Page 24 of Unspoken Words
“What?” She tried to turn in my arms to look at me. “Why not?”
My breath caught at the glimmer of her pretty green eyes, my body tense that she was so close. I’d never felt anything like it in my life.
I choked. “Because it can still get away.”
“Over my dead body.” Ellie’s grip on the rod tightened, and she wound the spool with more determination. “That fish is mine. I didn’t touch a disgusting worm for nothing.”
Chuckling, I inched back to give her the space she needed, and then I laughed again. And it was probably the most I’d laughed since long before Aaron’s death.
Chapter Seven
Ellie
In the days that followed, Connor had somehow managed to get me to touch a total of four more fish. Four. He’d even tried to get me to kiss one before throwing it back because, apparently, that was ‘fish law’. If you didn’t kiss the fish, no mutual ‘fish respect’ was created.Pfft.I hadn’t believed him. I also hadn’t kissed Trevor the trout despite Trevor’s annoying pleas for me to do so.
The two of us had pretty much spent nearly every waking minute together for the remainder of our holiday, and if we weren’t fishing or sitting by the river—him playing his guitar and me writing my notes—we’d been talking about sport and music … and Aaron.
It still wasn’t easy for him to open up about his best friend, but I’d found that the more time we spent together the more he smiled, laughed, and sang. And I couldn’t help but feel a very big part of that breakthrough.
After starting at our respective schools, Connor and I saved each other a seat on the bus every morning and every afternoon. He’d tell me about his day and the friends he made or didn’t make, and I would do the same.
Connor’s school was the newest in the district and had fancy buildings and facilities. Before it opened a few years back, Dad had taken Chris and me for a tour, maybe in the hope we’d like to go there.
We hadn’t, and Dad had been okay with that.
Part of me now regretted my decision, and not just because of Connor but also because of the library. It was huge, new, and full of books—so many more than what my school had.
Not long after we started the second term of school, I’d thought about asking Dad if I could transfer. But Dad’s school uniform colour was yellow, green and grey, which clashed with my bright red hair.
It had been the deciding factor.
What had also helped me decide to stay at Eastside was Connor’s invitation to hang out at his house after school, because I just knew it was the beginning of the two of us spending even more time together, and I wouldn’t have to change schools for that to happen.
I really,really, liked him and hoped that one day, when we were both ready, he’d ask me to be his girlfriend, because I definitely wouldn’t ask him. That was the boy’s job, not the girl’s.What if he asks me tonight, after school, at his house? What if that’s why he wanted me to go there?
Sucking in a deep breath, I wrung my hands in my lap as the bus turned a corner.
“Are you sure you don’t need to ask your parents or Chris if you can hang at my place? I don’t want to get you in any trouble.”
I shook my head at Connor who was getting ready to stand up as we approached his bus stop. I had other things to worry about now, like what we were going to do, alone, at his house. Plus, I’d already let Chris know my plans before we’d left school.
Exiting the bus, we walked along the street to his house when Connor gently guided my school bag strap from my shoulder and slung it over his.
“Oh,” I stuttered. “Thank—”
“Jesus, Ellie!” he exclaimed, hoisting the bag for a second time. “What have you got in this thing? A car?”
I giggled and rolled my shoulder, welcoming the rest. “No car. Just books.”
“How many … a whole library?”
I shrugged and rolled my shoulder again. “Um … you could say that.”
“Why so many?”
“Because I found them in the library at school, and I really wanted to read them.”
“Surely you’re not going to read themallin one night, though?”
