Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 10

Evie carried on, "Ella has taken pots shots, well, actually they both did. Albeit, kind of polite, you know, insolent covered by graciousness, but their eyes were very eloquent." Amelia nearly agreed, and decided not to throw more fuel onto the fire, but it didn't stop Evie. " I mean I knew there was a problem, and you, Ames, you knew it too. But neither of us thought about asking about it."

Ella acknowledged that Evie's observation was right. Ella and David's exchanges, if you could count them as conversations, their exchanges were always impertinent. Although with a varnish of obsequious. Even worse, the invincible darts were accurate. Surface exchanges were laced with undercurrents. They both pretended it didn't matter. Neither acknowledged their presence unless they had to do. Either David or Ella would walk away before anyone noticed. If they had to talk, they used the same infuriating, calm, cool tone.

Two years of avoiding, in a small town, took a lot of effort and skills. Amelia and Evie knew that Ella and David side-stepped each other. But Amelia and Evie never questioned Ella about it. Recognised it, but did not challenged. If Ella wanted to dodge David, that was her prerogative. They were good friends, but in many ways they were reserved and they were not good at revealing their thoughts or their feelings readily. As a result, their lives remained private. Tightlipped. Reticent. Self-contained.

In Evie's case, she was ashamed because she was practically destitute. In Amelia's case, going to University brought her several degrees but no social skills.  In Ella's case, she smothered her issue with David with camouflage. Ella muttered beneath her breath, because she knew she would have to explain the situation.

Evie was still thinking about Ella's issue with David, and she spoke aloud as her thoughts surfaced in her mind, "I think, in my head, I, well, I just thought they had nothing in common and they just didn't like each other!"

"Obviously." Amelia muttered beneath her breath.

"I mean, he's kind of into sports and Ella isn't into sports, well apart from the fact her dad is a manager of league." Evie brain sifted through her memories, "I think David played league. I didn't play much attention, he was a few years old than me. But I think I remember that the local paper said he had been picked for training, or something like that." Evie looked over at Ella, hoping that Ella or Amelia would take over the conversation. But Ella and Amelia didn't. "Oh come on! Ella might not be David's cup of tea." Still no response from Ella after that dart. Evie folded her arms and she rambled through her mind, looking for another excuse "In any case, he has beautiful girlfriends! Gorgeous. I just thought perhaps Ella was miffed that he didn't asked her out!"

Ella poked her tongue into her cheek and held on her temper. She said nothing. A frown marred her brow as her mind drifted to thinking about David. This was not going to be as simple as she thought. She wasn't sure what exactly it was about Daivd that had captivated her, ten years ago or  even now. She straightened her back, squared her back and kept her tongue in her mouth. She hoped that she wasn't about to get embroiled in an quarrel. They were good friends, friends that had evolved because they had the same problem: They felt they were outcasts.   

But Evie often wondered why Ella thought she was an outcast when so many of the local guys found Ella interesting. From her position, Evie thought that it was Ella's choice and she didn't not understand why.

"Evie!" Amelia remonstrated and glared at Evie. Amelia knew she had spent time thinking about the issue between Ella and David. But she had yet to find a way to resolve the situation, probably because she wasn't sure she had the full, correct information about that situation.

"What?" Evie shrugged, "Just a point!"

"Sometimes you are so insensitive!" Amelia mumbled.

Evie shrugged and retorted, "I'm just saying, he didn't asked her out when she arrived at our town! And David has dated nearly all of the women in town, ok, let me change that, he dated all the gorgeous women in town!" Amelia threw Evie another speaking look, but Evie carried on, "Ella is gorgeous. That is my point. She is stunning. But David didn't ask her out." Amelia shook her head at Evie, not that it stopped her. "And I have other questions!" Evie announced as if she was entitled. "I am just curious. After all, we are friends."

Not if this goes on, thought Amelia. "I do not know what has happened to you, Evie! I don't even recognised you!" Amelia glared at Evie and shook her head again, more vehemently.

"What?" Evie queried in bafflement, still pretending to be none the wiser. Evie settled back and continued despite Amelia's warning look, "I don't know what you mean, Ames. You brought up the topic! I am just asking questions. That's all."

Amelia wished she hadn't started this in Evie's home or even close to Evie. She should have waited until she had personal-time with Ella. She would have better if she waited until they were alone.

Amelia said quietly, "Look Evie, perhaps we should have this conversation at another time."

"What? Why?" Evie frowned, "Are you telling me this is a top-secret? When they kissed?"

Amelia said quietly repeatedly what she had previously said, "I told you, in school. Can we just shelve this conversation."

Evie ignored that. "School? Our local." Evie's head moved between Ella and Amelia, not sure who would answer the question. Amelia sighed.

"No, Evie." Amelia folded her arms and nodded toward Ella, hoping that Evie would see Ella's ramrod spine and she hoped that Evie would stop this interrogation.

"Fine. Ok." Evie huffed, obviously going out to get food was the wrong time, given she had missed several key aspects of this conversation. Evie murmured to herself, "David went to school here." She worked through the information and she looked over at Amelia. "I thought Ella went to boarding school." She opened a nut packet. This wasn't making any sense. Evie's ignored Amelia's warning look, ignored Ella's ramrod spine and just carried on. "Let me get this, Ella kissed a guy she avoided for the last two years and kissed him before she came here. At a school. So what am I missing?"

Of course Ella wasn't seeing the beauty in the landscape, mainly because the sheen of tears had created a bit of a blur. Evie passed over the nut packet to Amelia. "Can someone just tell me what is going on here?"

Ella took a deep breath and looked at the hills in the distant. "How about we share?" She murmured with no animosity, but Amelia's chin lifted as she heard the tone in Ella's voice.

Unfortunately for Evie she missed that tone and just mumbled, "Great. Fine." Evie settled back into her seat. "You would think we are signing up to a Government's secret." Evie muttered.

Ella looked over her shoulder at Evie, "I understand you have to sell." Evie's spine stiffened. "Your farm and home. What about your step-family?" Ella folded her arms and adopted a rather defensive stance. Evie's eyes flashed.

Amelia closed her eyes. Great. World War Three was about to start.

Ella wished she had not said anything about Evie's step-family. Evie had no contact with her step-family because her father didn't accept her as his daughter when he was alive. She had no right to bring this up now. She said softly, "Sorry Evie."

Amelia said quietly. "I am sorry I brought this up, Ella." Amelia's gaze flicked across Ella's face, wondering whether she'd glean anything from Ella's expression.

Evie glared at Ella as she said, "My step-family?" She clenched her palms. "What do you want to know about that relationship?" Their eyes clashed as she added with clear impertinence, and deliberate provocation, "What about your relationship with David?" She banked her temper.

"Stop. Enough." Amelia sighed. "Nobody here owes anyone any explanation." Her eyebrows drew closer together as she frowned at Evie and then turned her frown to Ella.

"Sorry Evie. I had no right to ask you about your situation with your family. Sorry." Ella said more loudly.