the art of loving ; lord tewksbury

thirty-one

"I couldn't have done it without you. I wish you could come with me."

Chapter Thirty-One

  Time worked in mysterious ways. Sometimes, it was a bolt of lightning, passing by at a rapid speed. Other times, it could be a metallic ball chained to your foot, dragging you on and on and on, keeping you wondering when freedom would come to you. It was fast, or it was slow. It was either or, never in between.

Time ticked away quickly for Daisy. So quick, she barely had the chance to grasp the realisation that a whole week had already gone by. In less than twenty-four hours, she would be leaving her old life behind. Soon, she would be able to shed that part of herself for good and rebuild her life in a new environment. The thought of it was so surreal, she had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't all a dream.

  In the week that passed, Daisy followed through with the plan. She played nice, she obeyed orders, she plastered a smile on her face whenever she had to. It was a bit eerie at how well she could portray such a fake persona so easily, but it honestly wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be. Tewksbury and Grant stuck to their own roles, both making sure to be diligent with their words and pretend nothing was out of the blue.

  Everything was going smoothly.

  No one suspected a thing.

  Now, Daisy sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the cliff and stared into the darkness of the quarry below. Tewksbury was next to her, tracing random shapes on the palm of her hand with his finger. A half hour ago, they both snuck out of their homes and met up here to scatter Daisy and Grant's clothes. It was almost one in the morning, which they both agreed was a good time to do so since everyone else was asleep and wouldn't be able to catch them in the act. When they were finished and satisfied with their work, the pair decided to stay a while longer. It was unspoken, but both teenagers shared a mutual desire to enjoy their last few hours together.

  "What is the first thing you'll do when you arrive in France?" Tewksbury wanted to know.

  Daisy shrugged, swinging her legs back and forth. "Probably get settled in to our new home. Then I'd explore the village, hopefully find a bookshop."

  "Will you learn how to speak French?"

  "Of course I would," she answered. "I would love to. It is such a beautiful language."

  "Will your brother learn French with you?"

  Daisy smiled. "Maybe. I'd have to force him, though. He is as stubborn as a mule."

  The boy chuckled at her response. He continued drawing patterns on her hand. "Do you think you'll get used to it? Living a brand new life, in a foreign place, speaking a foreign language? Will you like it?"

  Daisy shrugged again. "It's hard to tell now. It isn't going to be easy at first. But with time, I think I will be used to it."

  Tewksbury nodded. He peeled his gaze away from her hand and looked her in the eyes. "Will you miss it here?"

  "I don't know," she said. "I mean, I did grow up here, but I haven't had a lot of good memories. I'll still think of this place, but I don't think I'll miss it too much."