Chapter 14
WEEK 2
We lay in bed, kissing each other softly, our naked bodies tangled together. We got back from a dinner and like magnets we latched onto each other, as we have done most nights. Nora’s hand finds its way up and down my lower back, sending shivers through my body.
“Are you trying to go for round two?”
I chuckle, her touch turning me on immediately again.
“Wouldn’t say no.”
“You’ve got to let me recover after that.”
Nora places delicate kisses on my jaw and neck, like a butterfly. The breath from her nose tickles me just slightly. I look at her eyes, falling into her deep blue currents, her eyelashes dark and long. I trace my fingers along her face, past every freckle dotted along her sun kissed skin. Being with Nora compared to my past ‘flings’ is a fresh experience. I’ve never truly felt a connection like this. Usually I’d get up and immediately put on my clothes, hiding my naked self as quickly as possible. But not with Nora. Nora made me feel comfortable, asking me every step of the way if what she was doing was okay. The praise she gave me as well, as if my body was a temple that she treated with the utmost respect and love. I’d always been so afraid for people to look at me during sex, but with Nora, I wanted to be seen. I allowed Nora to see me. She knew her way around my body, reading my body language, the sounds I made, making sure
*
she hit every right spot. Not only that, but she got off on my pleasure too. She enjoyed touching me and she showed it. She made me feel beautiful even if it was just for a moment.
“Fancy going out?”
Nora says.
“Always, where?” I reply.
“It’s a surprise. Dress nice.”
Nora insists and its kind of sexy being told what to do, no ifs or buts.
I get up and look through my suitcase again, knowing exactly what dress I’m looking for, perfect for the occasion. I pull out a midi baby pink satin dress and pull it up over my body. Nora wolf whistles at me.
“That looks stunning on you, Ophelia.”
“I don’t know. It feels like it fits me weird.”
I’ve always been insecure about my appearance, constantly comparing myself to every other person. Am I too flat? Am I too big? Am I too tall? Are my eye bags too dark? Every single detail I pick apart, and I wish I could help it, but since Coco’s gone, it’s gotten worse. I think because I don’t have my best friend to lift me up anytime I judge myself. I play around with the dress, trying to flatten out any crease. Nora walks over and places her hand on my hips, turning me to face her. She lowers herself, kissing my chest, my stomach, my hips, my legs, her hands remaining on my hips. She comes back up to my face , squishing my cheeks together with one hand.
“If I could make you see yourself through my eyes, you’d realise you are the most beautiful person.”
Nora says, pulling me in for a kiss, holding my head and deepening the kiss further. Her hand edges to my ass, giving it a firm squeeze.
“You’re squeezing nothing, Nora.” I laugh.
“If I can squeeze something, it’s enough.”
Nora winks at me and walks into the bathroom. I pair the dress with a kitten heel, letting my voluminous curls move freely. Nora comes out looking better than ever, although she’s wearing the same set from earlier since we’ve been stuck to each other’s side the whole day. She has wet hair that dangles down her face, making her skin seem more radiant. It’s weird how the world works and somehow we’ve ended up here, in Greece, together.
BEYOND THE BLUES
We walk on through the hotel. I’m still oblivious to where we’re going, but I’m not too bothered as long as it’s with Nora. We walk up to where the karaoke was, but the room had completely changed. They have made it a lot more fancy, with white cloths on the tables, flowers for centrepieces, and everyone here dressed up. The drunk woman from karaoke is now in a little summer dress, a lot more tame. I hold on to Nora’s hand tightly and pull her arm closer to me.
“What is this, Nora?”
“It’s drinks and slow dancing.”
I laugh out loud, thinking she’s joking, but her face remains collected.
“Oh, you’re being serious?”
I ask, before realising the cheesy love songs playing on the speakers, and the middle-aged couples dancing closely to their partners on the dance floor. Nora walks onto the dance floor and pulls my hand over.
“Nora, I can’t dance.”
“Everyone can dance if they act like no one in the room.”
Nora says, pulling me into her chest, her hands around my waist and mine wrapped around her neck, our bodies as close as possible together. We look into each other’s eyes, our bodies somehow swaying perfectly in time to the music. When I look into Nora’s eyes, there’s a reassuring look in those eyes that everything will be okay. The entire room could be staring at me right now, but I wouldn’t care because all I can focus on is Nora. All I can focus on is how I am well and truly fucked, and have fallen for her a lot quicker than I thought was possible. I know they say lesbians move quickly, but I didn’t think it was possible because it hadn’t happened to me till now.
“What are you thinking?”
Nora asks, face intrigued. I fluster, trying to find an answer other than ‘I think I am falling for you’.
“Nothing.”
I shrug it off, breaking eye contact, trying to hide the fact I’m lying. I am an awful liar, my face sweats profusely and I almost always bite my lips, as if the truth is trying to escape my mouth. We continue to dance, and Nora’s eyes never leave me once.
“You look at me a lot.” I remark.
“Well, I don’t need to look at anyone else when I have just what I want in
*
front of me.”
I feel my cheeks flush and I place a kiss on the corner of her lips. When I pull away, a man, around our age, barges into the back of Nora, knocking her into me. I trip backwards and fall onto the floor, the guests’ attention suddenly going onto us. Nora shoots round and shoves the guy backwards. As if a switch flipped, her eyebrows furrow and her fists clench.
“Are you fucking alright?”Nora raises her voice, her Irish accent really packing a punch. Nora turns back around, grabbing my hands and pulling me up.
“Are you okay?!”
Nora asks, voice laced with concern. I nod. Without thought, Nora stands in front of me, using her body to guard me.
The smug look on the man’s face tells me he meant to barge into Nora. My anxiety spikes, my heart beating faster and my hands clammy.
“I just don’t feel comfortable being around you people.”
The man’s voice is slurred.
“Around us people?”
Nora asks, her stance getting more protective. I think she knows what this man is talking about now.
“LEZZAS”
He shouts in Nora’s face.
I can smell the vodka on his breath even from behind Nora.
Nora turns back around to me and walks me away, to get out of the situation.
Before I know it, the man has pulled Nora backward by the collar of her shirt.
She falls into the table, knocking several glasses over and she hits her head hard.
Nora falls down, body limp on the floor covered in broken glass.
He spits on her and stares at me like a predator who’s just seen his prey.
He wipes the spit on the side of his mouth away and licks his lips.
I want to go over to Nora and check if she’s okay, but as the man edges closer towards me, I’m frozen in fear.
“Sure I can’t turn you, love?”
His face disgusts me. He looks like he’s enjoying this.
I debate on what to do in this situation. I look behind the man and see people around Nora making sure she’s okay.
Without a second thought, my fist meets his cheekbone, and I hear a crack.
The pain from my knuckle makes me wince, and wonder whether the crack was from his face or my knuckle.
The punch stunts the man, sending him a couple feet backwards.
He shouts every curse word under the sun at me, mixed with many misogynistic and homophobic comments.
I stare at him in disbelief.
BEYOND THE BLUES
How can one human hate another person so much for something they can’t help? The workers come rushing over and pull the guy away outside the hotel, the other guests in shock at the situation.
What was once a beautiful moment is now smashed glasses, spilt drinks and bloodied knuckles.
I run over to Nora falling down onto my knees beside her, not worried about the shattered glass, just her.
She’s laying on the floor unconscious.
I sit by her side holding onto her hand, my eyes welled up with tears.
This can’t be happening. Her eyes flutter open slowly.
“Oh fuck Nora, you scared me.”
I let out a sob and kiss her head.
She comes to consciousness slowly sitting up, whilst everyone around her carefully guides her. Nora rubs the back of her head and looks at me, suddenly realising my eyes are soaking with tears.
“Are you okay?”
Nora asks.
“I’m fine.”
Her eyes clock my swollen, sore knuckle, her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw tensing. She sits up quicker, trying to get to her feet, but her steps are wobbly.
“Nora, sit down!”
I raise my voice, panicked that she will fall again.
She stops in her tracks.
I can see her considering her options, but she listens, and sits down onto a chair.
After an hour of medical attention, making sure Nora didn’t get too much of a concussion, we walk back to our hotel room, escorted by some hotel workers a couple of feet behind us.
They reassured us that they had arrested the man and would never allow him back to the hotel.
We walk into my room, and Nora lays down on the bed, her head clearly hurting but she’s trying to hide it.
I sit on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair.
“Can I get you anything?”
Nora shakes her head.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
Nora says quietly, embarrassed. “You don’t need to be sorry. It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but you could’ve got hurt…”
“But I didn’t Nora, I got a pretty good punch in.”
A soft smile erupts from her lips.
“How is your knuckle?”
Nora asks, looking down at my hand. I can’t lie to her.
*
My hand is already swollen and bruised. I try to wiggle my fingers, but my pinky is stiff with pain. Thankfully, my mum forced me to get travel insurance.
“It’s sore, but I’ll get it checked out tomorrow.”
I shrug, keeping my focus on Nora. Reading her face, trying to figure out what she’s thinking and feeling. I can see tears in her eyes. She’s biting her thumbnail, trying to repress crying in front of me. I debated telling her ‘it’s okay to cry’, but she knew that. She told me that, so instead I wriggle onto the bed and pull her head into my chest. I feel her cry into me, her body shaking and my skin becoming damp with tears. Her breath hitches and then she looks up at me. Her bloodshot eyes match the tint of red on her cheeks.
“I just wish this didn’t happen to me,”
Nora cries. Hearing her so hurt and vulnerable made me want to hurt any person who has ever hurt her.
“Has this happened before, Nora?”
“Last year, in Ireland, when I was visiting home.”
Nora stops for a minute, trying to find the words to continue the story.
“I was walking home from seeing a friend, and a group of guys followed me, and before I knew it, they bloodied and beat me, leaving me on the pavement.”
It’s how I got this scar.”
Nora lifts her hair off her forehead, revealing a faint white scar on the edge of her hairline. I stroked it gently, showing the thing that was produced by so much hatred, love. She closes her eyes at my touch, her breaths deepen.
“I know I shouldn’t, but sometimes I wish I were different, I didn’t choose to be this way. I just hate dressing feminine. When I wear those clothes, I feel like I’m in someone else’s skin, not mine.”
Nora sits up a bit on the bed off my chest.
“I can’t help that I like women, I can’t and it’s just hard when my home, my hometown doesn’t accept me. Not even my fucking family.”
Before I know it, Nora falls into a deeper cry. Her hands covering her eyes like she’s trying to push the tears back in. I lift her head to face me and I look at her, trying to think of the right words to say. I haven’t been in this situation.
“Blood doesn’t mean family. There are people out there who will accept every single part of you, the good and bad. Those horrible people who did
BEYOND THE BLUES
that to you that night, and that man tonight, they live their life full of hatred. They must be miserable. Not you though, you’re off to America. You’re off to be the best guitarist the world has seen.”
Nora scoffs at my words. Although she thinks I’m just hyping her, I’m being serious. Not only are her guitar skills godly, she, as a person, is the kindest thing to have graced my life since Coco left. I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that this has only happened now. We met once and barely spoke, somehow bumping into each other on the morning flight to Santorini, and sat right next to each other. I feel as if there were an invisible string pulling us together, whether it was to be together or to just teach each other a lesson. I am grateful. For the rest of the night, me and Nora lay together in a comfortable silence, occasionally sharing a kiss, drifting in and out of sleep.