13. Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Alisha
T onight was wonderful. Felix surprised me and if anything, I wanted to find out more about him. There was obviously something that deeply affected him, but it was up to him if he wanted to share that with me. I was excited that we would be seeing each other tomorrow. I didn’t really like hiking in all honesty but I wanted to be in his presence again.
As I entered through the front door, I was immediately brought into questioning by my best friend.
“So? How was it? Did he kiss you first or did you?” Ophelia grabbed both my shoulders, giving me a gentle shake. “Tell me, woman. I must know.”
“Okay, mad woman. Sit down.” I laughed, pointing toward the sofa.
“Do I need a drink for this?” Ophelia crossed her arms as I joined her, grabbing a cushion and hugging it to my chest.
“No, we didn’t kiss but I wanted to. It was great to get to know him more though,” I said.
“What’s he like then?” Ophelia grabbed her own cushion and I told her everything, as she gave me a pleased look with the information I was supplying her. To be honest, as I was talking, I couldn’t help but smile. The night had gone better than I expected. I just wanted tomorrow to be here already, which sounded crazy. There was something about Felix which was intriguing and pulled me in. Did that scare me? No, surprisingly. Normally, it would.
“Well, you speaking of all that food has made me hungry. I suppose you aren’t though. I’m so happy you had a good night.” My friend seemed happy for me and I mimicked her emotions. It had probably been the best evening I’d had in a while.
“I’m glad I went. Right, I think I need a bath.” I stretched my legs out in front of me before standing up. I needed to relax and wind down for the evening. A bubble bath with a glass of something cold and fizzy sounded good to me too.
“Okay, shout if you need anything then,” Ophelia replied. She was already walking toward the kitchen, humming a soft tune that I couldn’t quite decipher. I noted that it was probably best to spend some time with her after tomorrow, I certainly didn’t want to neglect my friend on this trip.
After I poured myself a glass of Pepsi with ice, I proceeded to run a piping hot bath. I didn’t mind my skin being a little red, to be honest I still felt on fire after that embrace with Felix. I definitely didn’t regret it. I felt comfortable in his arms. Safe. It’d been a long time since I’d felt that.
The bath was halfway full with the bubbles starting to rise, I added a sweet rose scented liquid. Perfect .
I heaved a sigh as I dipped my leg into the bath after stripping myself free of my trousers and jumper. I definitely hadn’t ignored the way Felix’s eyes trailed up and down my body. I wondered what had gone through his head. Did he feel the electricity I felt? I didn’t want to imagine that it had been just me.
“Maybe it is just me,” I said, as part of my brain still thought it was too good to be true. I sighed, sinking the rest of my body into the tub. I had tied my brown locks into a loose bun, with some of the stray hairs sticking either side of my face. I had a flannel ready to wipe away my make-up, which remained pristine throughout the evening.
I took a large sip of my refreshment, relishing the way the bubbles popped on my tongue. I allowed myself to soak in the heat, willing my brain to take a break for the next twenty minutes or so. It had gone into overload.
In the background, I could hear Ophelia’s gentle singing. I always thought she could pursue a career in music as she was very talented, she could play the piano, guitar and the clarinet. But she insisted that her heart was in journalism, at least for the time being. I knew that this would be the job for me in the long run, nothing would make me happier than having people read my work and being able to relate to it.
After mulling over this in the tub, I decided I didn’t want to look like a prune and got out, wrapping the soft, purple towel I’d packed from home around me. I shuffled my feet toward the bedroom after draining the bathtub, I would give it a clean tomorrow if I had the time.
Once I was dressed, I lathered some lotion onto my skin and applied some strawberry scented chapstick as I didn’t want my lips to become cracked in the cold air that surrounded us in Ischgl. As I was brushing my hair, my phone lit up and I immediately darted toward it. It was a message from Felix. My heart practically leaped out of my chest. Calm yourself. It’s just a text.
I typed in my passcode and was greeted with several words from him.
Felix: Hope you’re wrapped up all warm, the temperature’s dropped
I couldn’t help but smile at this before typing out my reply.
Alisha: In my favourite slippers and pyjamas, hope you’re nice and warm too!
Felix: Hm, I don’t tend to freeze. Always hot.
Alisha: Lucky you! What time should we meet tomorrow?
Felix: How does 11am sound?
Luckily, my lesson had been moved slightly earlier in the morning so I would be finished just before eleven. I found out about it from the ski school earlier today. My legs would probably be sore but I didn’t care. I wanted to spend more time with Felix and find out what makes him tick.
Alisha: Fine with me, my ski lesson finishes at 10.30am.
Felix: I’ll meet you down at the end of the cable car then, what kind of snacks do you like?
Alisha: Sounds great! I like anything chocolately, so surprise me.
Felix: Okay, at your own risk ;)
I bit my bottom lip as I analysed the emoji he had just sent, wondering whether I could be brave enough to send one too.
Alisha: Willing to take it :P
Felix: Get some sleep, see you tomorrow
Alisha: Okay, head is on the pillow. Night night
Felix: Goodnight x
I was practically beaming as I placed my phone on charge and set it down on the bedside table. I couldn’t stop feeling giddy.
Knowing that I wouldn’t sleep instantly, I decided to brush my teeth and then grab a bottle of water. As I entered the living room, Ophelia was sitting cross-legged on the sofa with her laptop perched on top of her legs. She must have struggled to get to bed too. She was typing quite vigorously but lifted her head up to give me a smile.
“Can’t sleep either?” I asked my friend, as I walked toward the fridge.
“Had a moment of inspiration. Decided to get a bit of work done.” Ophelia tucked a piece of her dyed hair behind her ear and then reached across her to grab her half full cup of juice to take a swig.
“I can’t seem to find any inspiration,” I said, twisting the cap off my bottle and taking a large gulp.
“You know any writer goes through this, so don’t beat yourself up. Maybe the walk tomorrow might help,” Ophelia replied.
“Here’s hoping.” I didn’t just want to ski the whole of this holiday and stay cooped up in the house afterward. An adventure sounded exciting, and perhaps I could even ask Felix to talk about his life in Ischgl. He held a story behind those hazel eyes and if he would let me, I’d want to hear it.