Chapter Ten
1204 Words
As she would not understand that I need not never look at her to see her.
For she was engraved on my mind...
*
The knock came in the dark early hours of the morning, way before the sun had awoken and the moon still ruled the skies. Teyha sat up and stared at the door her heart thundering, it would be him, her uncle. He would have found out about Rose. She screwed her eyes closer together and clutched her bedding with tight knotted fingers.
Tap tap tap
She frowned. The noise was coming from her diamond window, not the door,
"Teyha!" A voice hissed. Her breath caught and she sat frozen staring at the royal red curtains, "God damn it Teyha open the window before I fall." This time she recognised the voice. Her heart fluttered as the Princess darted from her covers, and pulled back curtains. His blue eyes eyes peered through the glass, "Well? Let me in." Teyha fumbled the latch with numb fingers. Outside a fine shower of heavy rain was falling from the black sky and a soft wind cold enough to freeze whirled through the attic as Brooke climbed inside,
"Why are you here? What is wrong?" She whispered and closed down the window. He laughed and staggered into the room, falling on to the chair beside the roaring fire. The rain had drenched Brooke's clothes to the bone and he was shivering,
"Such a question!" He chuckled loudly staring at the floor,
"Shhh! You will wake someone! Do you want a blanket?" Teyha hovered by the window and watched him. If anyone was to come here now. I would get burned for days.
"Do I want a blanket?" He laughed again, "Oh no I am not cold Teyha." Brooke was staring at the fire his elbows rested on his knees. He didn't look at her. Silence filled the room,
"I do not understand. Why come here if you do not wish to talk? If nothing is wrong then why did you climb the rose fence to reach my window?"
Brooke chuckled again and clenched his fists. Why! Why had I came here? He thought angrily to himself. Because you couldn't stay away. His shook his head and fumbled in his pocket for the sliver flask. He could feel her grey gaze but couldn't bring himself to meet it. Couldn't bring his eyes upon her,
"You're shaking." Teyha said softly, "What happened?"
Brooke snorted softly. As if I could just tell her, as if I can just say "Oh you know your Aunt Jenna? Well I've started seeing her ghost again. Yes that's right I said again. And in answer to why I'm here? I had to be around someone real. Someone who I know is not a vision of my madness.
"You have been drinking." She stared at the flask as he brought it to his lips,
"Yes, how observant of you." Brooke closed his eyes and drank down the burning liquid. It was no good anymore...no matter how much vodka he drank it never helped,
"Look at me," She whispered, "You come to my room but you will not even look at me." He felt her move behind the chair he sat on. Brooke tensed his fists. He hadn't thought about this, hadn't let his mind think when he had ran out of the woodland and climbed up to the window. All that mattered was being near her, "Look at me." Teyha hissed,
"I can't!" He cried and closed his eyes. She wouldn't understand of course. She wouldn't understand that he didn't need to look at her to see her, for she was engraved on his mind. He imagined her now, peering down upon him from behind the fire chair; Blond tumbles of unbrushed bed hair that fell around her in deep folds, pure grey eyes that shone behind thick lashes, skin now slightly tanned from a summer sun with tiny freckles speckling her cheeks, and lush lustful lips, pink and ripe. The smell of lemons reached him and he held down a groan. It was too much. She was too much. A forbidden fruit he could never touch,
"You can not bare to look at me, fine. So at least tell me what is wrong? Why you stumble in my room in the mid morning hours, waking me from my sleep, shaking from fear if not the cold and as pale as a ghost?"
"I should never have came...."
"Then why did you?" She asked. He closed his eyes. The vodka inside him longed to reach up and grab her. To tell her everything. To tell her why he could not bare to look at her, why he was here but he held back the words and instead stared at the red flames that blazed in an orange glow. He felt her hand touch his shoulder,
"You can talk to me Brooke." She whispered. He stood up flinging her hand away and stumbled into her table smashing the perfume bottle under his trembling hands. His knees were weak under him, his head dizzy and the smell of lemons filled the air. Teyha darted forwards and grabbed his trembling shoulders steadying him, she went to move her arms but he grabbed them forcing her hands to stay. Move away now. Move away! He froze under her touch. The world seemed to stop. Brooke stared heavily at the floor and tried to calm his breathing. The only sound was her soft breaths and the crackle of the flames. He was drunk. He should leave. He shouldn't be so close.
Move away now!
He wouldn't look at her but his cold hands clamped down on hers which were pinned to him. She stared at his face that seemed to strained in pain. She could smell the sweet scent of pine trees and vodka that rolled off his skin mixing with the steady flow of lemons. Teyha held her breath,
"I can not let you go Teyha." He whispered, "I should not have to."
"Brooke?" She whispered in confusion but he shook his head and slowly moved her arms away from him. He shivered again and took a step away,
"I must go. I have to." He whispered and slowly staggered to the window. Teyha followed behind him steadying Brooke when he swayed. She bit her lip as he pulled across the curtains. Outside the rain crashed on the glass, the wind whistled loudly. He would fall, he would slip if he climbed down,
"Stay." Teyha said softly and he froze,
"I have to go..." He muttered,
"If you climb down you could trip. Stay until you're sober at least."
"I could sit in the chair." Brooke mumbled,
"I would not mind and the maids never knock for me in the morning anymore. You would not have to worry about being caught." She whispered and he nodded,
"If you are sure."
"I am." Teyha turned from him and walked to her bed, "Will you be warm enough?" She asked pulling back the sheets and stealing a glance at him. Brooke was still staring out the window but he didn't seem to be shaking anymore,
"I think so Teyha."
- Writer
