Read Online The Beauty in Between: Too Close (A Beautiful Series Novella) by Lilliana Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Lilliana Anderson
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wrapping, she turned it around in her fingers and
studied the patterns painted around the edge of it.
“It’s a
bangle,” I said, feeling stupid the moment the words popped out of
my mouth.
“I know that,”
she laughed, “I’m looking at it… is this all handmade?”
“Yeah, that’s
what they reckon anyway. They carve the wood themselves and then
paint all the little flowers on. Do you like it? I thought it was
pretty and well – girls like jewellery right?”
Katrina laughed
and nodded as she slid the bangle onto her wrist. “Thank you David.
It’s beautiful,” she said, leaning across the table and kissing me
on the cheek.
“You’re
welcome,” I smiled, taking a swig of my drink. It was at that
moment that her phone chose to beep with a message.
Pulling it out
of her pocket, she swiped at the screen and grinned broadly the
moment she saw it.
“What’s making
you grin like that?” I asked. Wondering what had been happening in
the two weeks I’d been gone.
“Oh, it’s
nothing… it’s just Ethan. You remember him right?”
“Of course I
do.”
“Yeah, well,
we’ve kind of been hanging out a bit lately. He’s really nice.”
A slight pang
shot through my chest and landed heavily in my stomach as I planted
what I hoped was an unfazed smile on my face. I had no right to
expect her not to move on from Ben, and I guess, in a way… me.
I cleared my
throat and took another drink. “Yeah, he seems like a good guy. Is
Tom weird about you hanging out with him?”
“No… oh, maybe
a little. But there’s not much he can do about it.” She flicked the
ring pull on her can with a twang as a quiet fell over us. “You’re
not weird are you?”
“Um no. Why
would I be?” I laughed, in this odd way that I hoped never to hear
come out of my mouth again.
“I don’t know…
Anyway, he’s coming over soon. He’s going to take me to a
movie.”
“Oh really?
Well, I should get going then. What time’s your bus?”
“He
drives.”
“Of course he
does. He’s actually finished school now isn’t he?”
“Yeah he is.
He’s just waiting to see if he’s going to uni or not.”
“What’s he
going to study?” I asked, making a great effort to sound
interested.
This weird
dreamy look came over her face, and I realised in that moment that
I had lost her. Suddenly, I really regretted not having the guts to
say yes to her. I didn’t want her to be Ethan’s. I wanted her to be
mine.
“I’m sorry –
what did you say?” I asked her, realising that her lips were
moving, but I hadn’t heard a word that came out of them.
“I said - He’s
actually thinking of becoming an optometrist,” she repeated.
“Really? That’s
like an eye specialist right?”
“Yeah, and
don’t laugh. I’m sure it would be very interesting.”
I held up my
hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m not saying anything.”
“Good. Just be
nice to him ok?”
“I will be, why
would I be anything else?”
“Um, you beat
up my last boyfriend.”
“Well, he was
talking smack about you. I’m sure Ethan won’t do that. He seems
like a good-guy Trina. I’m happy for you.” With that I got up and
kissed her cheek goodbye, wanting to go back home and think through
everything that had just happened.
I can’t believe
that I was stupid enough to let her get away, and now that I’d
realised it. It was too late.
***
Christmas came
and went. We were still on school holidays until the beginning of
February, so I divided my time between taking the driving lessons
my mother had gotten me for Christmas and visiting with Trina…and
Ethan.
They were
becoming inseparable and I could tell by the way Trina looked at
him that she was getting ready to call what they had the ‘L’ word.
He’d even gotten her interested in triathlons, and together they’d
joined the local club and started training.
It fucking hurt
seeing her like that with someone else, especially since the bangle
I bought her suddenly vanished
studied the patterns painted around the edge of it.
“It’s a
bangle,” I said, feeling stupid the moment the words popped out of
my mouth.
“I know that,”
she laughed, “I’m looking at it… is this all handmade?”
“Yeah, that’s
what they reckon anyway. They carve the wood themselves and then
paint all the little flowers on. Do you like it? I thought it was
pretty and well – girls like jewellery right?”
Katrina laughed
and nodded as she slid the bangle onto her wrist. “Thank you David.
It’s beautiful,” she said, leaning across the table and kissing me
on the cheek.
“You’re
welcome,” I smiled, taking a swig of my drink. It was at that
moment that her phone chose to beep with a message.
Pulling it out
of her pocket, she swiped at the screen and grinned broadly the
moment she saw it.
“What’s making
you grin like that?” I asked. Wondering what had been happening in
the two weeks I’d been gone.
“Oh, it’s
nothing… it’s just Ethan. You remember him right?”
“Of course I
do.”
“Yeah, well,
we’ve kind of been hanging out a bit lately. He’s really nice.”
A slight pang
shot through my chest and landed heavily in my stomach as I planted
what I hoped was an unfazed smile on my face. I had no right to
expect her not to move on from Ben, and I guess, in a way… me.
I cleared my
throat and took another drink. “Yeah, he seems like a good guy. Is
Tom weird about you hanging out with him?”
“No… oh, maybe
a little. But there’s not much he can do about it.” She flicked the
ring pull on her can with a twang as a quiet fell over us. “You’re
not weird are you?”
“Um no. Why
would I be?” I laughed, in this odd way that I hoped never to hear
come out of my mouth again.
“I don’t know…
Anyway, he’s coming over soon. He’s going to take me to a
movie.”
“Oh really?
Well, I should get going then. What time’s your bus?”
“He
drives.”
“Of course he
does. He’s actually finished school now isn’t he?”
“Yeah he is.
He’s just waiting to see if he’s going to uni or not.”
“What’s he
going to study?” I asked, making a great effort to sound
interested.
This weird
dreamy look came over her face, and I realised in that moment that
I had lost her. Suddenly, I really regretted not having the guts to
say yes to her. I didn’t want her to be Ethan’s. I wanted her to be
mine.
“I’m sorry –
what did you say?” I asked her, realising that her lips were
moving, but I hadn’t heard a word that came out of them.
“I said - He’s
actually thinking of becoming an optometrist,” she repeated.
“Really? That’s
like an eye specialist right?”
“Yeah, and
don’t laugh. I’m sure it would be very interesting.”
I held up my
hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m not saying anything.”
“Good. Just be
nice to him ok?”
“I will be, why
would I be anything else?”
“Um, you beat
up my last boyfriend.”
“Well, he was
talking smack about you. I’m sure Ethan won’t do that. He seems
like a good-guy Trina. I’m happy for you.” With that I got up and
kissed her cheek goodbye, wanting to go back home and think through
everything that had just happened.
I can’t believe
that I was stupid enough to let her get away, and now that I’d
realised it. It was too late.
***
Christmas came
and went. We were still on school holidays until the beginning of
February, so I divided my time between taking the driving lessons
my mother had gotten me for Christmas and visiting with Trina…and
Ethan.
They were
becoming inseparable and I could tell by the way Trina looked at
him that she was getting ready to call what they had the ‘L’ word.
He’d even gotten her interested in triathlons, and together they’d
joined the local club and started training.
It fucking hurt
seeing her like that with someone else, especially since the bangle
I bought her suddenly vanished
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