Alice struggled to keep his gaze once she had finished speaking, and it was all her courage and strength which kept her eyes locked on his. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and in her neck and she could barely keep still. She didn't notice his expression, and quietly berated herself for being so open with him. She had sacrificed that luxury.
And then he said words that made her feel as if her entire body was weightless. She couldn't be sure that she hadn't just made it up in her head - there was no way he had meant what he said. He thought they should end up together? Alice tucked her hair behind her ear and she couldn't wipe the smile from her lips. At last, Alice looked down bashfully.
When she finally found the courage to look up again, she had a renewed confidence and a new topic. "I still have something for you," she said warmly. Alice wanted to climb on top of the counter and sit with her legs wrapped around him as she pulled him close. Instead, she started to move towards the back of the counter so that there might not be any furniture between them. "I hope you like it."