Ethereal: The Light in the Shadow

by Zoe Knights

  “You know nothing about her,” Sam hissed, pushing Simon heavily into the stone wall. “And I haven’t laid a finger on her, so you can swallow your words and-”

  “Sam,” Eddie cut in lowly, “let me,” she continued angrily, her green eyes glaring piercingly at Simon. “Whether Sam and I are sleeping together is irrelevant,” she said sharply, and Sam blinked in surprise. “Shaming someone for their sex life is pathetic. So how about you go wank off to your rosary beads while Sam and I enjoy life,” she snapped viciously giving him one last scowl before turning on the heel of her flats and stalking off down the corridor before the boy could respond.

  She heard Sam hurry to catch up to her. He was shaking with silent laughter.

  Eddie glanced at him, her eyes still sharp.

  “Wank off to his rosary beads…” Sam repeated through his chuckling. “That was brilliant. I bet he’s still back there gaping like a fish…”

  Eddie couldn’t help a small laugh that slipped past her lips. “He’s a prick,” she muttered. “He gives that youth group a bad name.”

  “Well…he’s a ridiculously conservative Christian…” Sam sighed. “So… tedious.”

  Eddie glanced at him uncertainly. “Do you believe in God, Sam?” she asked abruptly.

  Sam met her gaze slowly. “I don’t… believe in him, no…” he said in a strange tone.

  Eddie held his gaze steadily. “Do you believe that he exists?” she pushed.

  Sam looked away. “Strange line of questioning,” he said quietly. “I thought you were an atheist.”

  “Agnostic,” Eddie corrected simply. “You never told me what you are.”

  Sam looked at her briefly. “Well, I’m not sure what to believe,” he commented vaguely. “I’m… undecided. Let’s put it that way. And I certainly don’t believe in any constructed religions.”

  Eddie frowned slightly but did not get to question him further for they had reached the hall. As they walked in, she was only vaguely aware of several eyes turning to their direction.

  The hall looked stunning; tall, sparkling Christmas trees lined the walls, their warm scent of pine mixing with the air. Wreaths, mistletoe, and tinsel had every inch of the room in the festive spirit. Music played through the speaker systems, and tables laden with bountiful food and drink were set up around a golden-hued dance floor.

  “Damn, someone scored a hot date,” Devna spoke, drawing Eddie’s attention to her. She looked gorgeous in a mid-length red dress with capped sleeves and black heels, clearly not concerned about the cold weather outside.

  Eddie blushed violently. “It’s not a date,” she stumbled quickly, glancing awkwardly at Sam.

  Devna raised an amused eyebrow. “No? Well, I was talking to Sam, anyway. You’re the hot date, babe,” she told Eddie, only making her blush further. “He’s the lucky one.”

  Eddie choked on a laugh, but Sam beat her to the reply.

  “Quite right, Devna,” he said smoothly. “I am lucky – she was very discerning with her choice.”

  “Hm. That’s one word for it,” Devna quipped lightly before her almond eyes flickered back to Eddie. “Anyway – you’ve got tongues wagging. We should clearly chat more. I’ve been missing out on some serious gossip,” she smirked cheekily. “Have a fun night,” she added with a wink before she turned away and pranced off.

  Eddie stared after her, feeling far too nervous to meet Sam’s gaze. She saw her stop with Linh who stood by the dance floor in a dark blue and black dress that shone under the lights.

  Further behind them, she saw Millie and Quinn who waved at her.

  Millie looked lovely too, her red hair pulled back into a low bun, and she wore a long green skirt with an off-the-shoulder red top. She was clearly trying to get into the Christmas spirit; though perhaps not the most fashionable, it was certainly cute.

  Eddie waved back meekly, but she found more and more eyes upon her and Sam which only succeeded in making her nerves worse.

  “Careful…” Sam’s teasing voice sounded in her ear, overshadowing the music and Eddie spun to look at him. He raised a bemused eyebrow. “You’re going to twist your hands off if you keep wringing them like that.”

  “Huh?” Eddie quickly dropped her grip on her wrists. “Right… I guess maybe these teenagery things, as you put it, aren’t as fun as I thought,” she muttered. “Everyone is talking about us.”

  Sam moved closer to her, the gold lights of the hall bouncing off his dark, tousled hair.

  “Forget about them…” he said quietly, something to his gaze setting her nerves alight. “They’re not the ones who make it fun. You and I do.”

  Eddie laughed nervously. “Okay well – I’m short of bushy moustaches right now, so do you have any bright ideas?”

  Sam smiled slowly, his eyes dipping over her. “I do actually,” he crooned softly. “Do you want to dance?”

  Eddie blinked quickly, her eyes widening with surprise. “Sorry?”

  Sam raised his eyebrows, smile growing. “Well, it is a dance party. And you wanted fun. So… do you want to dance?” he repeated the question in a deliberately slower voice this time.

  Eddie blushed again but still managed to give him a fierce look. “Is dancing going to be one of those things you’re unreasonably skilled at which you’ll smugly boast about for the rest of the night?”

  Sam chuckled again, but he held his hand out to her. “Of course,” he inclined his head. “So come on.”

  Eddie looked from his hand, then back to his eyes before finally taking it in hers. “Fine,” she said stoutly. “Amaze me,” she smirked along with him, and he graciously pulled her out onto the floor.

  Nerves danced in Eddie’s stomach before Sam pulled her closer. Music drummed loudly in her ears, and everything felt a little surreal when Sam turned his eyes back on her, his hand holding hers firmly while he wrapped his other arm around the small of her back.

  When he’d said dance… he’d meant dance. Not club like bouncing and bobbing to the music. Eddie felt abruptly like she’d been thrust into a ‘Footloose’ movie and she laughed in surprise when Sam was spinning them and twirling them, no regard to anyone watching. They probably didn’t look anything like a couple from Footloose, as neither of them were actually skilled dancers. But, they had good rhythm and… Eddie just didn’t care. This was far too much fun for her to care.

  Heat, music and rhythm all flowed around her, the touch of his hands and his body engulfing her in this moment while the air seemed to sizzle with electricity. His fingers teased the gap between the hem of her shirt and the top of her skirt sending a swoop of heat through her belly, while her blood pumped wildly with excitement.

  They danced for three more songs till a break finally came in the music and Sam finished their dance with a low, daring and most certainly over the top dip. He gradually pulled Eddie back up, her breaths coming hard and fast while her eyes remained glued to his. He didn’t pull back, nor did she, and their chests heaved quickly against each other’s.

  “Now it was worth coming…” he told her softly, and Eddie did not miss the way his eyes dipped to her lips and back.

  She laughed just slightly, but nerves were fluttering in her stomach, “Well I… suppose I can admit I’m glad you came,” she teased lightly.

  Sam smiled slowly. “Eddie…” he murmured quietly in a voice that made Eddie’s stomach do somersaults. “You look… utterly beautiful…”

  Eddie swallowed, her heart skipping a beat while Sam’s eyes were dark enough to drown in. “Thank you…” she whispered back, not able to break his gaze if she wanted to.

  Then, before either had the chance to say anything else, the next song had started.

  “Uh oh,” Eddie quipped lightly, trying in vain to ignore her nerves. “Slow song,” she teased, expecting him to pull back.

  He raised his eyebrows. “I can dance slowly too,” he warned her. “Or is that… too intimate for you?” his tone was just as daring as his smirk.

  Eddie
narrowed her eyes, but she pulled at his hand in hers, shifting her feet and making them begin to move slowly to the song.

  She saw Sam’s eyes widen a little in surprise before he was pulling her even closer, his arm snaking around her waist to hold her gently against his frame. “I think it’s supposed to be like this…” he murmured into her ear, his breath tickling her skin and Eddie shivered.

  She shimmied closer, adjusting her own arm before leaning her head against his shoulder, nerves insistently trembling beneath her skin. “And like this…” she said quietly.

  She felt Sam swallow, his next breath a little unsteady while his hand shifted on her waist. “Hm…” he mused lightly, and Eddie’s heart missed a beat when she heard nerves rise in his voice again. “You might be right…”

  Eddie breathed out a small, shaky laugh and her breath dusted across the skin of his neck. “That’s a first for you to say…”

  She just caught Sam’s smile before he leant his cheek against the top of her head. But, he didn’t say anything this time which only made Eddie’s nerves heighten. She became acutely aware of every breath that left his lips, every scent from his hair, and skin and every touch from his fingers that had once more slipped between the top of her skirt and the hem of her shirt to graze her heated skin beneath.

  By the time the song eventually came to an end, Eddie felt sensations all the way through to her fingertips. They pulled back slowly, and her eyes flickered up to Sam’s, her breath catching in her throat when their gazes locked.

  Her nerves were mirrored in the dark brown depths of his eyes, and neither could muster words. She could not fathom the swirling mix of emotion twisting in his gaze, but she was lost within it. So lost that this time she had not noticed nearly everyone in the hall had their eyes on them.

  Sam quickly broke their gaze, and Eddie heard his next breath catch in his throat. “Well,” he muttered, pulling his arms from around her and running a hand through his hair before he looked back at her. This time Eddie saw his eyes linger on her lips before he snatched his gaze back away again. “Thanks for the dance,” he said casually, taking a step back. He chanced a glance at her again, “Goodnight,” he added before he near ran from her and out of the hall.

  Eddie stared after him, feeling abruptly cold, though the touch of his fingers was burned into the skin on the small of her back.

  “Eddie?” Quinn and Millie came over to her and Eddie was snapped out of her trance, her face now flushing as she noticed the many in the room looking her way curiously as they whispered amongst each other. “What…” Quinn simply sounded confused. “Was that?”

  Eddie swallowed quickly. “What?” she spluttered.

  “You two were like… properly slow dancing…” Millie almost gushed. “The way he was holding you – I mean, I’ve never seen him like that with anyone. You should have seen Tash’s face!”

  Eddie’s blush had coloured her entire face now. “Oh… I don’t know about that. It was just a dance.”

  Quinn gave her a look. “Eddie we’re not blind or stupid. Why’d he leave? What happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Eddie sighed roughly, glancing around subconsciously. “He just said thanks for the dance, then goodnight and he left,” she muttered. “I’m going to go to the dorm, these people staring are getting on my nerves.”

  “Do you want to talk-” Quinn began, but Eddie shook her head quickly.

  “No, please. You two have fun,” she insisted firmly. “Really,” she added with a smile.

  The girls relented and allowed her to leave, which Eddie couldn’t be more grateful for. She rushed from the busy hall, hurrying toward the dorm and relishing in the cold, dark corridors.

  Confusion clung to her senses, while his touch still lingered. Sensations danced from her heart, and she knew she was crossing a dangerous line. Her footsteps echoed around the empty halls, each tap like the beat of her heart that pounded with feelings out of her control.

  She tucked a strand of her curly hair behind her ear, trying the shake off these sensations. But, nothing could rid her mind of Sam’s swirling brown eyes. Nothing could stop the stream of thoughts flying through her head.

  Why did he leave? Had he felt what she did? And…

  What in the – possibly literal – Hell was she getting herself into?

  By the time she reached her room, she felt completely overwhelmed. Her brain told her one thing, while her heart urged for another.

  The feeling was so strong, her head reeled, and she shakily reached out for her door handle.

  But then…

  “Eddie?” Sam’s voice drifted across the hallway, and she jolted, her head turning quickly to meet his gaze.

  “Sam?” she turned around and stared through the darkness, his form half cast in shadow while the rest was lit by the silvery light of the moon. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “Why did you-”

  But, she broke off for Sam had leant off the wall, the sound of his shoe brushing the stone echoing louder than it should have and in moments he had closed the distance of the hallway between them.

  He looked at her for a moment, his dark eyes glinting.

  One breath passed, then another.

  “You left…” Eddie murmured, her eyes darting between his that were so close she could have counted every lash on his lids.

  Sam nodded slightly. “I thought I might do something stupid…” he breathed, and slowly this time his gaze travelled back and forth from her eyes to her lips.

  Eddie swallowed. “Oh?” she whispered, tilting her head closer subconsciously. “Like what?”

  Sam exhaled raggedly. “Don’t tempt me, Eden…” he murmured.

  Eddie’s breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering beneath her ribs and she licked her lips that had somehow gotten too dry. A small, rather impetuous smile grew slowly, despite her better judgment. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean…” she whispered, an almost teasing tone to her soft voice that must have been sending Sam slowly mad, for he made a sound at the back of his throat either in yearning or annoyance.

  “I am certain that you do…” he whispered gruffly.

  Eddie’s teeth grazed her bottom lip, her eyes the ones to dart to Sam’s lips this time, hesitating there for a long moment. “If you so badly didn’t want to do something stupid, why did you come and find me here all alone?” she asked him quietly, her eyes snapping back up to meet his once more.

  Sam gave her a look, another ragged breath falling from his lips and abruptly he moved again. This time, Eddie barely blinked and his fingers were grazing her skin, his hands cupping her cheeks…

  He paused, holding her face tenderly for a moment.

  Eddie did not look away.

  They were so close they shared the same breath, their hearts thumping to the same rhythm.

  “This…” Sam murmured to her, his soft voice only a whisper but it echoed around Eddie’s head, “is how I should have said good night…”

  And this time, there was no pause or hesitation. Not even a moment for Eddie to breathe and realise what was about to happen before… he closed the last gap between them, and his lips captured hers.

  Eddie’s eyes fluttered shut, her breath caught in her throat and her mind was wiped blank of all distractions. In seconds her world had been flipped upside down, and she had never felt anything like this before.

  His lips were soft, tender and so very warm; they held no urgency or push for more. Their delicacy had her heart soaring in her chest while vaguely she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how he kissed everyone… but deep down she knew it was not.

  She could feel this in his hold. She felt the tremor behind his lips, she felt his hands shake on her cheeks and… she felt the abrupt cold air on her face the moment he suddenly pulled back.

  A gasp fell from his lips, and his eyes snapped open, dark brown meeting piercing green sending a jolt through Eddie’s heart. His gaze shone with a vulnerability she’d never seen in it before, and f
or a moment she thought he was about to kiss her again as his guarded eyes certainly glinted with desire.

  But, without giving her the chance to speak, Sam turned away, disappearing down the hallway without another word or glance back. Leaving Eddie cold, breathless and with a tingling sensation lingering in her lips from his touch.

  Train to London

  18

  The next morning Eddie was in a strange, surreal state. Quinn was packing her things, subtly avoiding mentioning Sam while talking animatedly about her evening with Millie and how they had danced. Eddie was genuinely happy for her, but selfishly she could not get her own events of the night off her mind.

  He’d kissed her.

  It was all she could think about. She played it over and over in her mind, the same chorus of butterflies flying through her each time.

  He’d kissed her.

  And she’d let him. Hell, she’d kissed him back for a brief moment before he’d so suddenly pulled away. And it was the most amazing kiss she had ever experienced. But then he’d gone and run off again without a word.

  “Eddie?”

  Eddie looked up quickly, not realising she’d forgotten to pay attention to what Quinn was saying.

  “Are you alright?” she asked carefully. “I’m sorry to go on… did you want to talk about what happened with Sam? I… can promise to try and not be a bitch about it.”

  Eddie forced a laugh. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I’m just thinking about how to get to the train. I need to get a taxi or Uber. I’m glad you had a nice night.”

  Quinn gave her a look. “No mention of Sam?”

  Eddie’s stomach flipped. She also had not told Quinn that she’d invited Sam to spend Christmas with her. “Well I didn’t see him again,” she lied, shrugging quickly. “We danced. Big deal. Anyway. What do you think? Uber or taxi?”

  Quinn narrowed her eyes, seeming uncertain as to whether she believed Eddie or not. But, “Uber, obviously. There’s plenty around at this time,” she said simply.

  Eddie nodded, then turned to her duffle bag, checking her items to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.