AN EXCERPT:
She came into Bella’s life without warning, like a summer storm that swept in under the blanket of twilight from a dark horizon. Aleah stood over her as she sat in the shadow of the old oak tree and immortalized the sunset in her sketchbook.
Aleah said nothing, her full lips pursed together, her brow furrowed as if she was lost in thought. Her eyes, blue as icy waters, shone with an intensity that could rival the arctic seas. Her hair was dark as midnight, left free, wild like the creature she was. There was a dangerous air about her, so incredibly sensual yet she was so completely unaware. From the moment Bella first laid eyes on her, she wanted to touch her. Everyone wanted to touch her. That was Aleah’s blessing and her curse.
In one effortless motion Aleah slinked down to the ground, her long legs pulled up beneath her. She leaned back against the tree, her gaze wandering out. The horizon that had moments before captured Bella’s fancy, now seemed pale in comparison.
Bella went back to her drawing though she’d lost all desire for the sketch. She wondered if Aleah saw what she did in the landscape they admired. The amber cast of light through the trees, the gentle sway of the branches in the late summer breeze sending the spray of light to dance upon the forest floor. Bella cut her glance at Aleah from the corner of her eye. She’d rested her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. No, she didn’t see what Bella saw, she was somewhere else entirely.
They sat in silence, not a word to be exchanged between them, just the soft draw of her breath and the beat of Bella’s own heart. It was Aleah who finally broke the silence.
“He says I’m dead inside.”
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