His eyes turn to me. The hazel is practically mocking, and even though I don't react, there's no way he doesn't notice the way my face warms when he stares at me a beat too long.
Jo would kill me. It's enough to get it from Amy, but me too? God.
_...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
________________________________
"How long have you been back?" Laurie questions, and his voice is wary. His eyes still hold a note of uncertainty, and I realize he's not put off by my presence.
He seems nervous.
"Only a few hours ago," I assure him, trying to convey without saying that I would've visited him the first night I'd come back any sooner. "I wanted to write."
Laurie crosses his arms over his chest and sighs, then looks up at the moon in the sky. It's a waning gibbous, a watchful eye on the pair of lost lovers shuffling about awkwardly in the driveway. He looks back to me, smiling tiredly.
"You look..." he pauses, eyes wandering my entire length, and even in the cold night air I feel my face warm. "you look even more beautiful than you were before."
I want to touch him.
"You too," I reply, and then curse myself and shake my head quickly, ignoring the cheeky smirk appearing on his face. "Er—handsome. Well actually yes beautiful but—"
"Thank you," Laurie grins, and then his brows knit together. "It's been..." he rocks back onto his heels, and I realize with a jolt I've missed his mannerisms. "..quiet without you. Grandfather misses your company. As have I."
"I missed.." I pause, and look down at my feet. I've missed a lot of things. But my mind keeps traveling back to him and my sister close together, and my ears ring. "...are you and Jo together now?"
Laurie stares at me for a moment, and to my surprise, outright laughs. It's a sound I haven't heard in ages, and it prods me in the chest like a pointer finger.
"Jo?" He exclaims, and shakes his head at me. "Heavens Lillian, no. I waited for you."
When he laughs I exhale in relief, and he finally steps forward, gathering me up into his arm. I'm still for only a moment before I lean into him, pressing impossibly close, painfully acute feelings for him knocking me upside the head.
