• Blood Bound •||• Simon Kalivoda X Female Reader •

19 - A Good Night To Enjoy

Throught the day, I've thought about the party. And Isaac. So much so that I've poked myself with my needle exactly two times while working on my cross-stitch design. Mostly because I'm constantly looking out the window for the full moon.
"You'll stab your eye out," Mother says. She's standing at my doorway. "I haven't yet," I mumble, still focused on cross-stitching. "Why are you so distant lately? You realize you can speak with me. I'm your mother." She places a hand on my shoulder.

I squirm away from her touch. "Why are you so distant?" Mother sighs and crosses her arms. "I know I have been tough on you, but I just want to converse without me having to scold you," she sighs. I look out the window.

The full moon has risen. I place down everything in my hands onto the rocking chair as I stand up. Mother grabs my arm. "Don't walk away from me! Where are you off to?" "Is it much to ask to have my own life?" I coldy tell her, ripping my arm away from her grip and walk away.
"It has to do with that boy. What's his name? Isaac?"
I stop in my tracks. "What about him?" I whisper.

"Are you in love with him?" "What?!" I exclaim. "Why are you asking me this?" "I need to know." "You do not!" I walk up to her, facing her eye-to-eye. "Don't you ever speak to me that way!" she scolds, wagging a finger at me. I furrow my eyebrows with anger and try walking past her. She steps in my way. "What do you do with that boy?" "Stop." "What have you done with that boy?" "Enough!"

"Thomas told me everything," she gravely says. My stomach drops. "Mad Thomas, the drunk, doesn't know anything about me!" I yell.
"Now, stay out of my way!" I push her aside and walk out of the door as fast as I can. I don't look back to see her hurt expression either. She deserves not an ounce of sympathy. She needs to mind her own business.

"Winifred! Winifred Watkins!"

----

I follow the light into the woods. Up close, the bonfire seems to light up the forest with its radiant glow. But I could barely find it from far away. The night hasn't fallen just yet, but the full moon glows as bright as the fire. "Winifred! You made it!" Abbi cheers, grabbing my hands and spinning the both of us around once. "My mother went mad, catching me out of bed just before nightfall," I joke.
I take a look around. Not everyone is here, just a few people that are early or preparing to play their instruments.

"This is such a beautiful night," I sigh. All of my worries about "Almost as beautiful as the night you had with Isaac?" she teasingly whispers. I shush her and elbow her ribs.

"Not another word," I laugh. "From what I hear, you're not exactly in your own bed each night." We both laugh, hanging onto each other.
We catch our breaths and listen to the sounds of the crackling fire. "Dance with me before Isaac arrives, " Abbi offers. "And how do you suppose that will work for me?" I question, raising an eyebrow. "Once I get courage from the berries, then I shall dance. Till then, I am not a dancer."

"The fruits of the land have yet to be harvested," she shrugs. She hands me a bottle that's full of a mystery drink. "Everyone is wanting to see you twirling, stepping, and leaping." I shake my head, denying her of any sort of dance moves. But I take the bottle from her hand and pop out the cork. I take a few gulps of the sweet, silky drink.

"I will continue to pester you until you dance." "Alright, alright," I sigh, giving in. Abbi gives me a satisfied smirk and turns to everyone with their instruments. "Oh, William!" she calls out in a sing-song voice. The man holding a lute looks back at her eagerly. "Strike up the music!"

Everyone claps and cheers as William strums at the strings. He strums a few times, then he begins to form a tune. A tune that anyone can dance to. I place down the bottle. I awkwardly clear my throat and step closer to the fire with Abbi following behind me.
My heart beats as adrenaline fills my body. I have never been so anxious in my life. I take a deep breath and nervously chuckle. "Dance! Winifred, you said you would!" Abbi tells me.

Okay... I can do this. I've felt way more nervous before. If I could breathe through that, I can dance through this.

I take a few steps.

Everyone is looking at Abbi and I.

I look behind me and see her giving me an encouraging smile.

It starts with a skip and some steps back. I do those moves until the music begins to raise the tempo. I leap into the air and twirl. My feet land on the ground seamlessly and a few cheers emerge from the growing crowd. And all of my worries disappear.
I twirl, I spin, I laugh, I dance! I dance like I never danced before. My skirt flows in the air as I rotate my body all around. It's trying to keep up with Abbi and I. More people join us in our dance around the fire. The music plays faster, so I spin faster as I jump into the air.

Damn you, Abigail Berman. I hate to admit it out, but you were right.

Then I catch a glimpse. A glimpse of Isaac staring at me. Staring, softly smiling in awe. I abruptly come to a stop and step away from everyone dancing. "Good evening, Isaac," I say to him, panting a bit. "Why didn't you tell me you could dance?" he asks. The corners of his mouth upturn even further into a bigger smile. "Because I- well, I don't- I can't," I stammer as I look away from him.
"Well, I beg to differ, Winnie," he says, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. I stare deep into his eyes. "You should've kept dancing. I would've loved to enjoy watching you for even longer." He grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers together.

"You look beautiful tonight," he whispers. He lifts my hand up to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. I bashfully smile. "As do you, my love," I tell him.

"There you are!" Abbi breaks the moment between Isaac and I. "You left! I was looking everywhere, but you were nowhere to be found," she says. She looks up and glances at Isaac. "Evening, Isaac," she quickly greets. He gives a curt nod to her. She looks back to me. "Now, where did you place that bottle?"

I point to the ground a few feet in front of me where the bright blue glass bottle lays against a log, just waiting to be drinked from.