The Necklace

Chapter Three

Smooth waves of the beautiful scents of what smells like roasting chestnuts seeps into my pores and swim around my nostrils. I inhale slowly and prolonged. I feel the warmth of Jason, reflecting off my body onto his before subsequently returning to me, containing more comforting warmth.

Jason picks me up, holding me by the waist. He sets me down. I am still wearing his jacket. He pulls me in close, keeping me warm. He holds out his arm, offering it to me. I accept his offer and wrap my right hand around his left forearm. My left arm is pulling he and I closer together via his bicep. I feel like a princess. Jason is my prince. My knight is not just shining. His armour is glimmering. Shimmering.

As we walk back to Nico's house, I feel infinite. I look up to Jason. His defined jaw is slanted slightly up, holding his chin reasonably high. His eyes glance at mine. I flinch, knowing that he noticed my terribly disguised gaping. I look down, staring at our striding feet. Our feet are close. Only inches away it seems. Only too late do I realize that.

Our feet collide. My right. His left. Gravity takes my physical inhibitions by the reigns. I plummet. As I gasp, gravel turns to starlight in a quick blur of a motion. I twist on my heels, looking at the sky. My right arm is caught on something, saving me from the pain-inflicting pebbles. I look down my arm, seeing Jason with a face of worry masking the beauty of his grin. He pulls me up, gasping.

"Are you alright, Meghan?" He asks.

He pulls me standing, inertia flinging my face into his chest. As I regain my breath, laughter overwhelms the both of us. I brush my fingers through my hair as he asks for my well being and sends his condolences. I return with many a new embarrassed apology. I look down as I slide my fingers through my hair, trying to hide my blushing face.

A honking horn is heard in the distance. Jason and I are put in the spotlight. Headlights seem only yards away. We run out of the way, jumping into Nico's yard. I harmonize his "Holy craps!"s with my shrieks of fear and exhilaration. We stumble over our feet, landing in the lush, soft grass, lightly veiled with dew. We laugh to ourselves, rolling and twisting every which way.

"That was terrible!" He remarks.

"That was amazing!" I reply.

"That scared the hell out of me!"

"Well, now we can both feel more liberated!" I yell, barely advancing through the sentence without laughter. He chuckles as he pulls his wrists behind his head. He looks at me. I look at him. I think I should tell him. The time is now.

¨Jason,¨ I say, hesitant to continue.

¨Yeah?¨ He replies.

¨I..." I start, interrupted by my nauseating anxiety. "I- I love..."

Nico's door flies open. the aforementioned scent of chestnuts waft in at an higher capacity than previously. Jason and I hastily get back on our feet and pat off the dirt and other unmentionables from our clothes.

"Alright!" Nico shouts. "Monsieur et Madame, la Chambre de Nico proudly presents to you..." Cue dramatic pause. "Your dinner!"

Jason whoops as he explains his quote-unquote "excruciating hunger." Don't even get me started on things that are excruciating.

"Merci, Lumiere," I say, scoffing as we begin proceeding to the front door. "Français is overrated."

"Ah," says Jason. "Says the girl who randomly burst out in French in the car. Not to mention," he ridicules, "that you were talking to yourself!" He laughs as my balled knuckles connect with his shoulder.

"Come on, you two," says Nico, perfectly portraying false apprehension in his voice. "Your dinner is going to get cold. And who doesn't love Beauty and the Beast?"