oblivious to the cold as she stood near his towel looking at them from a distance, her hands on her hips. She was more his type than Ophelia, I hope he remembered that.
Ophelia raised her hand and gave Imogen a wave, which was reluctantly returned. Good move though.
Chayse glanced behind and then back to Ophelia. He looked annoyed, running his hand over his face and through his hair.
“I’ve got to get home, thanks for agreeing to be my research subject,” she smiled and turned, leading Argo and Agnes away.
“Anytime,” he called behind her. “See you tomorrow at school, we can swap numbers then.”
Ophelia glanced back, nodded and smiled. She walked on beside me, feeling me and touching her locket again. The dogs raced ahead. After a moment or so, she glanced back to see Chayse’s girlfriend draping herself over him reclaiming her territory. It was time that I staked mine.
Chapter 7
OPHELIA
I saw him again that night, well early morning. It was like he controlled the moon and shone it into my bedroom. It leaked through the curtains, hanging suspended out the front of our home in the middle of the ocean. It was just after three o’clock when I stirred and decided to rise. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, the only answer is to get up and do something. I had to keep the noise down however so I didn’t wake Uncle Seb, Adam and the furry kids.
I decided to sit in the bay window in my room again and watch the ocean, maybe I would see a ship on the horizon or some of the trawlers coming in. I pulled track pants and a knit pullover on over my T-shirt and underpants and prying open some of the curtain, slipped into the bay window seat. I turned to look down below and jumped in fright. He was there again, the same guy, this time he stood on the rocks looking directly up at me, his hands in his coat pockets, as though he had been waiting for me to appear.
My heart was beating so fast from the fright. I could easily make out his smile like he was enjoying the joke. He looked down at the rocks a bit sheepishly then back up at me again. He had on a long jacket, like a military jacket that went to his knees, with dark pants and black boots. He looked strikingly handsome. His smile was infectious, a bit cheeky, and then he raised his hand and beckoned me down.
I felt a shiver of fear and excitement. I bit my lip while I thought about it—he could be an axe murderer or he could attack me and then next day everyone would say how stupid I was to be down there on the rocks at that hour. He cocked his head to the side like he was trying to read my thoughts, then he looked down at the rocks again, nudged something with his boot, and pushing his hands into his coat pocked, he turned back around to look out to sea.
I jumped up; I was going to go meet him. I put my runners on and grabbed from the cupboard a long, black waterproof jacket that Uncle Seb had given me on my arrival. I tied it up and carefully opened my door. There was not a sound. I crept down the stairs and met Argo at the bottom of the staircase. I patted him and he returned to his bed. I tugged the door open, snuck out and moved quickly across the path to the beach’s edge. I expected him to be gone again as I walked out on the sand and turned right towards the rock and rock pools. But there he was, striding from rock to rock, bending down and wading his hand through the rock pools. He caught sight of me and stood to full height.
I shivered with the cold or maybe expectation. I must be crazy going out to meet a guy on the beach at three a.m. Who does that except in those horror movies that you watch through your fingers and scream out “turn the light on” or “don’t go in there, go back, go back!” I was getting carried away. He looked as nervous as I was, and smiled a beautiful smile. He was about a head taller than me and pale too. I could see a scar near his eyebrow and the top of a tattoo on his neck, the rest of the tattoo disappearing
Ophelia raised her hand and gave Imogen a wave, which was reluctantly returned. Good move though.
Chayse glanced behind and then back to Ophelia. He looked annoyed, running his hand over his face and through his hair.
“I’ve got to get home, thanks for agreeing to be my research subject,” she smiled and turned, leading Argo and Agnes away.
“Anytime,” he called behind her. “See you tomorrow at school, we can swap numbers then.”
Ophelia glanced back, nodded and smiled. She walked on beside me, feeling me and touching her locket again. The dogs raced ahead. After a moment or so, she glanced back to see Chayse’s girlfriend draping herself over him reclaiming her territory. It was time that I staked mine.
Chapter 7
OPHELIA
I saw him again that night, well early morning. It was like he controlled the moon and shone it into my bedroom. It leaked through the curtains, hanging suspended out the front of our home in the middle of the ocean. It was just after three o’clock when I stirred and decided to rise. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, the only answer is to get up and do something. I had to keep the noise down however so I didn’t wake Uncle Seb, Adam and the furry kids.
I decided to sit in the bay window in my room again and watch the ocean, maybe I would see a ship on the horizon or some of the trawlers coming in. I pulled track pants and a knit pullover on over my T-shirt and underpants and prying open some of the curtain, slipped into the bay window seat. I turned to look down below and jumped in fright. He was there again, the same guy, this time he stood on the rocks looking directly up at me, his hands in his coat pockets, as though he had been waiting for me to appear.
My heart was beating so fast from the fright. I could easily make out his smile like he was enjoying the joke. He looked down at the rocks a bit sheepishly then back up at me again. He had on a long jacket, like a military jacket that went to his knees, with dark pants and black boots. He looked strikingly handsome. His smile was infectious, a bit cheeky, and then he raised his hand and beckoned me down.
I felt a shiver of fear and excitement. I bit my lip while I thought about it—he could be an axe murderer or he could attack me and then next day everyone would say how stupid I was to be down there on the rocks at that hour. He cocked his head to the side like he was trying to read my thoughts, then he looked down at the rocks again, nudged something with his boot, and pushing his hands into his coat pocked, he turned back around to look out to sea.
I jumped up; I was going to go meet him. I put my runners on and grabbed from the cupboard a long, black waterproof jacket that Uncle Seb had given me on my arrival. I tied it up and carefully opened my door. There was not a sound. I crept down the stairs and met Argo at the bottom of the staircase. I patted him and he returned to his bed. I tugged the door open, snuck out and moved quickly across the path to the beach’s edge. I expected him to be gone again as I walked out on the sand and turned right towards the rock and rock pools. But there he was, striding from rock to rock, bending down and wading his hand through the rock pools. He caught sight of me and stood to full height.
I shivered with the cold or maybe expectation. I must be crazy going out to meet a guy on the beach at three a.m. Who does that except in those horror movies that you watch through your fingers and scream out “turn the light on” or “don’t go in there, go back, go back!” I was getting carried away. He looked as nervous as I was, and smiled a beautiful smile. He was about a head taller than me and pale too. I could see a scar near his eyebrow and the top of a tattoo on his neck, the rest of the tattoo disappearing
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