Chapter 34: Somebody's eyes

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"'Cause every time I think that we're alone

Somebody's eyes are watching

Somebody's eyes are seeing me loving him"

-Karla Bonoff

*

Despite the fact that I didn't know anyone at the party, I was having fun thanks to Sebastian, Felicity and even Daisy. She was being very kind to me, which I hadn't expected, to be honest; especially because of what Felicity had presumed about my involvement in Toby and Daisy's divorce. But, as for now, it seemed that all that Daisy saw in me was Sebastian's girlfriend.

I would never leave Sebastian's side and he enjoyed to show me around, introducing me to everyone, kissing me, dancing with me, playing together with me, Robert and the other kids. It was like he wanted to show to the entire world how much he loved me. And they all could really see it... especially Toby.

We had been ignoring each other from the moment I set foot at the party, but I would feel his gaze on me most of the time. Sometimes, I would turn around and meet his eyes for a few seconds before one of us looked away. He was never too far away from me, like he was waiting for me to say something and let him get closer to me. And I felt I couldn't stay away from him either. It was like Felicity had once said: "When one of you moves, the other moves too. You guys can't stop looking at each other." All I could think about was him, hoping him to come to me, wondering why, if he had Amanda in his life, his eyes were searching for me in the crowd. Once again, Toby was holding my happiness in his hands while I was trying to give it to Sebastian, who would have kept it like the most precious treasure.

After singing "Happy birthday" to Robert and watching him blowing the six green candles with enthusiasm, we all started to eat the cake - the most delicious carrot cake I had ever tasted -, someone standing and someone sitting at the various small tables scattered all over the backyard. Felicity, Sebastian and I were among these.

"Felicity" Sebastian said, quite amused, "there's that Ryan Gosling guy over there looking at you since forever."

Both Felicity and I turned towards the direction he indicated and saw a man that Daisy had introduced us as the local librarian, by the name of Harold Jackman. He didn't look anything like Ryan Gosling, but Sebastian wouldn't stop making fun of Felicity's resemblance to Emma Stone in La La Land, so it was obvious that her significant other should have been nicknamed "Ryan Gosling". He was a tall and large man with the nicest face and sweetest smile. He was looking at Felicity like she was an oasis in the desert. I liked him and I was sure that Felicity liked him more than me.

She blushed, said nothing but threw some popcorns from the snack tray to Sebastian.

We all laughed. "Yes, she likes him!" I thought.

Robert appeared beside me, exclaiming "Look, Dad, she is Merida!"

My heart skipped a beat and I raised my head to find Toby towering over me, one hand in his pocket, one in Robert's hand. Silence fell and my eyes met Toby's once again.

"Robert thinks you are a Scottish princess, it seems" he smiled.

I smiled back, I couldn't help it. "A Scottish warrior princess, to be exact."

"Have you got your bow and arrows with you?" the boy asked, looking at me in bewilderment, like I was one of those actors playing Disney characters in Disney World.

I got closer to his face and whispered "Uncle Sebastian is so scatterbrained that he lost his bow and arrows, so I had to give him mine!"

Robert looked at Sebastian. "Where are they, Uncle Sebastian?"

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