Kissing Danger ✔️

FOUR

Word Count: 1717

I spy Lei at the refreshments table, draining another glass of wine.

Heading straight toward her, I don't dare glance back over my shoulder to make sure I'm not being followed by Eryk. There's something off about him, or maybe I'm the problem. I'm the crazy one who has apparently been dreaming about him, or at least someone who looks like him. This must be some once in the life time coincidence.

"I need your help," I say lowly in Lei's ear as I approach her, grabbing ahold of her hand. "I've officially lost my mind."

She turns, frowning. "Okay...Why's that?"

"That Eryk guy, I've seen him in my dreams," I tell her, wishing my voice wasn't shaking so much. If anyone is going to understand, it's Lei, although I worry I'm going to sound insane. I feel insane, like maybe I'm overthinking this.

"I'm not disagreeing, he's not average looking, at least," she replies, smiling devilishly as she recalls the man she approached. She seems unbothered that he stopped talking to her so quickly to come and speak to me. Why did he do that? Did he follow me from the ballroom, or did he just happen to be going that way? The more I think about this, the worse it gets.

"No, like those nightmares I've been having...They are a consequence of feeling like I'm being watched all the time. He's been in them," I whisper.

People around us glance our way as they replace their empty glass with full ones. Every now and again, someone who I know is familiar with myself and my mother will look over me brazeningly, looking at the dress she's picked out for me, and how much skin it's showing.

"Wow, you really have lost your mind," she mutters, somewhat playfully. I don't protest as she plucks my drink from my hand, that I hadn't even realised I had been holding. "I'll take that."

"Everything alright?"

Startled, I turn around to see Eryk, hands shoved into his pockets as he examines me. Releasing a long breath, I glance at Lei, who doesn't bother concealing her excitement to see him reappear.

"Sorry, I had to ask Lei something...Leilira, I mean," I stutter, trying to explain away my hurried exit. He doesn't seem bothered, expression passive, eyes cool. Lei quivers next to me, interested in grasping his attention again. I wish them the best of luck, although secretly I want to warn Lei to stay away from him. But why? I can't tell her it's purely because I have a weird feeling about him.

"May I interest you in one of these," a server says, coming to the table to stock up on food. I glance down at what he is offering. It's some kind of shellfish, my stomach churning in response. Freshly made."

Eryk reaches out to grab one, plucking it off the tray to hand to me. I open my mouth to protest, yet he pauses before I have a chance, brows furrowing.

"Never mind, I forgot..." he murmurs beneath his breath, putting it back on the tray.

I watch the server walk away, an uneasy feeling settling over me. "Forgot what?"

"Forgot that I was going to ask you to dance," he says after a long moment of hesitation. He holds his hand out to me, but I shake my head. I'm not going to dance with him. Not when Lei wanted him first, and I'm still shaken by what happened outside the ballroom. I can feel my friend shuffling uncomfortably beside me, likely wishing to be anywhere else suddenly.

"It's a good thing actually, I'm deathly allergic to seafood," I say, nodding to the discarded tray of shellfish on the table.

Eryk exhales slowly, following my gaze. I don't take my eyes off him though, wondering what's going on. For a moment I could have sworn he thought twice about handing me the food, as if he knew I were allergic. That would be impossible, since it's one of my only traits that my mother doesn't flaunt to anyone.