Brown Eyes

Chapter 6

(Beth's P.O.V.)

He kissed me.

I was putting on one of the nightgowns from my wardrobe when the full impact of what happened hit me. I touched my lips. There might has well have been fireworks shooting all over the place when it happened. I smiled lightly, then ran to the window. Peter would have still been walking to his tree.

I saw him standing still in the middle of the path.

I sighed, then put out the light in the chandelier and lit a candle on my nightstand.

For a moment I did nothing, then I heard a loud crow that could only come from Peter. I laughed and spun around my room, the nightgown flaring out around me.

I got into bed and thought about what had happened.

At first it was only good things, but then I got nervous.

What if things got awkward between us?

What if it hadn't meant anything to him?

Or what if it had, what then?

I decided for now I would just pretend it didn't happen. I hadn't even realized I might have feelings for Peter until I started kissing back. So I just hugged Teddy and fell into a dreamless sleep.

~

In the morning I sat at my vanity, brushing my hair absent-mindedly. I was trying not to think about Peter, but that got really hard.

Somebody knocked on my door. I looked at myself in the mirror and then sighed and pulled my short hair behind my ears. I was still in my nightgown, so I just straightened it out, then went down to answer the door.

When I saw the person I was trying so desperately not to think about on the other side of that door, I didn't know what to say.

He gave me a half smile and said, "Hey."

"Hey," I replied in a tone I would usually use. "What's up?"

"Do you still wanna go see Mermaid Lagoon and all that?" he asked.

He wasn't looking at me the same way. I gulped at the knot in my throat.

"Uh, yeah sure," I said, ignoring his look. "Come on in, I'll get ready."

I jogged up the stairs, not waiting for him.

I grabbed some pirate clothes from my wardrobe and ran behind the changing screen. I heard him come in after I started getting my clothes on.

"You back there?" he asked.

"Yeah, just getting dressed," I said. "I'll just be a second."

I heard him sit down on my bed.

Neither one of us said anything while I put on my outfit. I pulled on some fishnet tights and a leather knee length skirt, then a white shoulder-less blouse. I pulled on the boots and then the corset over my head, but I couldn't tighten it. I walked out, holding the strings and said, "Hey, Peter, can you tie me up?"

"What?" he asked. He was standing at my vanity now, and when he turned to look at me his eyes widened and I'm pretty sure he was checking me out.

"Peter," I said and he snapped out of it.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"Can you lace up my corset?" I asked.

"Uh... sure," he said, walking up. "I mean, I don't really know how to do that."

I said, "Just, pull on the laces till I say it's tight enough, and I'll tell you how to tie the rest of it when we get to it."

I turned around and handed him the laces behind my back. He pulled on them, and said, "Is that good enough?"