The Turn of a Page

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

            The film ran into the end credits and Baz pulled me back so I was putting all my weight onto him, he could manage it easily though.

            ‘I have a present for you,’ he said.

            Surprised, I swiftly sat up and went to sit on the sofa. ‘What? How? I was with you all day.’

            He shook his head. ‘You know when I left you in that dress shop to go to the toilet?’ I nodded as the memory recollected in my mind. ‘Where I really went to was the jewellery shop a few shops down. And I bought you something. It’s nothing big or too expensive, I know what you’re like,’ he added with a knowledgeable look. ‘It’s just something to show how much I appreciate you being with me, and taking on everything that my kind throws at you.’ He stood up and slipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket, he had been lying on the arm of the sofa next to where I sat now. He pulled out a little jewellery box, the kind that would fit a ring or a pair of earrings in, only this box was a little bigger. He passed it over and placed it neatly in my slightly shaking hands. ‘Open it,’ he edged.

            I shut my eyes as I opened the lid up; opening one eye at a time, I looked down at the silver chained pendant necklace. It was totally silver, no gems or sparkles; it was beautiful. The chain was just a plain, silver link one; the pendant was a silver circle, with leaves covering the top half of the circumference, inside the circle stood the outline of a wolf (the texture of the fur stood out by tiny lines that had been etched in). The wolf was howling up at a full moon, partly concealed by a leaf.

            ‘Turn it over,’ Baz added. I did so, and on the back was etched a small message: To my mate, Kerry. I love you. B. The message was etched in three lines. Baz gently took the box out of my hands and carefully took out the necklace. ‘Stand up and let me put it on you,’ he said, holding the necklace by the delicate looking chain. I stood up and turned around for him while pulling my hair out of the way. He slipped his hands each side of my head, let the necklace hang on my skin, and did the clasp back up. He pushed me over to the mirror that hung in the hallway and moved the pendant so it lay perfectly on my skin. Smiling lightly, I looked at our reflections in the silvered glass; his eyes averted from the necklace to my eyes and he met my gaze with a full smile.

            ‘It’s lovely,’ I commented. ‘Thank you.’

            ‘You’re welcome,’ he responded. ‘I was wondering if you’d like it. It’s not too ironic, is it?’

            ‘Ironic? How?’ I asked confused.

            He rolled his eyes. ‘As it’s silver, and apparently I should be allergic to it,’ he commented with a wink.

            I grinned. ‘No, it’s not ironic. It’s beautiful. But now I feel guilty that I didn’t get you anything.’

            ‘Don’t be.’ He turned me around so I faced him for real. ‘It’s a boyfriend’s job to treat his girlfriend to little things like this.’ His fingers brushed over the hand-crafted silver and down onto my skin; I watched how his eyes followed his fingers before putting my hand on his. ‘Mmmm,’ he moaned. ‘I can feel your heart beat under your skin.’ He looked up, smiling more.

            ‘What about it?’ I asked and stepped forward while putting on a sort of dark smile.

            His hand began to shake a little in mine. ‘Um,’ he coughed. ‘It’s sort of almost enticing when I can feel it. Like it’s the only way to tell what I do to you when I touch your skin,’ he described.