Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 24

For some reason, Ella felt better about sharing the fact that she and David had kissed. And Amelia's reactions showed that it was not normal behaviour for either David or Ella.  Amelia's astonishment was palpable. And it also showed that it was not ordinary. Maybe that is why it has remained in Ella's mind; because it was not usual or ordinary. Her heart reminded her head that the kiss was definitely not ordinary. Ella recognised that, definitely not ordinary, but not normal behaviour either.

Seconds passed. "Do you think David told Jack?" Amelia watched Ella, with lots of questions buzzing through her mind.

Ella shrugged. "You'd have to ask Jack!" 

Amelia went off on another tangent as other questions, that had buzzed around her head for several seconds, emerged with bafflement,  "Why did David ask Loretta to come around to his home? Why would he kiss her, given he kissed you a few days ago? I am pretty sure he isn't like that. Why now?" Amelia wanted to ask about the kiss, but she respected Ella's wishes about her privacy. "I mean I know he has a track with women, but..."

Ella interrupted. "I don't know." She licked her lower lip. "Look, Ames, you'd have to ask him!" Ella took another sip. "All I can tell you, is that he had no qualms in kissing Loretta. He kissed her twice. In front of me! Deliberately, I think." Her fingers circled her temples with gentle pressure,  "I guess, our kiss was an accident." She shrugged and just stopped the massage of her temples. "How can I love a guy who thinks I'm a slut while he pretends to be a gigolo!" She huffed, "In any case my kiss was old news, and of no concern, at least in David's world!"

 "Oh Ella." Amelia grimaced, she was a practical person and so she said, "We need to show him how wrong he is about you." The problem was, how? Amelia hated seeing Ella hurting.

"No." Ella muttered quietly, then without volition she spoke aloud what was upper most in her thoughts, "Just because I am in love with him, doesn't mean that he reciprocated my feelings. Our kiss was just an accident. It meant nothing. To him, at least."

Amelia wasn't sure what to say, she didn't want to give Ella false hope. But she really wanted Ella to have the same opportunity, the same luck and a chance to have a happy-after. A few months ago, Amelia had no chance with Jack, but now, her life could not be any better. 

Ella feigned a smile. There was no point in reviewing her recent conversation with David. She, obviously, had misinterpreted his kiss in that car park. A real mistake. A complete blunder. 

At the time, it felt right. Feelings, that had been invisible had thrived in an emotional desert, unknown to either of them until that moment. The moment his lips met hers she recognised her soul mate. A recognition that she had buried beneath her pseudo ice-princess routine, to regulate her feelings. 

She also recognised the fact that her response to his lips was the same as ten years ago. 

A poignant moment, that she thought was a fleeting phase, and an occasion that would never be repeated. But, in a school car park, when their lips touched, that instance, that amazing juncture in her life, resumed; as if they had never left that moment, ten years ago. Well, she thought so. Until she turned up at his home, expecting it as a prelude to review their kiss, to re-ignite their connection, only to find that he didn't share her perspective of that kiss.

Ella said quietly, "He's moved on." She sighed, tipped her head back, looked up at the ceiling, ran her palm down the front of her throat, and left her palm just above her heart. "Believe me, he doesn't care about our kiss, he was so into Loretta. If he had any issues with PDA, trust me, he doesn't now!" She wiped at the tears. Her heart was thumping. She could handle this, she thought as she murmured, "Maybe coming here, to this town, was the right thing for me." Two years ago, perhaps  her heart corrected. Now, probably the time to rethink that. She took a breath, and looked over at Amelia, "Maybe, well, maybe two years ago." Ella dashed the heel of her hand across both eyes to mop up the tears.