The color of the sky

The color of the sky (Short story)

© Copyright 2018 Erika Vanzin

Cover: Erika Vanzin

First edition

All rights reserved

All right reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.

Erika Vanzin:

www.erikavanzin.com

https://www.facebook.com/ErikaVanzinWriter/

From the same author:

English edition:

Waiting

Italian edition:

Cacciatori di segreti - La presa di coscienza

Cacciatori di segreti - La scelta

Forse

Cinque giorni per innamorarsi

Waiting

304

Vieni a prendermi

Resta con me

For more informazion:

www.erikavanzin.com

https://www.facebook.com/ErikaVanzinWriter/

This book is dedicated to

everyone that knows

which is the color of the sky.

Chapter Two

Nebula bolted like a bat out of hell towards the park and Amelia could do nothing but keep up after her, despite the fact she was feeling guilty and wished only to turn back to call Linda. She had lied to her friends; it was her first, real opportunity to show them she was going to live that summer to the fullest, instead she made up a terrible excuse and promised to go out with them the following day just to make up for the deception.

Amelia reached the park breathless, her heart pounding furiously against her chest; for the first problem, she blamed the run, but for the latter she didn’t know whether it was for the same reason or because Brian was sitting on the ground not far from her playing with Rocky. The short beige trousers and the green polo adhered perfectly to his chiseled body; his brown curls that slipped over his face reminded her of one of those paintings from the past – he was so perfect that he could only have come out of a painting.

Amelia broke from her trance and looked away from the gorgeous vision in front of her before she was caught gawking. She blushed just thinking of it. She grabbed her book from the bag, her favorite, Emma by Jane Austen, and sat under the usual tree that she had chosen for her getaways at the park. It was a big oak with branches long enough on one side that they almost touched the ground; a part of its bark was so smooth that it almost seemed tailor-made for her back to rest upon. Unfortunately, she couldn’t concentrate on reading her book (not that it was a problem since she had read it dozens of times already, but she felt a bit guilty of abandoning those pages in favor of laying her eyes on the boy just a few steps from her).

She absent-mindedly watched Nebula chase Rocky while her actual attention was really on the boy. She was so absorbed in ogling him that she didn’t notice the two dogs running at full speed towards her. The horrified, distressed look on Brian’s face just a split-second before his dog decided to use her face as a trampoline was something that would remain etched in her memory for life.

When Amelia opened her eyes once again, the only thing she saw was Brian’s big brown eyes looking at her with tremendous concern.

“Are you okay?” He asked her worriedly.

She was too mortified at the idea that he might have caught her staring at him that she didn’t realize she was lying on her back.

“Do you need help getting up?” He continued when Amelia didn’t move or reply.

His question brought her back to reality, making her sit up abruptly and bang her forehead against the boy’s chin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” she mumbled in embarrassment. “Did I hurt you?” She asked him, examining his face with apprehension.

Brian chuckled and took a seat next to her.

“No, you didn’t hurt me and I know you’re not the type who goes around head butting people. Don’t worry.” He smiled at her, taking her hands in his.

The gesture made Amelia’s heart throb even more furiously in her chest; it was the first time that there was any type of physical contact between them and feeling his skin brush against hers was enough to inebriate her for life.

“But, you still haven’t told me if you’re okay or not. Can I take a closer look at those scratches on your face?” He insisted brushing his fingers against her cheek.

At that exact moment, Amelia’s world stopped; his face was so close she could feel his breath on her skin, and smell the fragrance of his soap and shampoo tickling her nostrils and the delicate mint flavor escaping his lips. She wanted to breathe his scent for the rest of her life and to admire his perfect skin that close every single day of her existence.

“I’m fine,” she managed in a trembling whisper.

Brian moved back, making the space between them suddenly feel so vast that Amelia almost felt herself falling into a black hole.

“It looks like Rocky’s scratched you up a bit. It’d be a good idea to disinfect those wounds,” he stated with such seriousness that Amelia started to worry about how deep her cuts really were.

“Ok,” she answered in a soft voice, still completely dazed as she watched the boy stand up.

She was looking around for her bag and book when Brian held his hand out to help her up.

“Come on, I’ll take you home,” he smiled. She accepted his help and tightened her fingers around his.

She noticed his hands were big and calloused, probably because he played football or maybe because of the chores she often saw him doing, like mowing the lawn or trimming the hedges. She had no idea why he had those imperfections on his hands, but she liked them, they gave her the sense of strong hands used to protect someone. She lowered her gaze and started to look for her belongings on the ground to cover up her embarrassment.

“Are you looking for this?” He asked her picking up the book that was on the grass a few feet from them.

She watched him closely as he carefully wiped the dirt and grass that Rocky managed to smear between the pages.

“Jane Austen, uhm?” He smiled at her.

Amelia lowered her eyes and felt her cheeks blush furiously – she must have been as red as a tomato from blushing that afternoon.

“That bad?” She asked inquisitively.

“No, on the contrary. I think that if I have to choose a book to describe you, I would probably pick Pride and Prejudice.” He replied as he helped her put Nebula’s leash back on. “You’re that sweet, romantic girl who lives for such mush found in those kinds of books…am I right?”

Amelia was surprised he remembered how much she liked reading fairy tales about princesses needing rescue and how she dreamed of finding, sooner or later, her prince charming.

“You’re right. I like believing that true love really exists,” she confessed in a moment of vulnerability.

Brian smiled but said nothing. They walked home in silence side by side and close enough for their hands to touch from time to time.

“Thanks for walking me home,” she said under her breath once they reached the walkway in front of her house.

“Come on, I’ll help you disinfect those scratches,” he offered grabbing her hand and dragging her to the front door.

Her heart was exploding in her chest, making the simplest task of unlocking the door a struggle as she fumbled with her keys when she inserted them in the lock. They entered the house without saying a word and went directly to the kitchen, the only sound perceivable came from their dogs playing in the living room. She reached for the first aid kit in the cabinet over the fridge and placed it on the white marble countertop of the kitchen island.

“Come, sit down here,” he pointed to the spot next to the first aid kit.

Amelia hesitated, then got up the courage and sat on the freezing surface; from that position, she imagined losing herself in those big hazel eyes and suddenly became short-winded. She observed him as he put some antiseptic on a gauze and move closer to her face. Brian’s pelvis rested against her knees and she could feel his toned abs and the heat he was emitting – it almost seemed like she was living a dream. Suddenly, she was brought back to reality when a burning sensation spread across her cheekbone.

“Does it hurt?” He asked with a tone that sounded like a plea for forgiveness as he cringed his face to show he felt the pain too.

“A bit, but I can handle it.” She replied in such a low voice she didn’t know if he heard it.

Brian’s lips were less than ten inches from her face and Amelia couldn’t stop admiring them; she wondered how it would feel to kiss them and the thought alone made her blush for the umpteenth time that day.

“Tomorrow night we’re having a bonfire at the lake, will you come?” He asked her out of the blue.

Amelia’s heart literally stopped. Was he asking her out? Was that why he had been so nice to her the whole afternoon? A million things went through her head but only one of them stood out: she promised Linda and Jamie that she would spend tomorrow night with them. Should she ditch them for the second time in a row?

This is your chance. What should Amelia do: go out with Brian or not? Click on the link to reply: http://bit.do/thecolorofthesky