“Mr Baxter?”
Brody nods once. The man shoots us both a gleaming smile, his teeth perfectly straight to match his perfect outfit. He’s dressed in a jet black suit, tailored to fit his body exactly.
“Right this way.”
I gaze in awe as we enter the building, soft piano music drifting through the air. Small conversation is buzzing from table to table, the diners dressed beautifully to match the entire building. The tables are grand, covered in a gleaming white tablecloth. Floral centrepieces sit on every table, blue, green and yellow flowers. The walls are painted a deep plum shade, beautiful paintings in gold frames hung up. Fairy lights are scattered all over the place, creating a soft magical glow.
Brody squeezes my hand as we continue to head for our seats. He leans down, his mouth level with my ear — “Are you nervous?”
His eyes are unsure, features slightly twisted in fear incase he’s got it wrong. I shake my head, my smile never faltering.
“I love it,” I whisper, feeling like a princess in my very own love story. Brody breathes out a sigh of relief and I squeeze his hand in return, weaving our way through the building. The ceilings are so high, I have to crane my neck backwards to meet the top. I let out a small gasp from the beautiful detailing engraved on the ceiling. I want to stop and take the time to study each and every detail, remembering it forever.
“It’s magical,” I whisper, my eyes shining brightly. Brody grins widely at me, his smile causing my stomach to flutter with butterflies.
“Here you go Mr Baxter.” The waiter smiles, directed us outside. I frown a little as we leave the warmth and chatter from the inside, stepping outside onto a balcony overlooking the city. As soon as I see the view I pause, sucking in a breath. The entire city is lit up beneath us. “Wow.”
The man disappears, leaving Brady and I the only ones outside. I feel like I’m frozen to the spot, scared to blink incase I wake up from this dream. My head tilts upwards to stare at the sky, the stars and moon shining brightly. I feel like their sparkle is brighter tonight, for us.
On the balcony, a white table is decorated beautifully, cutlery gleaming. In the centre are a row of three candles, the flame flickering lightly in the wind. It’s warm outside but I can feel my body trembling.
“Are you cold?” Brody asks me, breaking the silence between us. I shake my head but he’s already shrugging off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders. The warmth and his scent immediately wraps around me and I blush, dropping my gaze to the floor. “Thank you,” I murmur, my heart feeling like it’s about to burst through my chest. Brody places his hand on my lower back, guiding me towards the chair. He pulls it back for me and I take a seat, admiring the city view beneath us. We’re so high up, I feel giddy and excited as I look down. “It’s high but I know you’re not scared of heights.” Brody smiles, taking a seat opposite me.
“It’s amazing Brody.”
“I wanted to thank you properly, for what you did. I know how scary that must have been for you Bella and it makes me so happy that you did it for me. I’m proud of you,” he leans over to take hold of my hand. I blink at his words, unable to believe I’m awake right now. Brody intertwines his fingers with mine and studies my face before letting out a small chuckle.
“Bella? Are you in shock?”
His words are amused, light hearted. I shake my head, nibbling on my lower lip.
“I just can’t actually believe this is happening to me right now. I feel like I’m in a dream or a movie. But this is real, right?” I ask softly, glancing up at him.
“It definitely real,” he murmurs softly in response, lifting my hand to place a gentle kiss on the back. “Your menus for the night.”
I glance up and smile at the waiter, removing my hand from Brody’s to take hold of the smooth leather menu. He hands one to me and one to Brody before silently turning and walking away from us. I inspect the front of the menu, trailing my fingers over the gold engraved italic writing. It feels so smooth underneath my fingers and I flick it open, scanning down the menu.
“This all sounds amazing,” I say excitedly, unable to decide what to choose. When I glance up, Brody isn’t looking at his menu. Instead he’s watching me, his green eyes burning brightly. I feel myself blushing from his intense gaze and I quickly drop my eyes back down to the menu, reading over the vegetarian options. I can’t concentrate. I can feel his burning stare and it’s making me nervous.
“Why are you staring at me?” I mumble, placing the menu down on to the table. I begin playing with the strands of my hair, braiding the blonde locks. He takes a few moments to answer, his words only loud enough for me to hear. There’s no-one around us to eavesdrop but if they were, they’d have to be listening hard to hear his words.
“I want to remember this moment forever. I want to close my eyes and vision you like this whenever I think about you. The way the wind is drifting through your hair, the way your eyes are sparkling. You look beautiful, happy. I love that.”
I suck in a breath, blinking as I glance up at him. A small smile is playing on his lips, his posture relaxed. I slowly stand to my feet and Brody immediately holds his hand out for me to take. My fingers wrap around his and I walk around the table, my legs trembling underneath me. Brody pulls me towards his lap and I take a seat on one of his legs, balancing myself using his chest. His arm wraps around me and I lean into him, resting my head against his. He reaches up with his free hand and strokes his thumb along my jaw, his touch sending shivers running through my body.
“I have something to tell you,” I whisper, looking up into his dazzling green eyes. So captivating, so enchanting. Brody remains silent, urging me to go on with his stare. I can see the curiosity building up inside him.
“I think. . . ” I start, pulling my gaze off him and instead looking out over the buildings lit up underneath us. I can feel my chest tighten painfully as I struggle to let him in, let him through to my thoughts. I inhale deeply, looking up at the stars the way Jedd taught me to when I was younger.
“Focus on your breathing Bella. Look how beautiful the stars are.”
I smile at the memory, my chest relaxing as breathing once again comes naturally to me. I can feel Brody breathing beside me, waiting patiently. I turn to look back at him, locking our eyes together. He doesn’t blink and I know he’s waiting for me to continue.
“I think I’m falling hard for you.”
My words are shaky, a whisper. I feel him still underneath me and his eyes widen slightly. I don’t dare break eye contact with him incase I miss the doubt or fear flash through his eyes. I can’t make out his reactions, his eyes aren’t giving anything away.
“I know we’ve only known each other a few weeks but I love spending time with you Brody. I love how relaxedand happy I feel around you. I can be myself around you and I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to say or how I look. I don’t have to be insecure. I can just be me. I don’t have to pretend.” I whisper, my hands finding their way to his hair. I know he’s taken time to style it but I want to feel the soft strands through my fingers.
“Bella. . . “he starts, his eyes darkening. My body tenses and I hastily remove my hands from his hair, pain filling my heart. This is it, he doesn’t feel the same way.
I jump off his lap, wobbling unsteadily due to my heels. His hand immediately grips onto my waist, pulling me back towards him.
“Stop,” he murmurs down my ear. It takes me a few seconds to realise my body is shaking, hands trembling. His strong arms wrap around me and he pulls me to his chest, letting me bury my head inside the crook of his neck. I inhale deeply, my chest tightening further and further. I need him to say it back, I need him to love me back.
“When I first met you, you were so shy and broken. A girl who didn’t see the beauty of the world and instead focused on the four walls of Heywood High. A girl who didn’t see the beauty in herself. Your eyes hold so much fear, so much innocence. I knew I wanted you the second I looked into your eyes.”
I can’t breathe from his words, my eyes squeezed shut tightly. I’m still trembling in his hold.
“You were so scared of the world Bella, you didn’t live. Now look at you. You’re stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking your life into your own hands. I want you to experience life Bella, experience freedom and experience us. I just didn’t realise how quickly we’d fall. It’s scary, isn’t it? My every waking moment is spent thinking about you, the beauty of you. You don’t need to worry about me feeling the same way.”
He dips his head down and lightly presses a kiss to my lips before pulling back — “I’ve fallen for you, hard. You’re special Bella, I feel it.”
My heart stops and I don’t dare breathe —
“Say it again,” I whisper against his mouth, breathing in his scent. He doesn’t hesitate before repeating his words. “I really really like you Bella Marie Winters.”
Happiness bursts inside my chest, sending sparks of life running through my body. This is what it feels like to be alive, really living. I’ve craved it for so long yet never once did I ever imagine it to feel so addicting.
“And I really really like you Brody Baxter.”