The Witch Stone - Emily Oakes Page 0,54

had woken her but she was glad. If she’d had to witness any more of that memory, she’d need an anti-depressant to get out of bed. She glanced at the bright alarm clock and waited for her eyes to adjust before she could read the numbers which look liked blurry neon lights. Three in the morning. Warily, she rubbed her eyes and lay her head back down on the pillow. Hoping that she wouldn’t have any more dreams she drifted back to sleep.

There was no sign of the sun when Brenna finally woke up, refreshed after a peaceful, dreamless sleep. She turned over in the warm bed, stretching her arms out in front of her. The rain continued bucketing down on the roof, filling the room with tranquil tinkling. She hopped out of bed and walked toward the window. Did the sun not come out today at all? Puzzled, she checked the time. Expecting to see around seven a.m., her eyes boggled when she looked at the alarm clock finding that it was closer to seven p.m.

“Shit!” If she didn’t butt into gear, she would miss dinner with Ronan. Did her heart just flutter at the thought of him? Surely not.

Water blasted out of the shower as Brenna turned it onto full power. Her mind raced. What on earth she was going to wear? She scoffed. Like Ronan was going to notice what she was wearing. There were far more important matters. Still, she hadn’t packed with dates with good looking men in mind. Not that it was a date. Deciding that she would pick her outfit after her shower she jumped into the steamy cubicle and washed quickly. Then she quickly toweled off before brushing her teeth.

After trying five different shades of lipstick she settled on a shimmery peach shade that complimented her hair. It wasn’t because she wanted to impress Ronan. What was it Oprah used to say? ‘Get cute for you!’ Okay, so she spent quite a bit longer on her makeup than usual. Than ever actually. Bundling her hair onto her head, she set it in place with hairclips leaving a few strands to frame her face.

She looked into the mirror studying herself closely. Satisfied with her make-up, she opened her suitcase. Clothes flung through the air as she searched for something decent. Why did she pack such sensible garments? Feeling like a fool for acting like a sixteen-year-old going out on a first date, she sighed. She’d mainly packed jeans and t-shirts. Settling on the lacy black dress she had worn to the diner with Jeff, she slipped it over her head and paired it with the pair of black high heeled shoes she was glad she had packed.

Tapping her foot on the soft carpet, she kept her eyes on the clock, waiting for it to turn eight. A knock on the door made Brenna startle. She straightened her dress and smacked her lips together ensuring her lipstick was even. Checking her hair was secure with one hand she walked towards the door with wobbly legs and turned the handle.

Ronan stood in the doorway holding a bunch of white frangipanes wrapped in purple tissue. Rain poured down onto his head but he didn’t seem to mind. “How did you know they were my favorite?” she asked as he passed her the flowers.

“I know a lot about you, Brenna,” he smiled. A nervous laugh escaped from Brenna’s lip. On a normal day, she might find that comment a bit stalker-like, but considering the circumstances, she let it go. His dark probing eyes zeroed in on hers, sending hot tingles sizzling down her spine. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy made her feel this giddy. If ever.

“Well, I’ll uh, just find these some water.”

She scurried into the bathroom and dumped her toothbrush out of its holder and filled it with water. She arranged the flowers in the makeshift vase as best she could and left them sitting on the TV. Knowing her luck, they would tumble over as soon as she left.

Ronan held out his arm for her to take. She held up a finger signaling for him to wait, and scoured the room for her handbag. When she found it sticking out from under the bed, she decided the big black woven sack didn’t go with her outfit, so she stuffed her keys inside her wallet. Ronan entwined his arm with hers, and escorted her to the balcony, shutting the hotel door behind them.