Well, We're Not Alone Now - Book One - Alex Turner

Something Sunset Coloured

-Something Sunset Coloured-

"If you knew how lonely my life has been

And how long I've been so alone

And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along

And change my life the way you've done"

-It Feels Like Home-Chantel Kreviazuk-

3rd of June 2012

The droplet of water slid off my hair, journeying slowly down the skin of my back, to where it dropped onto the stone beneath me. My eyes were hooded, an almost non-existent breeze fanning around me. I waved my feet gently, making ripples in the swimming pool, the early morning light casting a silver sheen across the water. Ahead of me, the garden ran downwards, stopping at the start of an Oak tree that stood tall, shadowing the grass beneath. Above the branches, a blue sky stretched over the many houses that were just waking to the morning. I breathed deeply of the foreign air and let myself slide under the water once more.

After two nights of goodbye parties we had finally departed for America. Alex and I had arrived in LA yesterday evening, drove straight to our new home and fallen asleep before we could even begin to look around. Although going to sleep had been easy, staying asleep had been nearly impossible. I had woken more times than I would have liked and had finally given up at about six in the morning, rummaging through my bags of clothes, pulling out my bikini and taking my first dip in the swimming pool. That had been about forty five minutes ago. The others had also bought houses close by, but it would be a couple of days before they were all here. It had all happened so startlingly fast that I felt like I was still running to catch up. It was like I was in a dream and would wake up any minute, stumble out of bed, run out into the drizzling weather and try and live my life in the grey streets of London. Here it was like nothing I had ever seen before. Everything here had a slight haze over it, like it wasn't quite real, though under the surface I knew there was many unexpected things. It was a welcome relief and in this moment in time I felt the most free I had in a long time.

The water ahead of me cut in half as my body moved through it, smooth and lithe. As I came up for air, my breath came out in a short gasp and my eyes found Alex standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He had slid back the large glass doors and was leaning against the doorframe, presumably waiting for me to surface. A black t-shirt clung to his chest and rapidly pulled on jeans hung invitingly from his hips. Putting my hands on the edges of the pool, I lifted my body up, water streaming in rivulets off me. My footprints made small puddles at my feet as I walked over towards him. I took my hair in my fist, squeezing out the water. By the time I got to him it was already drying as the air around was rapidly heating up. Joy. Alex held out a towel in his hand which I took without question, "Good morning."

"Mornin' love." I dried my limbs and then ruffled the towel through my hair. He spoke again, "I knew you'd be in there first thing. 'ow long 'ave you been up?"

I threw the material over a chair that leant up against the wall, it would dry in the sun, as would I, "Since six. I couldn't be bothered to try and sleep anymore."

He leant forwards and pulled my against him so my back was to his chest, his fingers pressing gently into my waist, "You should 'ave woke me up."

I smiled at the sky, "What? So that both of us could be yawning all day? No, I think not."

He ran his lips along the slope of my neck and shoulder, making me sigh and relax into him. He didn't say anything and we simply watched the view ahead of us. I took a breath from the air around me, "I can't believe we're actually here."