꧁꧂
"𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮," he says into my hair, "𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮." The sound of his voice breaking causes the tears to finally fall.
"You came back," I sigh into his chest. He pulls away, holding my face in his hands, and my heart flutters...
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| Lily |
Anne became so obsessed with the idea of being beautiful that she ended up having to cut off all of her hair. But as I look at myself in the mirror, preparing for tonight's dinner, I can't see what she sees. I can't see anything that would make me the object of beauty that Anne idealizes. I see the pale face of weakness, afraid to move forward in my life. Afraid of growing up. Afraid of telling Gilbert how I feel. Afraid of kissing him. Does Gilbert think I'm pretty? I shouldn't be fussing over myself as the nerves concerning his arrival in only a matter of minutes overwhelm me. Yet, here I am.
Knowing that Gilbert and Bash are on their way has only made my anxiety soar higher. It's just dinner. Things are falling into a new normal, which I need to be okay with, which I am okay with.
"You look beautiful Lily," Anne says from beside me, smiling, and wearing her favorite dress.
"Not as beautiful as you," I say truthfully. No matter how many times Anne denies it, I know that she is truly beautiful, inside and out. She blushes and sits down next to me at the vanity.
"You just need some new clothes," she sighs bluntly, catching me by surprise.
"No, I don't!" I shake my head in protest.
"You have no color," she says, taking my arm and gesturing to my sleeve, as if I'm not aware of the fact that my dress is white, "you look like a ghost."
"I look fine," I retort, smoothing out my dress in an attempt to show her that I am indeed, fine.
"I can tell that you're nervous," she calls me out, nudging me with her shoulder, "do you mind if I ask about the other day?"
"What about the other day?"
"Don't play dumb with me Lily, you and Gilbert?!" I roll my eyes in realization of what she's talking about, "I felt like I was interrupting something back there." There's no way I'm about to tell Anne that Gilbert and I almost kissed after the pantomime rehearsal, not when he and Bash are going to be here any minute. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, we were both acting so strange. I almost kissed him, I wanted to kiss him. But of course, it wasn't the right time, it never is.
"Um... no you weren't interrupting anything," I rush out after noticing that I had gone silent. I catch the knowing smirk that Anne sends me in the mirror and look down. I'll tell her later, maybe.
"I can just picture it now. You bounding down the steps, looking elegant as always. And there's Gilbert, whose heart flutters the moment your eyes meet. And then--"
"Anne stop!"
"He takes your hand, and your heart stops," she gets up and floats around the room, dancing, she continues, "Everything is perfect, he pulls you closer. It's like no one else is there, just you two!"
