Designing Abigail Kilton's Dress - #1 The Wedding Dress

Chapter 31 - Thistles don't grow where you tend roses

Marcus Burrows unlocked a small, metal door that stood in the middle of a quiet suburban street. It was so unremarkable, if she'd been on her own, she would have walked right past it without noticing it was there. It looked more like the back door of a garden shed than the entrance to what Leon had referred to as a 'magical, panty-dropping cottage.' Quite frankly, if a boy had brought her there, she would have been more worried about her kidneys than her virtue.

The door swung open with a loud creak and Marcus flicked on a light switch to reveal a hole-in-the-wall room. He held the door open for Kayleigh, who followed after him reluctantly. They hadn't spoken a word since they left the petrol station, and he had wisely kept his eyes carefully away from her all the while.

One look around the room was all it took for Leon's words to make sense. Oh yes. Her kidneys were safe. Her virtue would be safe too. She was too angry, too hurt. Her heart, however, was in for an obstacle course.

The first thing Kayleigh noticed was how clean it was. There wasn't even the smell of dew one would expect in dark, unused spaces. A single light bulb and a string of fairy lights illuminated the red-bricked room. The floor was made of white stone and it was partially covered by a circular dark-grey carpet thrown in the middle. There was a medium-sized sofa bed wedged in the corner on the right-hand side, just big enough for two people. A small cupboard with a hob and sink sat on the left, next to an old but well-kept wrought iron spiral staircase. Beyond it was a glass door that must have led to the infamous garden. The only decorations were the dark red cushions on the sofa and a string of black and white photos that hung above it.

Kayleigh walked closer to inspect them. She was surprised to see they were all photos of their home. One of the pier, one of the sea, one of the huts. There was an empty space and then there was one of their favourite bakery. A picture of a young Marcus and Leon locked in a one-armed hug, their cheeky smiles splitting their handsome faces. Another empty space. One of his family standing in front of their humble home. Mrs Burrows's eyes were glistening as she held her child around the middle despite him being almost a foot taller than her. It was the only photo she hadn't seen before, though she watched her brother taking the photo from her bedroom window. It was the day Marcus left.

The rest she witnessed being taken. She praised them when they were developed. The one with Leon, she took herself. It was the lowest quality from the collection, but Marcus had assured her it was very good.

"Coffee?" Marcus offered gruffly locking the door.

"I didn't know you still come here. I figured you gave the keys back to Emre when you got your own place."

Her voice was pure acid and she hated it. This wasn't her. 

Marcus moved heavily towards the tiny kitchen, filled the kettle from the tap and put it on the fire. "I just pop by when I need to get away for a bit, make sure everything is in order." 

"You seem to need to get away for more than 'a bit' judging by how 'in order' everything is." 

Marcus pressed his lips together as he reached up for two mugs and the coffee jar from the shelf. "Kayleigh, I can only imagine what Leon told you about this place. But I never brought any girls here."

"It's none of my business," she replied coldly, hugging her torso as though that would keep her from asking the million questions forming in her head. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me. What you think of me, matters to me." She would have probably believed him had he bothered to look at her when he said it. "We can sit outside if you're more comfortable."

Kayleigh didn't know if she'd be more comfortable, but she knew it couldn't be much worse than this room. So, she walked past him and through the glass door.

It was like stepping into a parallel universe. The surprisingly large garden was dwarfed by the high houses surrounding it, but it didn't feel swamped at all. On the contrary, it felt like she fell into an ethereal world and left everything behind. The stone paths were lined by shrubs and bushes, softly lit by more fairy lights. The silhouette of the trees rose high over the walls. Kayleigh could sense the scent of lavender mixed with something else. Fennel, she thought as she inhaled deeper.

She walked down the path up to a small clearing, where a loveseat was nestled in the shrubs on one side, and a hammock was tied to two thick trunks on the other. The summer breeze turned about her and she lifted her gaze to the black sky above. She thought the stars looked brighter, sharper, from here. But she knew it was only the effect of this magical garden. She was not more than ten meters away from the street, after all. If that.

"Here you go. Black coffee with one sugar."

Kayleigh turned to Marcus and took the pale blue mug he was holding out to her. The smell alone soothed her more than anything else had that night and she brought it to her lips, blowing on it gently as she warmed her fingers on the mug. Marcus sat on the loveseat, leaving ample space for her to sit next to him, but Kayleigh remained standing. She could already feel the magic breaking down her walls.

"Leon never said how beautiful this place is."

Marcus's eyes swept the garden and a soft smile graced his lips. "I don't think Leon ever realised how beautiful it is."

"Who's idea was this?" Kayleigh asked bumping the hammock with her hip.

"It was here before I came, so I take it it was Emre's."

"Right," Kay stated taking a sip from her coffee.

Marcus ran his hand through his hair, pushing some loose strands behind his ear. "He probably wanted to sleep under the stars, pretending he's by some beach in Istanbul."

Kayleigh let out a soft laugh. She remembered Uncle Emre's visits well. He always brought her weird stones and baklava. "Did you sleep out here when you used to live here?"

"Sometimes. When I got homesick. Or when Leon was staying over."

Kayleigh couldn't imagine him being homesick. After all, he never came home. Not even to visit. But she didn't say anything. Because what did it matter? She looked up at the stars again, trying to sort out the chaos in her head.

"You'll figure it out, Kay Kay," Marcus said from behind her. "You always do. Don't ever question your talent again, alright?"

She stared at the large man, sitting in the small seat, leaning forward as he rested his elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on his empty mug. She wondered if maybe he needed to be here more than she did tonight. She thought back on the fight he had with Abi, the storm in his eyes as they were coming here. But of course, she wouldn't know, because the man never talked. He was just short sentences and riddles.

Kayleigh downed the rest of her coffee and reached out for Marcus's empty mug. "I'll take these inside." 

Their fingers brushed together. Electricity shot from her fingertips all the way down her spine and she lifted her eyes to his. Only, instead of his hazel irises, she was met with lowered hoods. Marcus kept staring at their hands as he gently caressed her knuckles. Her heart sped involuntarily. She hated how her body still reacted to him, to his every movement, his every look, even if it wasn't at her. She pulled away gently, not wanting him to look up and see her pain, and took the mugs to the sink.

Alone in the tiny room, she placed the mugs in the sink and steadied herself against the cupboard, inhaling and exhaling systematically.

She needed to stop thinking. She needed to breathe. It was a long night and she was emotional, the feelings inside her were too much, too jumbled and indiscernible from one another. All she had to do was stay away from him, from his pull, his wonder, his friendship that she missed more than anything.

And then, on her fourth exhale, a white envelope on the sofa bed caught her eye. It was blank, with no address or name and it looked new. More than that, she was certain it wasn't there when they arrived.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she turned it over. It was open. She glanced out the door. Marcus was still sitting on the loveseat, his head thrown back up to the sky. She peeked inside and saw that it contained a couple of photos. At first, she thought they were the photos they had taken that morning, but her heart stopped when she took a closer look.

They were all candid pictures of her and Marcus, taken from strange angles just like the one in the magazine. Oxford street. Regent's Park. His car. Embracing. Fighting. Talking. Kissing.

👗👜👒

This is turning out to be one long night!