Читать книгу A Visible Heaven - Kirsten Blyton - Страница 13

A king, a queen, slipped from Eve’s hand’s onto the table. Laura watched Eve shuffle the cards effortlessly. They were onto their fifth game of poker, with Eve winning every single hand. After the next loss, Laura slammed her hand against the table and exclaimed, ‘How are you doing this? I’m actually pretty good at poker, but you—’

‘I used to play against my family all the time. It looks like I got pretty good at it.’ Eve shrugged.

Laura picked up her hand. ‘So, what are we playing for?’

Eve thought for a moment. ‘Well, if I win this next hand, like we both know I will, you let me take you out. To a club I used to work at.’

Laura eyed her sceptically. ‘You weren’t a dancer, were you?’

‘Worse … bartender.’

‘It seems a bit risky,’ Laura shuffled her cards, ‘if I get recognised.’

‘I’ll figure something out.’

Eve lay down her hand, a winning four of a kind. She grinned. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

After her shift at the store, Eve headed into the nearest costume shop. She was careful to step only on the black squares that mixed with the white chequered floor. She toyed with the idea of dressing Laura up as a pirate, chuckling at the fake parrot that came with the costume, knowing she’d never agree. Sets of werewolf heads stared back at her with bared teeth; she flicked each one on the nose with an audible rubber tap. A grim reaper display startled her when she reached the back of the store; she moved past the silver scythe. Eve bent, searching for the coloured cans she needed. She tucked seven under her arms. A chattering gargoyle started up when Eve walked back towards the counter. She stood watching it, as it repeated a mechanical threat of damnation. Its clicks and whirls caused it to hinge forwards and back; its claws reached out towards empty air then rested back on its knobby knees. Eve placed the cans down on the glass counter and peered through to the sets of fake vampire teeth and assorted bolts and magnetic piercings that lined black display boxes.

There was a loud rapping on Laura’s door. Pulling it open, she beamed when she saw Eve in the doorway. Her eyes ran over her tight-fitting black jumpsuit. Eve flashed her a wide grin and thrust a plastic bag forwards.

Confused, Laura peered in the bag and pulled out a set of coloured cans. ‘Uh, what are these?’

‘Your way into the nightclub … You wanted a disguise, didn’t you?’ Eve arched a black eyebrow.

‘Are we going to flame throw our way in?’

Eve gave her a short smile and reached out for the bag. She led Laura to her walk-in wardrobe and sat her down. She placed her long fingers on her shoulders. ‘How am I going to make you look not like you?’

The non-permanent hair colour took well to Laura’s blonde hair. It now resembled a rainbow, with lighter blues starting near the front of her face, blending into row after row of colour. For make-up, she applied heavy eyeliner and transformed her lips. Eve coloured in her blonde eyebrows and contoured the rest of her make-up.

Eve stood back, admiring her work. ‘Well, at least now you look closer to my age,’ she joked.

Laura ran her hands through her coloured hair. ‘I look like a hippie. Hey, is this bar a … gay bar?’

‘Only on Sundays.’

‘Ha-ha … what?’

Eve tried on a rich southern accent. ‘Well, all of the straight good Christian people go to church to repent for their sins, while we, the outcasts of the good book, get our freak on … Amen.’ She crossed herself.

Laura chuckled. ‘So, you’ve been there a few times?’

‘Punchline … yeah, I used to work there. It’s more of a club than a bar.’

Eve picked out a white sleeveless blouse and black jeans. She left Laura to change. Eve waited in the lounge room, nervously waiting. Laura stepped from the room, a mass of colour hung loosely against her olive shoulders. With the high heels Eve insisted she wore, she was nearly as tall as Eve.

Eve nodded to herself. ‘Perfect.’

Strings of people waited against a brick wall. Eve craned her neck to make out Stephen at the head of the bodies. Laura could faintly hear the pulsating music behind the brick wall, when the large metal door swung open. Eve called out Stephen’s name and moved forwards. A few of the people rolled their eyes when Eve skipped the line. She had to stand on tippy toes to reach his wide, muscular neck. When they pulled apart, he gave her a slight spin and complimented her outfit. Eve blushed and thanked him. Laura stood awkwardly behind Eve as the growing line stared bullet holes through her. Eve pulled her to her side.

‘We both need admission.’

Stephen looked down at Laura and raised his eyebrows. ‘What happened to Laura?’

Eve smiled, realising her idea had worked. ‘This is Laura, with …’ She twirled a blue strand of hair around her finger. ‘Modifications.’

Stephen gave Laura’s shoulder a squeeze and waved them in. Laura entered, her arm wrapped around Eve. A neon sign hung from the entrance, probing red, with PUNCHLINE in a cursive slant. Laura took in the scene. Bodies swayed from side to side, their skin glistening with sweat. Above the wraparound bar, the DJ booth blared house music. To her right was a narrow hallway, with couples leaning against each other.

Eve wound her fingers in Laura’s and pushed through the bodies.

‘Move out the way, bitches!’ All Eve had to do was flash a smile and they parted to let them through. Eve found a spot next to the DJ booth and led Laura in front of her. The song morphed into one Laura had vaguely heard once.

Eve placed her hands on Laura’s hips and swayed them back and forth. She took little notice to the humming bodies that surrounded them or the raised arms above their heads.

Leaning forwards, somehow Laura caught her words. ‘It’s just you and me.’ Her breath tickled Laura’s neck. Laura watched Eve. Her narrow hips became fluid and effortless against the fabric on her skin. Laura moved closer to her until she could almost taste her perfume. She stared at her like she was the only person in the nightclub. After the third song, Laura forgot herself. She gave in. She shut her eyes to the pulsing bodies and moved every part of her body. Her arms and legs became fluid with one another. She moved her hips and rocked her head back and forth. Eve pulled off a long shimmy and smiled when Laura’s laugh got lost against the sound waves.

Leading her to the long bar, Eve leaned over in search of two shot glasses. She set them down on the black glossy counter and called out the young barmen’s name. He turned around, confused, then smiled when he saw Eve. His black shirt clung tight to his wide shoulders and muscled chest. He moved swiftly over.

‘I haven’t seen you in here in a while. Who’s your friend?’ He asked, his eyes running over Laura.

‘This is Laura … Laura, this is Ben.’

‘Nice to meet you.’ He had a kind smile.

Ben and Eve made small talk until Ben noticed the empty shot glasses in front of them.

‘What’s your poison tonight?’ He asked, motioning to the glasses.

Vodka, please.’ Eve reached for her small clutch but he waved her money away.

They clinked the small glasses together. Laura downed it quickly. It made her feel instantly more at ease. Eve drummed her hands on the counter, the alcohol awakening something in her. ‘One more song?’ she asked.

Laura wiped at her brow and nodded. Eve licked the last drops of vodka from her lips and grabbed Laura’s hand. They swayed together in a thoughtless stream of movements. Laura turned and reached for Eve when the nightclub started to pulsate black and white from the light machines. She stole a kiss from her in the darkness, her lips tasted of vodka and sweat. It reminded her of a thunderstorm, playing havoc on her lips. After the song finished, they made their way for the entrance. This time Laura led her forwards. They hit a brick wall of bodies by the door, where four guys stood scanning the crowd. The tallest stood just over a foot taller than Eve, his eyes on Laura.

‘I wouldn’t mind tasting that rainbow.’ His friends laughed along, waiting to see what Laura would say.

‘Ehh, well, I’m never gonna be able to look at Skittles the same way now.’

Eve made a retching face.

He flashed Eve a crooked smile. ‘Can we buy you girls some drinks?’

‘Sorry, we were just on our way out,’ Laura said.

‘Where are we going then?’ The guy made a move to follow them.

Eve waved him away. ‘Why don’t you stay here and hit on the rest of the club … I’m sure there’s one girl crawling with chlamydia who simply couldn’t resist you.’ Eve stared through him. They shifted under her gaze, letting them pass. As they closed the gap, he reached out for Laura but only managed to tangle his hand in her hair. Eve shoved him backwards. The physical contact took him by surprise, he nearly lost his footing. Eve reared up like she was built twice the size and a foot taller. ‘Go after any other girl.’

He regained himself. ‘Why not her?’

‘Because she’s my girlfriend.’ Eve reached for her hand and pulled her forwards through the crowds of people until they were alone on the pavement.

‘Is your place far from here?’ Laura asked, breaking the silence.

Eve stared straight ahead, her jaw tensed. ‘I was going to take you home.’

‘I’d really like to see your place.’

Eve pressed her lips into a thin line. ‘Okay, it’s not too far from here.’

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Eve’s body was on edge from the way the guy in the club had looked at Laura. Jealously had never been one of her best vices, especially when it came to her overbearing nature to people she cared deeply about. Eve barely felt Laura pull her closer when they came to her street. They climbed the three sets of stairs to her floor. Eve fished for her keys. Opening the worn door, she reached inside and flicked on a light switch, letting Laura go in first.

‘You called me your girlfriend,’ Laura whispered, when the door shut quietly behind them.

‘Did that surprise you?’

Laura tilted her head. ‘I mean, yeah, a little.’

Eve managed a smile. ‘I wish I could have said it in better circumstances.’ Eve slid off her high heels and walked barefoot to the kitchen. She filled a glass with tap water, hoping it would calm her down. She let the glass overfill, staring as the water pooled and ran down the trail. Her arms gripped the side of the sink. Across from the door, Laura fiddled with the perfumes and make-up set in her small cupboard. Piles and piles of paperbacks were stacked against the wall. Each pile seemed to defy gravity though none had toppled over. Laura moved towards the double bed at the back of the room. A large horizontal organ-glass stained window hung above the bed. Eve turned, following her gaze.

Pointing to it, Eve said, ‘Like the sun is on the verge of disappearing.’ A spoken thought she had never shared with anyone.

Laura nodded. ‘Beautiful,’ she whispered.

Something about the room told her there had never been loud conversations between the four walls. Laura found her words needing to be true, to be honest, as if she were waiting for confession. There was a solace to the space, a peace Laura hadn’t felt in a long time. Laura’s eyes drifted to an old wooden turntable next to a stack of vinyls. She flicked through them. Laura settled on a single and thumbed the needle onto the track. The soft beginnings of the song stilled in the air, she stroked the side of the turntable and read the sleeve. ‘King of Wishful Thinking’.

‘I love this one.’

‘I got most of them from yard sales.’

Laura sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes against the lyrics. Eve watched her from the kitchen. Laura felt the bed shift against Eve’s weight. She stretched herself out and laced her fingers behind her head. Eve never had another person in this bed before, but now she saw Laura in it, she never wanted her to leave. Eve wrapped an arm around her, her head resting on the edge of her shoulder. A comforting warmth radiated from Laura’s stomach and bubbled against her fingertips. Their breathing stilled; the needle had run off the track.

Eve’s voice came out soft, almost musical. ‘You forgot yourself tonight.’

Laura kept her eyes closed. ‘Oh?’

‘You kissed me in the club.’

Laura nodded, remembering the sharp taste of vodka and sweat on her lips. ‘I had to.’

Laura combed her hair against her scalp and watched the water run over her body like veins of water. They slipped through her fingers and disappeared down the drain. She let the water run over her she was surrounded by thick steam. Laura turned off the water and wrung out her hair, returned to its original golden blonde.

‘I’ve left some clothes here for you,’ Eve called through the door.

‘Thanks.’ Laura opened the door a crack and saw the small folded bundle of clothes. After shrugging into the oversized clothes, Laura came back into the room. Eve was crouched over the collection of vinyls. Small plumes of dust lifted and curled in the air when she flicked over a cover. Laura crept up behind her, sat on the bed and crossed her legs. When she cleared her throat, Eve nearly lost her balance.

‘You scared me.’ Eve’s back was still to Laura. She stood and wiped at the dust on her jumpsuit. ‘Well, as you can see, I’m a bit of a mess. Be back in a sec.’ The steady stream of water sounded seconds later. Laura stared around Eve’s small apartment, straining her eyes to see if there were any photos stuck to the fridge. There weren’t even any magnets. Laura realised Eve didn’t have a TV, just an alarm clock perched on a wooden stool. Laura couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in someone’s house or apartment that didn’t have a TV. Laura found herself staring at the ceiling. There were small cracks at its corners like small strikes of lightning cracked into the white. Laura found them oddly beautiful. She heard the bathroom door open. Eve stepped out, wearing grey sweatpants and a long-sleeved red T-shirt with a frog on the front.

‘Nice outfit,’ Laura said.

‘These are my good pants.’ Eve grabbed at the material. Walking barefoot to her wardrobe, she told Laura to close her eyes. Laura lay back against the bed. Eve shuffled around the room. The light switch flicked off. The springs shifted under the bed. ‘Okay,’ Eve whispered. ‘You can open your eyes.’

Laura opened her eyes to a sea of stars. Thousands of tiny pinpricks glowed against the darkness. ‘It’s a star projector. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep I just … leave it on.’

The setting changed, the blinks of light starting to transform and swirl. Eve got lost with nostalgia. She remembered being no more than six, lying in the grass in her backyard, hearing the distant chirps of crickets and rustling in a nearby elm tree. Her small hands had contracted into fists against the grass, believing she could hold onto the power that bore down on her. Her parents had found her lying among the stars. Her father lay down on her right side, her mother on her left.

‘What are you doing out here, little bird?’ her father asked.

Eve pointed to the stars above her. ‘Trying to fly.’

‘I think I can see Orion.’ Her mother reached out for Eve and trailed the stars above her, their hands wrapped in each other’s.

‘Do you think you could count them all, little bird?’

Eve had giggled when her mother started counting a cluster near Orion. ‘Too many.’ She shook her small head.

Her father wrapped a protective arm around her body. ‘Remember, Eve. In the beginning, there were only stars.’

Eve tried to hold onto the memory, but it swam away from her fingertips until she was clutching at empty air. Eve parted her lips and drew in a small breath. She searched Laura’s blue eyes. They stared back at her intently. Eve knew she would have to tell her everything she had locked away, on the cusp of conversation but never making it into the air. Strings of anxiety struck out. Eve sunk into the pillow. Laura’s tired eyes closed after three failed attempts to keep them open. The warmth from her body made Eve drift off to sleep.

The nightmares stretched their claws up to her in greeting. Eve felt their cold, cracked fingers draw tight around her limbs, tugging her higher towards the ceiling. The orange shards of glass grew smaller below her then left her vision; she was pulled into a black starless sky. Eve’s eyes caught a glimpse of grey skin cracked and crumpled like ash, before she fell from their grasp and hit the ground. Eve scrambled to her feet and looked around. The floor below her was made out of glass. Laura slept peacefully underneath it. Eve pounded on the glass, she kicked, bashed and tried to scream but the hands of her nightmare had stolen her voice. The air around her started to lift and rustle like the middle of a storm. The wind intensified and pushed her forwards. The landscape before her transformed and rolled away like carpet. Trees thick with creaking branches grew around her, enclosing her within a forest. Eve stopped walking and watched the shifting branches. She bit hard on her tongue when she saw what lined them. Rows and rows of jagged teeth stared back at her from folds in the branches, cutting through the bark and pointing towards the sky. The teeth quivered with every step she took. The further she ran, the closer the branches came to her, closing off the distance she had made. An object rose in the distance. When she drew close enough, she stared at a mirror. Its frame was rotten black wood, with thick cracks like scars. She looked into the mirror. Her pale face smiled back at her, lip curled. Her reflection crossed its arms and bowed forwards. Eve looked down at her own arms against her hips and, when she looked back into the mirror, her reflection uncrossed its arms and lifted a long pale finger to its lips in silence.

Behind the reflection, a blurred shape appeared. It stretched a long-clawed hand to reach her shoulder. The black gleaming nails made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A voice roared behind her. Eve spun around to empty air. The voice tickled her neck and huffed against her ear. Eve shut her eyes. ‘Where to fly now, little bird?’

Eve woke covered in sweat, her fists clutching the sheets. She slipped out from the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, turned on the tap and cupped cold water to her face. Eve returned to bed and, propping herself up on her elbow, she watched Laura sleep. Her chest rose and fell slightly, her hands twitched against invisible objects of sleep.

Soft rays of light filtered in through the stained-glass window, the light danced against her skin. Laura reached out for Eve, only grabbing empty sheets. Laura searched the room to spot a note on the fridge; she was disappointed to find it bare. She reached for her phone just as the door knob turned. Eve peeked her head through and smiled. She balanced two Styrofoam cups and a box under her arm.

‘Sorry … I didn’t want to wake you.’ The rich smell of coffee and sugar hit Laura. Eve offered her one of the cups and flicked back the pink lid of the box. Thick, glazed cinnamon scrolls stared back at her. Laura took a bite bigger than she could bear. Eve watched her, amused.

‘Sleep well?’ Eve asked, after Laura managed to chew and swallow the enormous bite.

‘Very.’ Laura wiped the sugar from her lips with the back of her hand.

‘So, what do you want to do today?’ Eve asked, her cup almost empty.

Laura tilted her head to the side. ‘I want an unscheduled day.’

Eve grinned. ‘Look at you, not being in control.’ She made her way over to the turntable and needled a track. It started with a quick beating of drums. The drums meshed together with a deep base guitar and a high lead male vocalist. Eve threw her arms in the air and moved them about wildly, Laura watching on with a grin. Eve’s lips moved softly to the words, her whole body alive. Laura tried to keep up with the quick pace of the song, but Eve made it look effortless. Laura stopped and stared when Eve spun through the air. Her feet slapped against the floor, her chest pumped forwards. The song became slower and then distant. It finished. Eve blew out a deep breath and collapsed onto her bed.

‘You have to stop dancing like that … I can hardly do the Macarena.’ Laura rolled beside her.

Eve shrugged. ‘It’s just practice.’

‘How do you do it? Making it look that easy?’

Eve smiled. ‘You convince yourself you’re made of water.’

Laura rolled closer to Eve and wiped at a slither of sweat on her forehead. She traced the bridge of her nose. Laura’s hand fiddled with Eve’s collar, her thumb gripping the thin material. She pulled it down to expose her tattoo. Her eyes flitted over the design. She traced a swirl of colour and trapped a star under her forefinger.

Laura blinked slowly. ‘Can’t we just stay here … forever?’

Eve sighed. ‘I wish.’ She reached around to the side of her drawer, her hands rummaging for something. Eve held it up. Balanced between her fingers was a rolled joint. ‘Do you …?’ Eve let the question hang in the air.

Laura shifted to her knees. She watched the uneven joint, the white paper rolling back and forth between Eve’s fingers. Maybe it was the odd light, basking orange onto the floorboards, or maybe it was the way Eve’s eyes glinted, that made her say yes. Eve lit the joint and carefully handed it over to Laura. She wetted her dry lips and brought the joint to her lips. It was harsh, harsher than she remembered from her teenage years but a lot better.

‘Mmm.’ Laura stretched and pressed her lips together.

She handed it back to Eve, who inhaled, deeply. The smoke came out in a steady stream from the corner of her mouth. It curled past her black eyebrows and thinned into the air. Laura took another puff and instantly felt more relaxed; the muscles in her shoulders felt smooth, her chest seemed to unwind. She felt like all the sharp edges in the room had fallen away, replaced with a fluid current lighter than air itself, like the weight of thoughts. Laura closed her eyes and swayed her body back and forth. She parted her lips when Eve’s thumb ran across her bottom lip.

Eve was the first to speak. ‘My parrot got baked once.’ She took another drag and blew smoke rings towards the ceiling.

‘Is that a euphemism for something?’

‘No, my parents used to smoke quite a bit. My father had taken him out and put him on his shoulder. Second-hand smoke for Polly. He was a bit screwed up for a few hours.’ She plucked the joint from Laura’s lips and held it between her fingernails.

‘Do you trust me?’ Eve asked, pupils dilated.

Laura nodded. ‘Yes.’ Eve crawled across the bed and spread her body above Laura, she hovered as if about to do a push-up. The joint hung from her bottom lip. Eve blinked slowly then took a long drag. Laura stared at the bright end, the fibres burning. Eve held her palms to the side of Laura’s head, her forearms tensed with the strain of staying upright. She slowly inched forwards, the smoke still held within her lungs. Laura parted her lips. Eve dipped her head as if to kiss her then released the smoke. Laura inhaled and breathed in Eve. Eve folded her arms behind her head and Laura exhaled the last of the joint. The smoke curled and lifted in the air. Eve cut the shapeless form in half and watched it disappear. Laura flipped onto her side and stared at Eve, her long black eyelashes blinking against her pale skin. She cupped her elbow, Laura’s fingers smoothing out the skin. Fragments of dust flew through the air, their existence momentarily highlighted by the soft light from the window. The light warmed their skin.

‘Do you have a camera?’ Laura asked, suddenly.

‘There’s one by the turntable.’

Laura shuffled around in the vinyls, a small black compact camera was wedged in between two Neil Diamond and Tina Turner records. Laura, somewhat blurry-eyed, switched the camera to video mode. Laura zoomed in on the tattoo on Eve’s foot. The focus blurred then cleared with a touch. Laura crawled forwards on the bed, the camera unsteady in her hand.

‘So world … this is Eve. Say hello to the world, Eve.’

‘Hello.’ Eve covered her face in her hands.

She hovered the camera above Eve’s face and straddled her waist. Eve’s bright green eyes peaked through her laced fingers. Her cheeks lifted when she smiled.

‘Uh-uh … you have to show the world that face of yours.’ Laura peeled back her fingers and lowered the camera.

Eve, defeated, gripped the back of Laura’s calves. She cleared her throat. ‘Hello, world.’

Laura smiled and steadied the camera. ‘As I was saying … this is Eve.’ Laura let out a chuckle.

‘I think she likes me … are you fond of me, Eve?’ Laura zoomed in. Eve’s green eyes flickered then focused on the lens.

Eve squeezed her calves. ‘Very much.’

‘Ditto.’ Laura moved the camera to kiss her lightly on the lips. Laura drew back. ‘Okay, back to business. Give us some philosophy about the world.’

Eve screwed up her face in concentration. ‘What do you think the colour of words are? Like air would be an off-white, or …’ She lost her thought.

‘What … the fuck … are you talking about?’ Laura chuckled and held the camera closer.

Eve started laughing. ‘It’s like the thoughts are …poof… going.’ Laura ended the recording and threw the camera aside. The joint was buzzing through her body; she felt lighter, more optimistic.

Eve tapped her foot against the buzz. Her thoughts fluttered away, she ran her tongue over her front teeth. A sudden pull to be in water called to Eve; she sat upright in bed.

‘I need to be surrounded by … water. I’m going to lie in the shower.’

‘I feel like I could paint a wall … lots of walls. For hours.’ Laura wriggled her fingers in front of her face then followed Eve into the bathroom when she heard the water. Eve pulled back the shower door and felt the water run warm. She stepped into the shower, fully clothed. The water darkened her clothes until they clung to her body. Eve held her face under the water, fat drops falling on her skin. She offered a hand to Laura. Eve blinked through the water; she opened her mouth, letting the water splash inside it. Eve spun, her mouth full, and sprayed it all over Laura. Laura smiled, trying to push Eve back under the spout, but Eve caught her wrist and pulled her under with her. The water flowed around and through them. Eve’s lips found hers through the current. Eve’s body relaxed against her own. Sound fell away; they closed their eyes and the only sense they had left was touch. They clung to one another. A moment passed, then another, Laura could have sworn her skin was counting the drops of water that rolled and spread.

‘My whole body feels like honey,’ Eve whispered through the water.

Eve had gone to get them dinner while Laura waited. The pot was loosening from her system, leaving her drained and impossibly tired. Laura jumped when she heard the keys jingling in the door. She hadn’t remembered lying down on the bed.

Reaching her hand into one of the steaming brown paper bags Eve held forwards, her fingers wrapped around a curly fry. Laura moaned with delight as she bit down. They both sat on the floor; Eve didn’t have the formality of a chair in sight. Eve grabbed two beers from the fridge and set them down on a red blanket she’d found stuffed at the back of the wardrobe. Satisfied, Eve lay back, the blanket’s soft threads against her palm reminded her of the first time she smoked a joint.

Anna had come home late one night, after a long day of exams at college. She snuck into Eve’s room. ‘Can you keep a secret?’ she whispered from her door. They crawled out onto the roof together. Anna leaned against the house for support after the second drag. Eve had taken the joint from her sceptically; Anna let out an infectious laugh when she coughed and spluttered. After a few puffs, she could keep some of the smoke in her lungs. A tree rustled beside the house. Anna kicked off her converse sneakers, they rolled off the house and landed on the lawn out the front. Forgotten in that moment, they would be found by their confused mother the next morning.

‘What’s your dream, Eve?’ Anna had asked.

‘My dream?’

‘Yeah, like something you hope … for your life.’

Eve shook her head and reached for the joint. ‘You’ll think it’s stupid.’

‘I won’t.’ There was honesty in her eyes.

‘I want to be a professional dancer.’ Eve handed the joint back.

Anna nodded. ‘Then you’ve got to do it.’ She shook her. ‘Promise.’

‘Fine … fine, I promise. But you’re still too high to know what you’re talking about.’ Eve smiled.

Anna laughed back at her. ‘Maybe you’re right, kid, but do any of us really know what we’re talking about?’

Eve felt a warm hand on her leg. The memories dissolved in front of her eyes.

Laura stared at her curiously but said nothing. Eve turned to Laura and gazed at her sharp collarbones that peeked just above her dipped neckline. They moved with each breath she took, reminding Eve of antique lever locks, door handles that led up to a high castle. Eve had to blink a few times to make sure Laura was actually lying there, she looked like a shadow of a fantasy. Eve wished she could cut out the image reflected in her eyes, the silhouette of the figure she had spent all day with, and tattoo it onto her skin as a breathing memory of how utterly perfect she looked in that moment in time. She tried to cling onto the image, the unguarded, innocent way she held her body. Eve could see her mind ticking away, thoughts coming and going, forming and rearranging just beyond the grasp of her lips.

‘Can I stay here tonight?’ Laura asked, her voice muffled.

‘Stay every night.’ Eve kissed the top of her ear that peaked through her mass of blonde hair. She felt Laura smile through her shirt. Eve shifted to her side and stared down at Laura. ‘When we laugh in our dreams, are we really laughing with ourselves because our subconscious made the joke up?’

Laura chuckled under the cover of the blankets. ‘Where do you come up with this stuff?’

Eve rolled her eyes and clicked her fingers in front of her face. ‘There are two things in this life that you do not want to be flat, arses and sandwiches.’

Eve sighed when a coy smile played on Laura’s lips. One filled with wonder and promise. All at once, a thousand thoughts passed between them. Eve felt like they had been talking for decades, locked away in her apartment.