punch Ari’s shoulder. But I didn’t make it , as he quickly caught my other arm by the wrist , his long fingers enclosing my small wrist , making me feel delicate. I felt his hand tighten on mine in the other hand, trapping me.
Then again, I wasn’t exactly kicking and screaming to get out.
“ Hey, no fair. Mercy on the clumsy!” I said through laughter.
Ari chuckled softly, and suddenly I could feel the heat of his hands on my wrist and the closeness of our space, only about six inches separated us from touching, made my head buzz . My laughter faded and Ari smiled, his dimple showing and his hair was ruffling in the soft breeze across the porch.
“ You’ll need two Zimmer frames Ella bear, cause I if your gonna go crazy, steal Zimmer frames and become an old lady, then I’ll be the old guy who went crazy with you.” He said, and winked.
I grinned, trying to calm the butterflies that had erupted in my stomach. When he said things like that I seriously wanted to kiss him. I could see Ari’s eyes slowly taking in all my face, like he was trying to memorise me again, and I felt my eyes slowly linger on his full lips before they flicked back up to his. From the looks of Ari he was having the same problem as me. I chuckled softly, and his eyes went back to mine as he grinned back at me.
I really couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather spiral into insanity with. “ You know I’d wink back if it didn’t make me look like Popeye” I replied.
Then suddenly the front door clicked open and we both snapped our heads round, Ari still holding my hand and arm. The woman at the door looked about fifty , with shoulder length yellow cornflower hair, pink and blue nurses scrubs on and a kind smile with amused brown eyes as she surveyed us.
“ Well hello Aaron, your Grandpa Pete was telling me it was high time his grandson came to visit so he could beat him at chess, just the other day”
“ Hi Helen” Ari said, not loosening his hands, to my embarrassment. But Ari had always been laid back; his embarrassment threshold was much higher than mine.
Or maybe just more confident. He didn’t at all mind Helen seeing us standing so close and physical.
She smiled, her eyes meeting mine “ But I have to warn you Ari, I wont have you kidnapping pretty young girls and stashing them in this retirement home”
Ari smiled and released my hands, slinging an arm round my shoulder as he introduced us. “ Ella this is Helen, she runs the retirement home and makes the best lemon cheesecake ever. Helen this is Ella, I didn’t kidnap her, she just follows me around –“
I cut Ari off by elbowing him swiftly in the rib as I felt a blush break out on my face again. Ari winced and chuckled as he rubbed his rib dramatically.
Helen gave a bark of laughter “ Ah! I like this girl, Aaron. I can see already she’s too good for you”
I smiled “ Yeah too right I am” as Ari slung his arm over my shoulders again , smiling at me goofily.
Helen stepped aside to let us into the large open foyer. The walls were still the same light yellow, which made the light oak floors and beautiful grand staircase to the left of the house seem less old. To our left I could see the open archway that led to the huge dining room with eight large, polished wooden rectangular tables. The large room had been the café in Sandy Cove Community centre. The walls were painted in a sky blue, with pictures of the places private beach hanging on the walls and I knew the backside of the room opened up with a wall of beautiful high glass windows. Sets of glass doors opened up to lead on to the back porch, and a breath taking view of the sandy, blue beach just beyond the centre’s gardens. It still smelt familiarly like jasmine, the sea and summer memories to me.
“ Pete’s out on the back porch playing chess like always, and tell him that I’m serving out lemon cheesecake in ten minutes for everyone in the dining hall. Your both welcome of to a slice course.”
“ A big slice?” Ari asked smiling.
“ I think this young lady should get the biggest slice for putting up with you” she quipped, winking at me. I grinned. This woman was great; she actually made me want to go through with our plan.
“ Damn right. I follow you around? He follows me around” I told her, pulling a bit of Ari’s hair slightly.
He laughed and Helen led us through the archway, saying hello to a few elderly residents who were eating as she passed. Finally I looked to the back of the room, taking in the stunning view of the ocean through the open doors; the deserted plane of beach and the cloudless summer sky.
I smiled contentedly as we both watched the familiar view in silence for a second, Ari’s strong, warm arm on my shoulder held me snugly into him.
Helen watched for a second and then told us she was needed in the kitchen before telling us what side of the porch Pete was on. Not that we needed telling, you could hear Pete a mile away with the racket he was making.
“ WOOOOOHHHHHOOOOO!!! YEP, MY THIRD STRAIGHT WIN !!!!
We both looked at each other knowingly,
“ He never was a good winner.” We said in together as we walked out onto the porch and turned left, to find two men sitting playing chess.
The one with his back to us had on a white and blue bowling shirt and a red cap. The man opposite him pushed up his big, thick glasses and huffed like only losers do.
The man in the red cap banged his had on the table and shouted in an unmistakable southern accent that Id known all my life and had told us both the best scary ghost stories in the world in when we were little.
“I TOLD YAH YOU SHOULDN’T BET YOUR SLICE OF LEMON CHEESECAKE HAROLD!!!! YAAAHHHEEE!!! THAT CAKE IS MINE!!!!”
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COPYRIGHT
Hey guys, sorry it’s been so long. I have not left watt pad!
I hope you like the chapter, I know it’s not major eventful but the next chapter will have LOTS of Ari and Ella in it I promise!!!!
Thank you to all the readers who have stuck with my story despite my dropping off the face of watt pad. I’M BACK!!!! Yay!!! Hope you enjoy, smile024: D