Page 11 of Little Sparrow

I look down at my watch, I want to sleep to see her and ask questions, see what she’s capable of, and push her limits. As time goes by I get anxious, wanting to dream of her again. I pace the small room, wearing a hole in the carpet. I’ve showered in the tiny bathroom, grateful they have a thorough housekeeper, I must remember to tip before leaving.

I have no idea how long but it feels like hours of checking out the window, paranoia settling in the back of my mind. I have no way of contacting my mother to see if she got to France safely. No one except Rose, can she contact my mother? I look down at the time again. Willing it to speed up. Is it rude of me to ask her? Probably, I’ll sit on the idea for now. After all, she didn’t even know how she pulled me in the first time.

After I grab some snacks from the vending machine for my dinner, I lay back on the bed and flick through the television channels waiting until I’m exhausted enough to drift off, as it gets close to midnight, I finally dream.

When I see Rose in the emptiness looking disappointed, I rush up to her. “What’s wrong?” I ask. But she shakes her head. “I couldn’t bring us somewhere new, I tried so hard.” Her big hazel eyes look up at me and I can feel it coming from her in waves—the stress.

“How relaxed are you? Maybe you put too much pressure on yourself doing it?” Her nose wrinkles as she thinks. I’m not sure why I’m giving her advice, I know nothing about this. “Yeah maybe.. But I’m not sure how to relax right now.” I circle her, thinking. She doesn’t take her eyes off of me as I do. I rest my hands on her shoulders from behind and she sucks in a breath. Fuck, I shouldn’t be touching someone as innocent as her, but I find it hard to resist.

I lean in closer, my lips brushing up against her ear. “Take a deep breath and close your eyes,” I murmur. Her shoulders rise and fall under my hands as she does as I say. “Tell me something that you think of to help you relax.”

“Reading relaxes me.” She exhales.

“Favourite book?” I ask, wanting to get her to think of anything other than her power. “That’s a silly question, I don’t have one.” She laughs and turns to look back at me. We’re so close, just an inch and I would only need to lean in a little to kiss her. But I don’t so I pull back and drop my hands from her shoulders. She bites her lip and shakes her head, as though she’s pulling herself out of a trance again. I’m doing the same, a foggy feeling comes over me when we are together, clouding any judgement I have of her.

“Yoga helps me relax, when I do the occasional class with Jenny,” she says, looking back up to me. “So you’re flexible?” I can’t help but say, a cute little blush creeps along her cheeks. To make her feel more comfortable I clear my throat to tell her “Yoga works, but don’t you need a mat or something?” She frowns, she would need to create one and can’t right now.

“Shit, sorry, I’m supposed to make this better. I’m not good at helping.” I sigh and run my hand through my hair. I can’t suggest anything I do to relieve stress, especially since the last week has been stressful and I haven’t been near another woman since I met her. I’d rather her not go out and relieve stress with another guy. Usually, I don’t care what other women do. But she’s something else.

“You don’t have to do any of this, it’s me. It’s something I have to do myself.” Her hands reach up to her chest and cover her heart.

“I want to help, you’re an important friend to me now, I can’t explain it.” Her eyes soften and she reaches out to my hand to pull it to hers, holding it hostage against her heart. “You’re important to me too.” She murmurs.

We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity, my heart pounds in my chest, but I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. Ones that I don’t have with my usual friends. Maybe I’ve stopped seeing her in that way. Or maybe I need to lose myself in someone else. Fuck, I don’t know anymore.

“I’ll try again, I’m sure I can do something this time,” She gives me a small smile.

“Why don’t you think of a place instead of an object,” I shrug, I’m thinking maybe she needs to design the room in her mind before anything else, like an architect, it may seem harder but it’s possible it’s only the world she has to build. I don’t tell her all of this and get her hopes up, I only know as much as she does at this point. She gives me a small smile “Like I’m painting? I’ll try it.” Then she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and I watch her. Her eyes squeeze close tight as she concentrates.

A rumbling comes from beneath my feet, holy shit. She’s doing something. Staring back at Rose, I notice a small trail of blood coming from her nose. I reach out and gently brush it with my thumb, “Rose, you need to stop.” Fuck, she’s hurting herself. My fingers run through her hair to draw her back to me. “Please listen. It’s done. Open your eyes for me.” The rumbling stops, and she locks eyes with me. “Are you okay?” I ask. My heart is beating hard as another drop of blood drips from her nose. This is my fault. She wipes it away with the back of her hand and smiles up at me. “I did it.” She whispers like it’s a secret only for us. “What?” I ask, and she nods behind me, I turn around and see a chrome bar with blue seated stools along it.

“Where are we?” I say as I look back at her. She smiles, “It’s my work, well, half of it. I was sitting here today with my friend. Having a quick milkshake. I was talking about you,” She confesses with a blush on her cheeks.

I step towards the bar and run my fingers across the top of the cold, steel surface. “It’s real.” She drifts towards me, not taking her eyes from her creation before reaching out and touching it too. Her eyes widen. “I really did it. Oh my god, this is amazing.” She climbs up on the stool and wiggles around. “They are the same. See, this one wobbles, just like at the diner.”

I climb up too and test the chairs. I wiggle on it just as she is doing, mine is firm. A real seat. We both stare at each other, and she pouts; it’s adorable. “Now I’m craving a milkshake.” She groans and tilts her head back.

“Which flavour would you get?” I ask, I just want to keep this night going for a little longer. She taps her chin with her finger. “Butterscotch, I love it.”

I don’t say anything, and I can’t. I feel something in my throat making me choke on any words I have to say. Then she laughs, not a normal laugh but one of amazement. She can truly see how special she is. But I do make myself a promise. I’ll buy her one of those milkshakes when we meet because I don’t think I could stay away, especially now I’m out of the estate.

I can’t help but stare at the glow of her skin when her giggles slow down. She is the closest thing I have to true happiness right now. My escape from life as she learns new things with my help and support. Her eyebrows pinch together when she looks up at me. “What are you thinking about?” She asks.

I can’t lie to her, “Just how exquisite you are.” Her breath catches in her throat, she doesn’t say anything. My fingers graze along her soft cheek and she leans into my touch as her eyes flutter closed. I want to lean in and kiss her, claim her, but we live in different worlds. I’m still in hiding and she’s in London, I’m potentially dragging her into danger if we are ever caught, just because I want her. I can’t be selfish. That’s what makes me pull my hand away. She shakes her head when she comes out of the trance and mumbles an apology.

“No need to apologise,” I tell her with a smile, I wish I could tell her everything or we could be normal. But this fate isn’t for us.

Chapter eight

Rose

London, United Kingdom

He’shidingsomething,it’sin his eyes. They clouded over just before he pulled away. I want to ask questions but I also don’t want to ruin this night. He helped me create this, the only person who I would ever let enter this place. This is our space now. I’m determined to make it different every time he’s here. I’ve never been called exquisite before and I really like it. It made my heart beat a little faster. I hate that we live so far apart, wishing I could just travel to him or he comes here. I’d much prefer to visit Italy. I vow to myself that I will one day, no matter what happens.

We sit in silence for a few minutes just enjoying our moments together, until he cuts in “I think this is the longest we have been around each other. Usually one of us has woken up by now.” He smiles down at me.

“Yeah it is, it’s nice though. Being around you, I like it.” I bite my lip from confessing anything else. I can’t tell him about my little crush. Sometimes he makes me think he feels the same but then pulls back. I’m confused about what to do.

---