Anne with an e- a new version of the story

Chapter 76 - Paris, the city of love

ANNE

The slight jolt of the train woke Anne. For a moment, as she opened her eyes, she stared at the surroundings from where she was sitting, and then she looked away and realized that she had fallen asleep with her head on Gilbert's shoulder, whose attention at that moment was on a story he was reading with great interest. Then she remembered that they had boarded an express train to Paris, first class, with Aunt Josephine's best regards.

She took advantage of the fact that her fiancé had not yet noticed that she was awake and watched him for a few moments. Gilbert had removed the beret he normally wore and left his dark, curly hair slightly disheveled, which fell adorably across his forehead, while his eyes were fixed on the page of The Times newspaper that was placed in each carriage for the comfort of the passengers. His shoulders were relaxed and leaning against the soft padding of the seat at his back, and his legs were completely relaxed and stretched out in front of him.

Anne loved looking at Gilbert when he was distracted like this, because she could pick up his most genuine reactions. At that moment, for example, he was smiling with the corner of his mouth as if he were enjoying some funny part of what he was reading, the lines that contoured his face even more beautiful when they were illuminated by the light coming from outside, and which in the dimness of the carriage became incredibly tarnished and attractive. Unable to stop herself, Anne reached out and touched the soft skin of Gilbert's jaw, and he closed his eyes for a second, savoring the gentle caress, then looked up at her with a fond smile and said:

- Are you awake yet? I thought I'd spend the whole trip asleep.

- I just woke up. - Anne grimaced as she massaged her sore neck from the position she had fallen asleep in and commented to Gilbert: -I think I slept in the wrong position and got a nice little sprain.

- Let me help you with that. Turn over on your back. - Anne obeyed, and soon felt Gilbert's strong hands massaging her neck and shoulders with soothing circular movements. Her body began to react as it always did when she felt Gilbert's touch on her skin. Automatically, familiar goosebumps began to hit her, bringing to mind moments of love she had had with Gilbert days ago, and she mentally reproached herself for it. Good heavens! Was that all she could think about when she was in situations like this with Gilbert? Those thoughts hit her without her expecting it, and she felt ashamed for wanting him so much that even when his touch was totally innocent like now, she couldn't control her reactions. She disguised what she was feeling, focusing her attention on the full moon that was taking over much of the sky at that moment, and breathed a sigh of relief when Gilbert stopped the massage and asked:

- Is that better?

- Yes, - she answered without looking at him, still on her back and only turning around when she felt her body temperature return to normal, and then asked: 

 - What time is it? - Gilbert reached for his pocket watch, checked it and replied:

 - It's three o'clock in the morning," he answered, and smoothed a lock of Anne's hair back from her face. We still have a long way to go before we reach Paris. 

 - And you? Aren't you going to rest? - Anne asked, looking at Gilbert's face and thinking how handsome he was either way, he could be all dressed up, starched, or completely at ease with the first two buttons of his shirt open and his hair disheveled, and he would attract her just the same. Would she ever feel less fascinated by everything Gilbert Blythe? It was amazing how one person became so important in one's life that all the other things that were part of that person became essential too. That was how she felt about Gilbert, all the things that were valuable to her were also valuable to Anne, her love for medicine, her joys, her sorrows, her successes and failures, everything had the same degree of importance to her, because since they became boyfriend and girlfriend they shared everything, and she knew it would be like that until the last day of her life.