Hold Me Forever

Chapter 3

[Previously: Claire got abducted from the school parking lot and put in a green truck with Ari screaming her name.]

{Since its been awhile ;)}

A/N: also if you're confused, there is going to be a memory of Claire and Ari before each chapter but they are important to the story at some point.

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"Are you okay?" The question was loud in such a quiet room. I raised my head and lifted my eyes from the words typed on the crisp pages of my book.

The look that was displayed upon Ari's face made my entire body burn. His eyebrows furrowed and lips were set in a concerned frown. I stared at the lines of his sharp jaw and traveled along his strong cheekbones before fumbling over words that my mouth couldn't form.

"Claire?" All I could focus on was the way his voice lifted at the end of every word he spoke and how his words put me in a trance. Its deep sound made the hair on the back of my neck rise and my skin tingle.

This was happening a lot lately. As soon as Ari walked into a room, I would instantly get flustered. My right leg would twitch and color would fill my cheeks and spread warmth amongst my face.

It was weird and awkward, and I couldnt tell anyone about the new found feelings. The person I could confide in, was the person that caused the thousands of butterflies to flutter in the bellows of my stomach and matches to be set along my arms and legs.

I forced my eyes back down to focus on the book, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't read a single word. His ocean blue eyes were picking at the skin on my forehead and climbing under my skin, and trying their best to figure me out.

In some ways, I guess I knew.

I knew that Ari was my mate. From the first day that we were old enough to know each other, the thought had been nailing me in the back.

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. Ari's hand inched across the table. With every inch he moved, the tighter my grip got on the spine of my book got. Once the soft pads of his fingertips brushed against my skin, my whole world had burst into chunks and was laying throughout the library.

My whole body seemed to deflate like his fingertips poked a hole in a balloon and all of the air was slowly being released into the atmosphere. Sparks were bouncing erratically through my bones.

Without a second thought, I stood up, my chair screeching as its legs dragged against the floor. I ripped my hand out of his grip and rubbed my skin where his fingers were, silently wishing for the feeling to go away.

Ari followed my actions by standing up and placing both hands on the table top and leaning forward. His concerned expression changed into a frustrating scrowl. "What has been going on with you?" His voice was deadly.

My whole body shook with nerves and bottled up emotions. I didn't know what to say to him, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I just-" I stumbled over words once again. "I've been on the edge lately, but its not with us. Or I mean you." I cringed as I awkwardly continued speaking the first thing that came to mind. "My cat died."

I realized my mistake before Ari could even respond, I gathered all of my belongings and ran.

I reached the library's door and pushed it open. The bell above me rang out and pierced my eardrums, only amplifying whatever emotions were going through me.