*Beauty*
My heart stuttered as I read over what Will had written over and over. His address seared my eyes, burning eternally into my memory.
I was going to Will's house in just a few hours.
I squealed.
My mind was filled with vivid fantasies of Will calling me beautiful again, of Will asking me out on a date, of Will asking me to be his girlfriend.
It was unbelievable.
My gaze flickered to the time: 6:05 AM.
Feeling deliriously happy, I shifted towards the window, waiting impatiently to see Will jog by.
The first time I'd seen Will jogging past my window was four years ago, when we were thirteen. I'd accidentally woken up too early and had crawled out of bed to get a drink. On my way back to my room, when I was standing in an empty living room with parted curtains, I saw him.
And it was like being hit with a truck.
I saw his limbs--long for a thirteen year old--moving steadily as he ran past my house. I saw his tight, determined expression as his gaze focused ahead.
Every Saturday morning afterwards I'd woken up at the exact time and watched him run. For a few moments, I glimpsed something others couldn't see, another side of Will that he hid behind glasses and a seemingly cold demeanour. I drank in the determination and focus in his eyes. As if he wasn't just running for the sake of it, as if he was running away from something that I couldn't see, or maybe towards something I couldn't fathom.
And, all I wanted to do, even when I was thirteen, was know more about the mystery that was William Johnson.
And now I had the opportunity.
Today I'd see a glimpse of who he was behind the mask I saw at school.
My heart soared when I spotted his figure emerge around the corner.
I frowned.
Today was different. Will ran faster than usual, muscles tense and hard. His brows were furrowed and his gaze was stormy.
In less than a moment he was gone.
Was he ok? I glanced at the time: 6:05 AM. He was ten minutes earlier than usual.
Concern flitted up my spine. If anything, Will was a man of routine.
My fingers inched towards my phone, itching to send him a message, to ask him what was wrong. But I forced myself to be still.
Who did I think I was?
And that one thought brought back the memory of Catherine. The way her eyes had seared through my skin. The parting glare she'd shot me before striding off.
Will followed her.
The resulting pang to my chest made me shrink back.
Well obviously he would, they're best friends.
Why wouldn't he leave with her?
Had she spoken to him about me? Told him the truth he hadn't realised yet--that he was interested in someone who would never be good enough for him?
It was obvious. Catherine was a more viable candidate. She was beautiful, confident and smart. All things I inadvertently failed to be whenever Will was in the nearby vicinity.
Had he realised it?
That he was out of my league?
I clutched my knees to my chest, biting my lip in response to the anxiety that tightened my throat.
Did he not want to see me anymore?
I nestled under my covers, staring at the ceiling as I turned the thoughts over in my mind.
In a few hours, I would know.
*
Cheerleading practice finished later than usual and though I practically raced to Will's house, I was still late.
Coach had spontaneously decided to drag me in for a forty-five minute long session on evaluating routines and going through potential candidates for the team next year. No matter how many times my feet tapped on the ground or I glanced at the clock, she had kept going.
And now I was late.
It was at 2:00 that I stood in front of Will's doorway, panting from sprinting all the way here. I took a moment to catch my breath. Hurriedly, I pulled my hair out of my ponytail, brushing it straight with my fingers. I glanced down at my clothes and sighed--I was still wearing my cheerleading outfit, since I hadn't had time to change. Hastily, I smoothed down the wrinkles in my shirt and skirt. Then rapidly, I pulled out a tube of lip gloss and slid the sparkling red over my lips.
Smacking my lips together, I took a final deep breath, pasted a--hopefully attractive--smile on my face and clicked the doorbell.
My heart accelerated as I waited. In my mind, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart.
Were his parents home? What were they going to think of me if I was coming to a tutoring session in a cheerleading uniform?
What kind of first impression would that be?
I had the sudden urge to run back to school and change.
But it was too late. The door was opening.
Seeing Will was like having the breath knocked out of me. It was like being hit by a 150 mile per hour truck and being frozen the entire time, unable to react.
I couldn't breathe.
Will was wearing a casual t-shirt and dark jeans. His arms, leanly muscled biceps, were visible, tensing just slightly as they held the door open.
His glasses didn't hide the emerald hue of his eyes. In fact, as the sun glittered on those beautiful eyes, making his irises shimmer like stars, I don't think anything could have hidden them.
His black hair was dishevelled, the silky locks pushed back.
A radiant smile stretched over his face, making my skin burn.
His voice was low and husky when he spoke. "Hey."
My chest fluttered. I blinked rapidly and tried to smile in response. My initial smile had dropped, transforming into drool. "H-hi," I stuttered.
His eyes brushed over me and I could feel a blush following his gaze. For a moment, I was completely encapsulated with the length of his lashes, fanning his high cheekbones.
Woah.
He inclined his head towards the house. "Come in," he said.
I bit my lip as I stepped inside.
Will held the door open for me as I entered the front room. An excited shiver ran down my spine as the door clicked shut behind him.
My gaze slid over the room, taking it in enthusiastically.
Will's house was neat and orderly. The floors were constructed of tiled marble while the walls, bare of all decorations, were a smooth pale stone. There were no stray objects out and the only furnishing within the front room was a solitary vase. A simple walk around the walls lead to an expansive living room.
"Your house is gorgeous," I gushed.
I turned to see Will by the door. He was silent as he watched me. Suddenly I remembered the intensity in his eyes when he'd kissed me. My gaze dropped to his lips. My heartbeat quickened.
"Thank you," he finally replied. He gestured to the stairs. "Do you want to head upstairs?"
Gulping nervously, I nodded. I turned to head up the stairs.
My gaze drank in the building as I walked. I imagined Will walking through these hallways, touching this banister, gazing at this wall.
It was overwhelming.
Will led me down a hallway towards a shut door--his room. As I passed each door I wondered who stayed there--his parents? His siblings? As far as I knew, Will was an only child.
Will opened the door at the end of the hallway and gestured me in.
I took a sharp intake of breath as my eyes panned his room.
It was neat and organized, unlike mine. A single bed stood in the corner, near a wardrobe. The floor here was carpeted--unlike the rest of the house. A few books lay askew on the ground. Covering his walls were schedules and quotes and in the corner of his room was a locked trunk. My gaze fell on the oak desk closest to the doorway, covered in books and papers.
I was in William Johnson's room.
I couldn't believe it.
The door clicked behind Will.
He inclined his chin towards the desk. "Study books for our session."
I nodded, unable to speak.
"Please sit."
My gaze jumped to the two chairs tucked beneath the desk. Abruptly, I plopped onto a chair.
Will strode around the room, picking a few books off the floor with long deft fingers. "Sorry, it would be cleaner but I returned late from my jog this morning."
I nodded. "That's fine," I murmured.
The memory of his non-routine jog flitted through my mind. I fidgeted, resisting the urge to ask him if he was okay.
"Would you like a drink before we start?" he asked as he fiddled with the blinds.
I shook my head. "That's fine. I-I mean, I'm fine."
Stupid Ellie.
With the way butterflies were leaping in my stomach, I'd probably puke if I drank anything.
Will eventually strode over, sitting on the chair next to me. I inhaled sharply, realising how close we were.
"Okay," he said softly. "Should we begin?"
I nodded. "Y-yeah, sure."
I don't think I'm going to survive the next hour.
*
Throughout the entire session, I found my gaze drawn to Will's lips, the way they moved, the way they tilted. Or to his arms, watching the muscles flex. I imagined what it had felt like to have his arm wrapped around my spine, holding me up when my legs had turned to liquid. I remembered the sensation of his lips on mine.
"So, do you understand?"
I jumped in surprise. "Huh?"
Will raised an eyebrow. "Do you understand it?"
Oh my gosh, I have no idea what he just said.
"Um..."
Wow, way to be an idiot Ellie.
Will smiled. "How about we take a break then come back?"
He stood, inclining his head towards the door. "Come on, we can get a snack."
I felt my body slump as Will headed out of the room.
What was I doing? I was acting dumber than usual.
I got up to follow Will, smoothing down my cheer skirt as I did so.
During the entire session, he hadn't once mentioned the kiss. He'd been completely focused on the work.
Was he that unaffected? Was I that unattractive to him that he didn't even care about it? How many girls had he kissed anyway? I mean, considering I'd seen him giving CPR when he was just fourteen, he had to have had some practice...
I sighed as I trailed after him, heading back down the hallway.
Did he really like me?
Will was standing in a kitchen when I finally made my way downstairs. He'd pulled out a tub of cookies from the cabinet and was pouring from a bottle of Innocent Smoothies when I got downstairs.
"How did you know I like Innocent Smoothies?" I asked, surprised.
Will just shot me a mischievous smile. He motioned for me to sit down at the island. I hopped onto a chair as he slid the juice and a few cookies over to me.
Will washed an apple for himself.
I sipped my juice as my gaze flickered between Will and the cookies. My perseverance lasted about a few seconds before I picked up the first cookie.
I gazed up at Will from beneath my lashes, intending to watch him surreptitiously. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I realised he was looking at me. My eyes glanced down at the table as heat flooded my face.
Be brave, Ellie.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes.
I bit my lip. His eyes were really beautiful.
"Your eyes are really beautiful," I blurted out.
Oh my gosh Ellie, what is wrong with you! Are you asking him to break your heart? Or are you just some daredevil? Do you jump off fifteen million feet high cliffs for fun you dummy?
He tilted his head and a soft smile played on his lips. "Not as beautiful as yours."
I'm pretty sure my mouth fell open.
Oh. My. Gosh. Did he just call my eyes beautiful?
"T-thanks," I squeaked out.
Then I started rambling, because that's what I do when I'm nervous.
"You know I probably got them from my mom, though her eyes are much more attractive than mine. Most guys who see her usually compliment her, which is super awkward for me because--"
My lips froze as Will leaned over the table. His thumb was light as he brushed something from beside my lips.
"Crumb," he murmured. Then, his gaze never leaving mine, he brought his thumb to his lips, licking off the stray piece of my chocolate cookie.
I felt like I was boiling alive.
I touched the spot of skin he'd cleaned.
Wow, Ellie, embarrassing much?
Hesitantly, I glanced up at Will, who was still watching me.
I bit my lip, rolling words on my tongue.
"We kissed yesterday," I finally blurted out.
Smooth Ellie, totally smooth, you embarrassing idiotic dum--
It was too late to take it back. I might as well dive into the deep end.
"Y-you didn't say anything about it so I figured..." My gaze jumped from him to the table. "I'd just mention it."
I risked a glance at Will.
His face had tightened.
Oh no.
Here came what I'd been dreading.
Please don't break my heart Will.
Please.
His hand was soft and light as he touched my cheek. An electric shock ran over my skin.
He leaned in closer and I watched as a myriad of emotions filled his green irises, uncertainty shoving to the forefront.
"Ellie--"
"What is going on here?"
The sound of a sharp brisk voice made Will flinch back. In less than a second, he was away from me, leaving a crater of space between us.
I jumped off the chair abruptly, turning to face the intruder.
A thin woman in a grey suit and black heels glared at me with green eyes--eyes that strongly resembled a certain William Johnson's.
Oh my gosh.
This was Will's mother.
And our first meeting couldn't have been any worse.
***
Hey guys, thanks for reading ;) I hope you enjoyed it.
BTW, you guys are the most amazing readers EVER. Not joking, I love you guys ;)
Anywayyyys, this chapter is dedicated to this super nice reader who has been voting on every chappie, thank you, you're amazing ;)
God bless
xxx
Yemi Everest