Scarlet Rose

Chapter 67

The whistle of the platform manager in Glasgow Central sounded through the air. The sleeper train from London slowed down, till eventually it came to a stop at the platform.

All the passengers were waiting to disembark the carriages, including Terry and Candy. They were standing in silence, waiting for the doors to open.

~~~~~

It was Terry who opened his eyes first. Candy had come much closer to him while they were sleeping. The reality of that moment was touching the surreal for him. Powerless to move away from her; breathing as light as possible, not wanting to wake her up yet, he let himself free to gaze in leisure at her sleeping face.

He noticed the bluish shadow of the delicate skin of her eyelids. The long blond eyelashes he wanted to feel brushing against his lips. The tanned bridge of her nose. The freckles that spread towards her cheekbones, reminding him flock of birds up in the sky flying in formation all following one another. And then the rogue freckles, the ones having escaped the flock. Above her brows, hiding behind sleepy curls of hair. Others close to her slightly parted lips. Made for kissing...

He had trouble believing they were there, sharing a bed after everything that had happened. But as much as he was pinching himself, the situation had also become unbearable.

He had to get up.

~~~~~

The train doors opened. Streams of people flooded the platform in no time. They both got out. First him, took her suitcase in one hand when she followed and gave her his hand to help her while she stepped out of the train.

~~~~~

The first thing she remembered that morning, was his scent. Warm and masculine, the smell of earthy amber; enough to make the urge to bury her face on his chest very real, even before she opened her eyes. Like the first rays of sunshine on her face, this awakening desire which hit her, had unnerved her.

The easiness with which they had come close, after everything that had come between them, had come in the end so natural; like everything before that moment of waking up next to each other, had all vanished.

She couldn't deny to herself even the fact that she was the one who had made the first moves, much to her surprise. A surprise which under the bright morning light had turned into dismay. She had allowed her heart to yield to her impulses, to her need to feel him close to her, when her mind was telling her their relationship had no future.

~~~~~

"Candy, you need to get up."

She heard him say her name and by the time she opened her eyes, he had disappeared in the bathroom.

The abrupt realisation inside her, had dampened her mood. And he had followed suit. Neither knew exactly how to behave.

Typical, formal?

Perhaps friends?

How much friends? Too little friendship bordering to acquaintance... or too much?

How much friendship was too much for them?

When even the smallest touch was like

a burning match;

Thrown inside a field begging for rain, it could be the one spark for thoughts and feelings they were unable to know where they would lead them.

Their morning on the train had been subdued, numb.

~~~~~~

He was courteous, she was polite. Either one talked about the night before. The conversation ranged between whether they slept ok and in Candy's case, the extent of her hunger before they reached the breakfast buffet. They sat down and she tried to avoid his examining stare.