Most Ardently

by Gabe Cole Novoa

“Don’t you?” Oliver shook his head, pulling his gaze away from Darcy’s intense eyes. He spotted Bingley across the room—it wasn’t difficult, what with his eye-catching red hair—who seemed very focused on whatever card game he was playing. “I try to enjoy as much of the world as possible. Life is short—what better way to spend it than try to find amusement out of as much as possible?” “And do you succeed?” Oliver met Darcy’s questioning stare. His face was so soft, so drawn in; Darcy hadn’t looked away from him once. He seemed genuinely interested in Oliver’s response. The realization made his stomach flutter and brought a lightness to his bones. “Not always,” he admitted after a pause. “But that doesn’t stop me from trying.” “I think that’s admirable,” Darcy said. Then, for the first time since this conversation had started, Darcy pulled his gaze away and glanced over the room. All at once his shoulders stiffened, the calm in his face dissolving into a stormy expression worryingly close to fury. Frowning, Oliver followed his gaze to the eastern side of the room. Bingley was seated there playing Macau, but Oliver thought it unlikely that Bingley had caused Darcy’s sudden change in temperament. Just as he began to turn back to Darcy to ask him what was the matter, his gaze caught on a boy who was scowling back in their direction. Oliver’s breath caught in his chest—he knew that boy. His face was unmistakable—after all, it’d been just the day before that he’d met Wickham. Dar...

i’m giggling and kicking my feet bro