Thursday 23 December 2010

City Lights - Chapter 5 - Home for the Holidays


There was nothing, nothing but her. I floated, adrift in a sea of happiness with only her lips holding me to this earth. As we moved a part the world slowly came back into focus. The cold breeze on my face was a contrast to her warmth and made me holder her a little tighter. The sound of a car door slamming shut brought me crashing back to earth.


The situation came rushing into focus. I was standing locked in embrace with Patina and Citrine was going to walk around the corner any minute. Oh Berry this was bad.

"She has a boyfriend," I yelled at myself. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Pulling away from her with a jerk I stumbled over the words trying desperately to extract myself from this mess I had gotten into. "I'm sorry… shouldn't have… really sorry."

"What are you sorry for silly."

"This," I said waving my arms around vaguely trying to encompass the whole situation. "I'm really sorry. I've got to go."


I turned practically knocking Citrine down as I ran towards the curb.

I didn't sleep that night. My mind just wouldn't let go. I drifted, tossing and turning, between the sublime joy of the kiss to the horror of the realisation of the unfaithfulness I can caused. It was stupid to kiss her, stupid, stupid, stupid.


When it had got late enough to be considered early as opposed to insane I packed my things and headed out of town. It was Christmas and I wanted to spend it with the family. Or at least that's what I told myself. I had never been a good liar even to myself and this one was sitting heavily on my conscience. It felt too much like running away.

People think it's never cold in Sunset Valley, they're wrong. It's the near constant sunshine and the beaches that fool them but believe me we have a winter and for those who live here is very easy to see the signs.


It was raining when I got home which suited my mood perfectly. Trudging up the stairs I shook myself trying to get the worst of the rain off before I went inside.


"Well welcome home son. Didn't expect to see you here today."

"Didn't expect to be here either but here I am." I wasn't in the mood to get into it.

"Well I've just made a pot of cinnamon tea to try and get myself in the Christmas spirit. Why don't you get yourself settled and come join me." That's one thing I really love about my parents, they don't push you to know what's going on. Of course that generally means I end up telling them more than I intended, but for now it was what I needed.


When I came downstairs and grabbed a cup of the tea I noticed that dad was standing in the spot the tree normally occupies.

"Um looks like you forgot something dad."

"You think your mum will notice," he said rather sheepishly.

"Pretty sure. It's kind of hard to miss the fact that there's no Christmas tree. Where is mum?"

"She's gone on a business trip, she's due back tonight. I promised her that I'd have the house decorated by the time she came home but I didn't expect them to sell out of trees. Not sure how we're going to get this place ready for her when she gets back."

How we were going to get it ready, how did I get dragged into this? Luckily I knew just the person to call to help sort us out.


While Auntie Nuala started on the house we went out to tackle the tricky task of finding a tree. Dad was right they were sold out all over town. Feeling more than a bit naughty about it we snuck up to a spot on the edge of town.



It wasn't exactly legal but I would rather face the police than my mum when she was angry. We arrived back at home at the same time as Peach and Pear pulled up.


It was a bit chaotic but before long the house was really starting to look like Christmas. The laughter and warmth of the family helped me relax but I couldn't completely get my mind off Patina.


It's amazing how one small thing can so drastically change your views on life. Despite being surrounded by family in the midst of holiday preparations I no longer felt like I was home. I would pull out my phone randomly throughout the day and just stare at it. I was never sure if I was hoping to have a message or working out the courage to send one and in the end I always put it back into my pocket and carried on with what I was doing.


"Who's the girl?"

"Um, what girl?" I fumbled trying to get the phone back in to my pocket.

A wry smiled played at her lips as her eyes followed me trying, and failing, to maintain a cool composure. "You can't fool me honey, I know more about pining after love than you can possibly imagine." She looked sadly over at her daughters and not for the last time I wondered what happened between her and Uncle Plum.


I only intended to tell her I met a girl but something about her made me keep going. Before I knew it the whole story was out and I was as worn out as if I had run a marathon.

"You've got yourself in a bit of a mess there I see." I snorted in agreement. "I know you don't want to hear it, but you've got to tell her. Not just about this Clay, but about everything."

"But what if…."

"There's nothing you can do to prepare for the what if's you just have to go for it. You will never know what is or could be if you don't do this."


"Come on grumpy Gus get off you bum and help is get the garland hung." That was a pretty quick end to my conversation with Nuala.


 I couldn't help but laugh at my cousins and their silly antics as we got the finishing touches done to the house but every time I looked at my aunt I would catch her looking back at me with that half smile on her face.

Just as we were getting the last bits hung my phone rang giving me a shock and nearly causing me to drop the bow I was holding. It was Patina. Her name flashed on my caller id as my heart hammered in my chest. I was filled with the same fear and excitement that always hit me with Patina. As usual excitement won out.


"Hey you. You ran off in a bit of a hurry yesterday."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Nothing to be sorry about silly. I just wanted to see if everything was ok."

"Well not really." I rushed on trying to get the words out before I lost my nerve. "I'm sorry I kissed you."

"Did you not like kissing me?" I could hear the teasing edge in her voice and blushed glad she couldn't see my face.

"No, I mean yes, I mean I liked it. I liked it a lot. It's just, you have a boyfriend and it wasn't right to kiss you."


"Boyfriend? Oh, you mean Clay. We broke up."

"What?!? When?"

"A couple weeks ago, not long after the funeral actually."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't realise you wanted to know." She sounded so cool and unconcerned by this as if it was just a trivial bit of news. How could she not know that this was the most important news I had ever heard in my life.


"You didn't realise?!?" My voice was getting a louder and as I looked up I noticed the family trying not to stare at me. I was at a loss for words. After our kiss I had began to think that she felt the same way that I did but if she didn't realise how important it was for me to know she was single maybe I was wrong. "Look now's not a good time."

"Okay….I'll call you later then."

"Um, I'd rather you didn't." Hearing how those words sounded as they left my mouth I raced to cover my tracks. "I want to talk to you, I just would rather wait until I can see you. Sorry." And with that I hung up.


The room was filled with an awkward silence as  everyone pretended to be very occupied with what they were doing. I needed space to clear my head, to try find the words to tell Patina I loved her and gather my courage to wait for her response. That was why I couldn't talk any more on the phone. To explain why it mattered that she was no longer with Clay I would have to explain how I felt. I went to the one spot I knew I could find the peace to think.


It was no longer summer here in Sunset Valley and I pulled the bench close to the fire pit in an attempt to ward off the cold air that closed in around me. Memories of the last time I was here on a cold night flitted through my head and with them all my fears about never being good enough to be loved. The what if's spun round me trying to find a way in, to chip at my resolve. Of course she didn't feel the same way I did. She had only been single for a few weeks, I had been falling in love with her for months. But Nuala was right, I had to let her know how I felt. If I didn't then any chance, small as it might be, was never going to happen.


The warm touch of a hand on my shoulder brought me out of my reverie with a start. I glanced at my watch only to discover that it had been nearly four hours since I left the house. Turning I saw the last person I expected.


I jumped to my feet. "Patina! What are you doing here?"

"Peach said I might find you here and she was right."

"Right, ok, but I mean what are you doing in Sunset Valley?"

She smiled shyly. "Well you said you wanted to wait until you could see me before we talked so I thought if I was here you could see me." I opened my mouth to say something but she stopped me.


"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Clay. I lied on the phone, I did know it was important to you. The day my grandpa died you were so sweet and wonderful and I began to realise you might have feelings for me. It made me think about how I felt about Clay and I realised I hadn't had any feelings for him in a long time. When he came back into town he seemed only mildly concerned that I had lost one of the more important men in my life." She scoffed quietly. "He was more interested in telling me all the great opportunities he was going to get out of his business trip. So I broke up with him."

"But if you knew it mattered to me why didn't you tell me?"


"I didn't know how. I wasn't convinced you did have feelings for me. I was so messed up that day I wondered if maybe you were just being a really nice guy. It wasn't until I caught you looking at me during Berry and the Beast that I knew for sure." She paused and stepped closer to me. "I knew something else then too."


"I knew I had feelings for you."

The moonlight and firelight danced in her eyes and I could feel a passion stir within me. I've never thought of myself as an impulsive guy but I had never had an impulse so strong before. I gathered her into my arms and pressed my lips firmly against mine. She was so tiny in my arms and I could feel her pulse quicken as the kiss deepened.

I could have stayed there for hours but the chill in the air reminded me of how late it was getting. Grabbing her hand I turned. "Come on. There's some people I want you to meet." And with that I took her home.


It may not have been a white Christmas but to me it was perfect

22 comments:

  1. "It may not have been a white Christmas but to me it was perfect."
    *giggles* reminds me of a certain song! ;)

    loveLoveLOVED it, once again.
    the fact that Bondi went back to SV gave me butterflies.. I guess somewhere along the way, I was hoping for Lyn to show up, even though I know Bondi belongs with Patina.. ah, well.. you know how I get. x3
    't was so cute of Patina to follow him.. I literally went "ahw" at my screen when I saw her wrap his arms around him.
    bless you, you beautiful minx.
    (she totally isn't, but let me have my moment for a while v_v)

    I'm a dork, I know.

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  2. her arms!! her arms around him! O_O

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  3. Awww! Yay! What a wonderful Christmas for Bondi (and everyone else!)

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  4. LOVE. I don't even know what to say, it was so beautiful but then all of your work is beautiful and I think I've run out of comments to make...
    Words that come to mind when you think of thea:
    Epic Posemaster!!
    Freaking fantastic Author!!
    All round epicawesomefantastic GENIUS!!
    <3

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  5. awh! (heh, I pretty much agree with everything Kitty said) Patina and Bondi are the most adorable couple! <3

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  6. It was lovely! Incredibly sweet <3
    As soon as I read that she and Clay broke up, I was like YAY! FINALLY! :D

    Great Update (:

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  7. Yay!!!!!!!!!! That's so great!!!!!!! I'm just super excited haha. Can't wait to hear more!

    BTW -- Is that Blaze on the right in the last picture, and if so, is she pregnant again!?

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  8. Awww thank you all so much!

    Kitty - To give you butterflies is huge and I will giggle often now when I think of that little minx Patina ;D

    Gracie - you are really too sweet >//<

    Candace - Well spotted o_O that is Blaze in the last picture. But she isn't pregnant again. She just never changed out of her maternity wear and it was later when I got to that picture and couldn't be bothered to change her :P

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  9. Awww such a fantastic update, and just in time for Christmas too. I'm so glad that they have both confessed their feelings :D

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  10. Aw, what a cute Christmas chapter! :) I love them looking for a tree together, that was cute!

    And I'm so glad their first kiss wasn't as 'wrong' as Bondi thought. They are so beautiful together. :)

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  11. XD OMG BLUE!!!! srry i just really like him :)
    When bondi got the call from Patina and the girls where around the christmas tree it struck me funny because of Nulula :)

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  12. LOVE IT! Bondi and Patina are meant to be <3 (I'm such a hopeless romantic lol).
    And I love seeing the whole family again, I bet it's going to be a good christmas for them! :)

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  13. Yay!! I'm so glad it is working out for them. :) Such a wonderful and lovely update!! Merry Christmas to you Thea Love!!

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  14. Hi, I love your blog! I actually have my own, it's a 100 Baby Challenge blog...do any of you want to check it out? suggest names? make fathers? It's all appreciated! Thanks !

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  15. ohh and the site is amberlights100bc.blogspot.com
    thanks again!

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  16. Perfect, Just perfect! Makes me so happy when things just work out.

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  17. Wow thanks everyone!! I am so overwhelmed to see so many lovely comments!

    Berry, Merry Christmas to you too love

    Amber I will put your blog on my list to check out

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  18. Yet another awesome update.. Can't wait for more!!!

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  19. This is almost by far the best thing ever will Bondi ever tell Patina about Clay and the other girl??? Can't wait to find out in the next post.

    Oh ya if you ever need help on anything you can contact me at emilyleonard91099@gmail.com

    I know it's a little bit late but hope you had a Merry Christmas!

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  20. Ok well that was weird I just posted a comment but it disapeared. so here goes again. I'm glad it all worked out in the end and that no one was really betraying anyone. Love the storyline and the build up, great writing. Just one tiny tiny tiny thing and I read this over and over just to make sure it wasn't me, and pressed my lips firmly against mine, I copied and pasted it just to make sure I didn't make a mistake, it just sounds funny when you're reading it out loud. I hope you dont mind that I mentioned it. off to read the next chapter keep up the good work.

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  21. Very romantic. Loved this chapter. Going on to the next :)

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  22. That was lovely and he gets to share a holiday with the girl of his dreams.

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