“Okay, what about...That one?”

“What one?”

“That one there, it looks like a pineapple.”

Danny’s eyes followed where his girlfriend’s finger was pointing to, towards a cluster of stars in the night sky. The two had crept onto the roof once more to spend time together alone, away from the bustling casino and disapproving hues of William Versity. He tilted his head, observing the small cluster of stars before a soft chuckle fell from his lips.

“A pineapple? I just see...Stars” Danny proclaimed, looking down from the constellations to Belle laying next to him. The silver glow of the moonlight kissed the girl’s golden curls but it was her smile that caught his eye. A smile that glowed brighter than any star occupying the night sky. It was in moments like this, when it was just him and Belle, alone that he fell in love with her all over again. Reminded of every tiny thing that he loved about her. Yeah, William was trying to keep them apart, making it hard for the two but it was worth it for those fleeting minutes

“No, look,” Belle spoke up in a cheerful tone, tracing out the constellation with her manicured index finger. “Leaves and that part would be the body, see?”

“...No,” Danny admitted, both of them breaking into laughter. Belle’s hand fell back down to her side, reaching out into the emptiness to find Danny’s hand, her cold fingertips brushing against his warm skin until he took his hand in hers; their fingers entwined. They both remained silent, heads turned to look into each other's eyes, locked in a devoting gaze. Danny squeezed his girlfriend’s hand, a small pleasant smile curled onto his lips before he looked back to the sky.

“Funny, isn’t it?”

“What?” Belle questioned, a puzzled look on her face.

“How in all this darkness, we still decide to focus on the light.” His voice was now soft, easy to tell that he was deep in thought.”

“Huh?”

“Well, look. All the darkness in the night sky and our eyes still focus on the stars and moon.”

Belle twisted her head to look towards the sky again, it was true. If you removed the moon and stars it would be nothing more than darkness enveloping the city. But instead of focusing on that, her lime green eyes darted from one flickering star to the next, each one holding a wish, a dream, a secret.

“You’re right.” She paused for a second. ”I’ve never noticed that before.”

“I don’t think anyone does, really.” He admitted. “But that’s what makes us human, I assume. That we choose to focus on the light in times of darkness.”

“...Yeah, I like that.” Belle replied, her voice trailing off toward the end.

She turned to face him once more, taking in the details of his face. Her mind circled back to the doubts that had been lingering ever since that conversation on the roof a few nights back. They had argued before, sure, but never with so much emotion behind it. She had seen the look in his eyes when she chose her family, certain he was going to walk away. A small frown replaced the smile on her lips, they parted like she wanted to speak but her words became trapped in her throat, scared of what his answer might be.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Belle?” Danny’s Irish voice sliced through her thoughts instantly, it was soft; soothing like always. Able to calm the storm which had been brewing inside her mind. She blinked a few times, realising she had just been staring at him for a good length of time.

“...Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” He asked again, concern weaved in between his words; a small luxury for the young girl. The gesture may have meant nothing to others but for her, it meant that he cared enough to worry about her, a commodity she didn't get very often. A subtle smile curled to the corner of her lips, so small that Danny hadn't even noticed, but that smile quickly returned to a frown. She knew that she should say something to him- the truth, but she didn’t want to drag up the past. Not when everything seemed to be finally returning back to normal.

She had to wonder, would it ever be normal again? Had that argument changed the entire relationship, caused a rift between them that over time would slowly tear them apart. Or was she simply just worried over nothing; letting her mind run wild much like the stories inside her books. An argument could be just that in the end; an argument. Not a life-changing moment.

“Belle.” Danny’s voice pierced through the thick silence once again, he could see the frown resting on her features while her mind ran away from her once more.

“I love you.”

Those three words were what finally dragged Belle back into reality, instead of staring through the man next to her into her own doubts she stared into his hues. It was like deep down he always knew what to say to calm the storm inside her. How even in her times of silence he knew what she was thinking; feeling. Sometimes she was convinced that Danny knew her better than anyone else did, even herself. The frown on her lips quickly curled back into a small smile and the thoughts screaming inside her mind grew to a hushed whisper before being met with silence once more. They didn’t have to talk about what happened on the roof that night, not yet. They had the rest of the holiday, and all the time in the world once they were back in England. In the end, their life was only just beginning.

“I love you too, so much..” She whispered back. Danny smiled, rolling so he was leaning over her body. His hand found one of her loose curls and wrapped it around his fingers. The two locked eyes for a few, silent seconds before he leaned down and planted a soft, passionate kiss onto the girl’s pink glossed lips. She smiled in the kiss, letting her eyes close as she kissed him back.

Buzz….Buzz…..Buzz…

Belle frowned feeling the vibration of her phone against her and Danny’s leg. Danny pulled away, pushing himself to the side of her so that she had the freedom to move and answer the phone. Though they both knew who it was going to be . She glanced toward him, watching his facial expression the entire time while she answered the call. Hoping she didn’t see disappointment staring back at her.

“Hello…” Belle started while she placed the phone against her ear, the sound of a male could be heard talking back through the phone. He sounded serious; almost demanding. “I’m not I’m-..Yes- No I- Yes father...Yes. I’ll be down right away..” the faint sound of a click could be heard followed by the dial tone while she placed the phone back inside her pocket. The silence of the night danced around the two lovers once more. She parted her lips but once again no sound came out, the word lodged inside her throat. Even though both she and Danny knew she had to say it; she didn’t want to. She never wanted this moment to end, especially not as abruptly as this.

“I’m sorry.” She finally managed to speak, the words leaving her lips in such a hushed, sad tone. The silvery ring in her British accent masked by the disappointment in not only her father but herself.

“It’s fine, really.” Danny reassured her, his kind voice being able to warm the chill which had grown inside the girl’s chest. “We always have tomorrow.” He reminded her, his smile lighting up brighter than the stars scattered throughout the night sky, it was infectious to Belle and caused a smile to return to her lips once more.

“Tomorrow.” She repeated with a nod of her head.

Finally, she stood up, brushing the dirt from her dress. Danny stood up not too long after, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and pulling her into a tight embrace. He planted one last goodbye kiss onto her forehead before the two stepped away from each other. She looked at him, a smile still on her lips before she finally turned around and walked towards the doors leading her back down to the casino below. He watched her walk away, the smile on his face still remaining even after the door had swung shut and his girlfriend was long out of view. A small sigh left his lips.

“Sweet, really.” A low voice spoke up from behind Danny., a mocking tone dripping off every word. “Young love.”