Pisces

by Rachel Medhurst

  Chapter Eight

  The book made no sense at all. It didn’t speak of true love and happily ever after. It spoke of opening and surrendering. I had no idea what that meant. I threw it across the grass and blinked to clear my vision. The sun had set and the sky had turned navy. The cold air suddenly filtered through the blanket I was wrapped in. My whole body shivered and I hadn’t even noticed.

  ‘Dinner time, love,’ Bev announced through the kitchen window.

  The swing moved as I stood up and retrieved the book. I was being stupid when it came to Antony but I couldn’t help it. My ego was easily bruised and his careless words had hit home.

  ‘Did Father find the person that shot Antony?’ I asked as I came into the dining room.

  Derek and Bev were waiting to eat so I sat quickly.

  ‘No, he got away,’ Derek replied despondently, digging into his roast beef. ‘Why the hell did he do this?’

  Bev hit Derek on the arm with her spoon. He looked down at his plate and carried on eating.

  ‘Pisces, It’s best that we’re left out of the men’s world. What’s important now is that Antony recovers. We don’t want him getting an infection, so after dinner, you will spend the night in your room with him to make sure he doesn’t get a fever.’

  My eyes must have popped out of my head. I hadn’t considered that Antony would stay in my room, or that I would have to be in there with him.

  ‘Have you got something I can sleep on?’ Arguing would be useless.

  Bev smiled and nodded. ‘It’s already done, dear.’

  The sigh that escaped me didn’t go unnoticed. I was nervous about spending the night in the room with a man that—

  ‘How are you getting on with the book?’ Bev asked.

  ‘What book?’ Derek interrupted before shoving a Yorkshire pudding into his mouth.

  Bev looked at me. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. She shrugged as Derek turned back to his food, interest in the book quickly forgotten.

  ‘I’m not that far into it yet. I’ve read a few chapters but…’

  The small woman smiled when my sentence trailed off. ‘It will all become clear soon.’

  ‘What if it doesn’t?’ I blurted, allowing my fear to show.

  Bev reached forward and put her hand on mine. ‘It will.’

  It fell silent as I tried to finish my food. I usually loved roast dinners but the day’s events had thrown my appetite out the window.

  ‘Go to him,’ Bev said.

  Thanking her, I left them to it. As I walked up the stairs, I heard Derek speak. ‘What the hell are you lot on about?’

  My head was buzzing as I entered my bedroom.

  ‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ Antony said.

  I didn’t respond at first. Instead, I put my book away and turned to him once the drawer was closed. ‘Are you feeling okay?’

  ‘Where’s the warm, fun Pisces gone?’ He gestured for me to go to him.

  ‘She only comes out on special occasions,’ I snapped, grabbing my pyjamas and escaping to the bathroom.

  I stared at myself in the mirror. My brown eyes were extra dark. I wondered what depths lay beneath them. I didn’t know how far down the soul was. It felt like Antony was trying to push his way inside and I didn’t like it. My skin was pretty smooth, until I looked up close. When you focus on things, they seem to conjure up all sorts of problems. My eyebrows were naturally bushy. Cancer plucked them for me. I never had the patience.

  Looking down at my hands, I studied my neat fingers. If only my hips were as small as my extremities.

  ‘Is someone in there?’ Derek shouted from outside.

  Being harassed when I was in the bathroom was something I was used to. I put my hair into a ponytail and went back to my bedroom.

  ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your hair up,’ Antony said.

  Going to his bedside, I picked up his pills and helped him to take them. He was able to hold the glass of water to swallow them down. I tried not to make eye contact but he stared at me as I took the glass back.

  ‘Are you seriously going to sleep down there?’ he asked as I turned to my makeshift bed.

  I didn’t answer him as I eyed the jumble of blankets that were thrown on the floor.

  ‘There’s plenty of room on the bed,’ he said quietly.

  My back was turned to him. I glanced over my shoulder.

  ‘You are kidding?’ I laughed as I shook out the first blanket and laid it on the floor.

  ‘What have I done to upset you?’

  Making my bed kept me distracted as heat travelled over my skin. A flashback of the day he had almost kissed me on the train came into my mind. The feel of his arms around my body in the lake shot through me and I vigorously shook the blanket.

  ‘Nothing,’ I said eventually as I lay on the floor and faced away from him.

  ‘Fine. When you come out of your sulk, let me know.’

  The muscles in my back tightened. I fought the urge to get up and stamp out of the room. I had no idea why he affected me so much.

  There was only one thought in my brain as I tried to force myself to sleep. It was time I made the effort to get out so I could meet my twin flame and forget about Antony.