Starry Skies Starry Eyes

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Ava huffed. She glanced at Nick from the corner of her eyes – making sure he wasn’t looking at her – and gave him the most smoldering look she could manage. Nick, however, was completely ignoring her, a pen gripped in his hand as he wrote something down on a piece of paper.

They were fighting – again. Ava couldn’t remember exactly why. She only knew that they’d gone out to dinner the previous night, and, for some reason or other, there was an argument over something stupid. Ava searched through her memories, but couldn’t find anything particularly important. All she could recall was having a great time at the restaurant, and smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. So what had happened? Maybe her conscience had hidden it away, afraid that if it was brought up again, something else would go wrong.

Small tap-tap noises pulled Ava out of her thoughts. She glanced out of the window and saw tiny raindrops splattering against the glass pane. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she got up and smoothed out her dress. It was sky blue in color – Nick’s favorite – and had a ruffled hem that flowed whenever she moved. Emitting a tiny sigh, she walked over to the window and placed her palm against the cool glass.

“It’s raining,” she whispered under her breath. A lump lodged itself in her throat, and she swallowed thickly. “Just like the first time we met.”

Clearing her throat slightly, she spared a glance back at Nick; he was still engrossed in his work, nibbling at the end of his pen as his eyes flitted back and forth. Ava turned away quickly and exited the apartment, walking down the hall with tentative steps. She opened the door to the small balcony and stepped out, immediately getting sprinkled with raindrops.

Ava smiled to herself, her tears mixing with the rain. She gripped the freezing hand rail, and glanced down at the busy streets of New York. From up there, she felt as though she was separated from the whole world. People were continuing on with their lives while she stood there, feeling more alone than ever before.

A little reluctantly, Ava let her mind fill with one of her most treasured memories.

It had been their two month anniversary, and Ava had been sitting at home, white rage flashing behind her eyes. She couldn’t believe that Nick would cancel their plans at the last minute, and – on top of that – they were having the biggest thunderstorm ever! As Ava sat there and tried to keep herself from exploding, the lights flickered once, twice…and then went completely out. Darkness surrounded her and Ava sighed, closing her eyes. She leaned back and let herself sag against the couch, feeling the soft fabric melt into her skin.

Something cold tickled her neck; she screamed, springing up so fast she tripped and landed on her hands and knees. A short burst of laughter behind her made Ava turn around – only to see Nick standing there, bent over from laughing so hard.

“Nick?” she asked, confused. Then, her anger from earlier seemed to come back. “You jerk! What are you doing here?” She quickly got to her feet and smoothed down her clothes, crossing her arms in front of her. A flash of lightening appeared right outside the window, but neither of them seemed to notice it.

Nick stopped laughing at once, though a small smile still tugged at his lips. “I’m sorry, babe,” he said softly, shrugging. “That was… That was not the reaction I was expecting.”

Ava took a deep breath. “What did you think I was going to do when you sneaked up on me? Turn around and smother you with kisses?”

“Actually, yes,” Nick said simply. He walked closer to her and, although she wanted nothing more than to stay angry with him, she stood her ground. Nick stopped right in front of her and opened his palm.

“I was only trying to be romantic,” Nick explained, picking the beautiful necklace up with his other hand and dangling it in front of Ava. “I thought I would surprise you.” The pearly Moonstone glinted as it hung in mid-air, twirling slightly.

Ava took the gemstone between her fingers and felt its smoothness against her skin. “It’s beautiful.” She glanced up at Nick and smiled, her anger vanishing. The necklace still dangling between them, Ava came closer and pecked Nick on the lips. “I love it.”

Nick chuckled. “Of course you do,” he mumbled, winking.

And then they were kissing, everything else forgotten. Outside, the thunder rumbled in the sky and lightning flashed, but neither of them paid attention to anything but each other. Ava felt as though she could still hear Nick’s voice in her ear, calling her name—

“Ava!”

Nick turned her around suddenly, a look of frustration on his face. “Where were you? I’ve been going crazy, walking up and down the hallway, calling your name! Didn’t you hear me?”

Ava blinked, realizing she was in the present now; that happy, fluttery feeling inside her stomach seemed to die down. She frowned and gently took Nick’s hand off of her, where it rested on her arm.

“Go away,” she said steely, turning around and crossing her arms. Ava closed her eyes and felt the familiar Moonstone necklace weighing against her chest.

A slight pause and then, “Huh?”

“I said, go away! I don’t want to talk to you.”

Nick gripped her arm and turned her around again. “Are you mad at me?” he asked, confused. His hair was already soaked, falling into his eyes.

Ava’s eyes widened. “Of course I’m mad at you! We’re mad at each other!”

“We are?” Nick muttered, still looking quite baffled.

“I think so,” she said, although it came out more like a question. She shook her head, as if to clear it. “I mean, you’ve been ignoring me since last night.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s because…" He groaned. "Ava, it was supposed to be a surprise!”

“What? Tell me!” Ava crossed her arms again and glared.

“Well… I was, uh, I’ve been working on a song. For you.” He glanced down and fumbled with the hem of his shirt.

Ava felt the air whoosh out of her lungs in a quick gasp. “For me?” she asked, her voice catching slightly.

“Yes, for you.” A small smile graced Nick’s face as he watched Ava’s shocked expression. He couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “You thought I was mad at you?”

“Yes,” she admitted, feeling a little childish all of a sudden.

“Well, I’m not,” Nick assured her, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I could never be mad at you; I love you.”

Ava smiled, trailing her fingers down his face and kissing him back. They stood like that for a moment, eyes closed, and with the rain falling around them.

“So,” Ava said casually, looking down to hide the smile on her face. “What about that song? Can I see it?”

Nick laughed. “Well, it’s not going to be that easy…”

Ava glared. “Stop smiling like that, and give me my song. Now.”

“Oooh,” Nick mimicked, waving his arms for emphasis. “I’m so scared.” He winked at her and took a few steps back, entering back into the hallway.

Ava stood there for a moment, and then followed him inside. He was standing a little ways away from her, a smirk on his face. “I’m warning you,” Ava sang.

Nick’s eyes widened as she ran towards him. At the last minute, he turned around and jogged away. Ava giggled and followed him, smiling so wide she thought she would burst with happiness.

And, even long after they’d gone inside, their laughter still echoed down the empty hallway.