Chapter 10| they may be losing their marbles.

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Anne pulls out the small pouch of marbles that Matthew gave her. She sits on the floor and set up the game. "Loser has to make dinner."

Gilbert smiles teasingly, "You're on, Shirley-Cuthbert."

As they play three competitive rounds, their hands keep brushing past each other, each time making both of their hearts stop and their breathing stutter.

Anne shoots the bigger marble across the floor, knocking the last two out of the circle, thus beating Gilbert in the game.

"Hah-ha!" She cheers, getting close to Gilbert's face in triumph. They both pause, faces an inch apart, their smiles fading to more serious expressions. Their breath mingling in the air.

"You have to make dinner." She says quietly.

"Seems so." Gilbert replies.

----

After he made dinner, Gilbert calls Anne down to the kitchen.

She walks into the room, sitting quietly at the dinner table. Gilbert sets a plate of Potatoes, bread, and cheese in front of the redhead.

She smiles up at him, his heart stopping.

I really need to get a handle on this thing, especially if I'm going to stop breathing every time she looks at me.

As they sit and chew thoughtfully on their identical dinners, silence fills the house, invisible, yet unbearably present. Anne grows self conscious at her chewing, fearing Gilbert can hear the saliva run down her throat with each swallow.

Instead of noticing anything wrong with Anne, Gilbert sits, admiring her. He loves the way her head bobs as she chews, the endearing way her dimples demand to be seen with each bite, and the nervous way she twirled the fork in her hand.

Wow, he thinks, you're in over your head, Blythe.

Anne looked up, catching his hazel eyes on her. She furrows her brow in wonder, forming a question in her mind, when a loud knock on the door startles the pair of them.

Gilbert stands and says, "I've got it." As he steps toward the door, pulling it open with one, swift move.

The wooden door blocks Anne's view of the visitor, but she can see Gilbert's face clearly as his eyebrows shoot up, into his hair, in surprise.

Not missing a beat, Gilbert covers his surprise with a welcoming smile, "Hello, Miss Gillis, how may I help you?"

Anne looks at him, shocked, and mouths, "Ruby?"

In response, the boy nods his head, ever so indistinguishabaly, so only Anne could notice the motion.

"Hello Gilbert, I heard Anne, my dear friend Anne, was staying at the Blythe farm."

Anne walks gracefully to the door, "Ruby! It is always so wonderful to lay eyes on you!"

Ruby smiles, "You too, Anne." She, then, turns to the confused black haired boy, "She was complaining that she would be here for the week or so."

And just like that, Gilbert Blythe felt his heart break.

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