Light Blue

Part xiii- All Shades of Right and Wrong

13

The awkwardness between us is almost unbearable. As we walk through the hotel lobby, I can only concentrate on what is in front of me- I daren’t look at Oscar, but this became almost impossible as we stand in the mirror covered elevator listening to ‘relaxing’ and ‘chill’ music. Everywhere I look, I could see him reflected in every facet, so I resort to looking at my feet. I watch the numbers flash up. He had pressed the floor above mine and that made me feel extremely uncomfortable. After a few seconds more, Oscar clears his throat and I reluctantly look up.

“Yes?” I ask wearily. He claps his hands together.

“Delilah, I was wondering whether I could maybe, you know, have copies of the photos you’ve taken today. Only because, you know, I’d forgotten my camera and some of those photos I quite like to have….?” His voice trails of slowly into a question. I clear my throat also.

“Oh, of course. I just need to run and get the cable from my room then. If you just hold on for a second.”

“Yeah.”

He stares at me without smiling and my face grows increasingly warm. The elevator doors ping open and I move quickly through them.

“Just, wait,” I call over my shoulder.

“No problem,” he shouts back.

I reach mine and Amelia’s hotel room door and knock loudly.

“Amelia! Let me in!” I shout through it. There’s a scuffle inside and the door is flung open. Amelia stands there with rather dishevelled bed hair.

“What is it Delilah? I was having a good nap,” she says groggily. I roll my eyes.

“This is my room too Amelia. I need to get something.”

Amelia yawns, “How’s lover boy doing?”

“Shut up,” I say. I lift my luggage onto my bed and begin to push through the contents as Amelia stands by my shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“Just getting the camera cable. Oscar wants the photos we took today,” I look up at her briefly as I find the cable, “So I’m just going to his room so I can transfer them.”

She giggles and I blush, “Oh Delilah. Already going to his room? Is it me or is it getting hot in here?” I hit her arm.

“Amelia,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Sorry Delilah,” she says with a more serious face. She stops and looks at me again. “Are you alright Delilah, you seem a little dazed…? What happened this afternoon?”

“I’ll tell you when I get back,” I mumble. I push past her towards the door.

“I want to hear everything when you get back Delilah!” she yells across the room. I shake my head and close the door behind me, running back to the elevator. Oscar is still standing in the lift, his foot in between the doors. He smiles half-heartedly, although I could see only a trace of spark in his eyes.

“Took your time. The doors have tried to close about ten times already. I don’t think the lift is very happy.”

“Sorry. Had to speak to Amelia,” I say, rushing into the lift. He removes his foot and let it close.

**

I sit at the desk in the corner, hunched over his laptop. Oscar had gone to wash his face and I look cautiously around the room. There’s a large bed in the middle of the room (only one, I think to myself) and one side was completely a washed with designer shopping bags. I smirk and let my gaze go over to the window. Outside is a balcony identical to ours, with the same old chairs and table. I turn back to the laptop. All the photos had been copied to the hard drive and are loading as I turn on the gallery. I flick through them lazily, blushing occasionally as some on Oscar turned up. I still feel wary around him, courtesy of the mad dash and the Arc de Triomphe incident and Eloise, but that gave me a small amount of hope. He was starting to remember. In my mind, my fingers are crossed constantly. I know I said I didn’t mind starting from the beginning, but in my head, the story is already halfway through and to start again would mean losing pages of words. I click onto the newest picture, the one of Oscar and me with the Champs Elysees as the backdrop. Both of us are looking awkward in the picture, but I almost melt looking at him. But suddenly, I notice in the background a familiar crop of black hair. I move the mouse and zoom into the photo closer and closer and my eyes widen. Standing about twenty five metres or so back is…