Kissing Danger ✔️

THIRTY ONE

Word Count: 1473

~Aven

I barely make it into the next carriage before I catch sight of Eryk.

He's pushing through a small crowd, either oblivious to their irritated protests or he simply doesn't care. I stop in my spot, frozen under his gaze. I'm tempted to back up and make for the back of the train, but he catches up to me far too quickly.

"You can't just run away like this," he snaps, grabbing my forearm. I tug away, rubbing the tender spot where his grip was too tight.

"I thought I saw someone I knew," I mutter under my breath, falling into step beside him as we walk back the way he came from.

He frowns down at me. "Who would you know here?"

I grit my teeth, trying not to bite back. Eryk has been getting under my skin a lot recently, regardless of whether or not it's his job to look after me. If we return after our travelling and there is still a threat against me, then I'm going to encourage Stace to alert Eryk to the fact that he is no longer needed.

Just as I open my mouth to reply, we enter back into a more common area, Stace emerging from the other side at an irritably convenient.

"What's going on?" He questions, looking between Eryk and I.

"Aven is finding it hard to stay in one place this morning," Eryk mutters, ridged even as I kick him in the shin. We glare at each other.

"Where could I possibly go on this train? I was fine," I dismiss.

"It's okay Eryk, you go get breakfast. I'll look after Aven." Stace nods toward Eryk, who gives me a lasting look with narrowed eyes before he walks off.

Turning toward Stace he holds his hand up, already knowing what I'm going to say before I even say it. Maybe I shouldn't have been so glad to see Eryk walk away, considering I was planning on avoiding Stace all day so we don't have to have the dreaded conversation about what happened last night.

"I don't need looking after," I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I know," Stace affirms softly. "We need to talk."

I'm suddenly painfully aware of the mark on my neck, Stace's dark gaze fluttering to it every few moments. Mindlessly my fingers brush my hair back over it, trying not to remember the memories associated with it.

The way he pinned me against the counter...The way he made me look at him in the mirror while he kissed my neck...

"Do we..." I turn to look out the window, even if the blizzard whites out everything in sight. It's far more productive than looking at his eyes, lips or hands, especially when I'm already struggling with my roving mind.

"Shall we do this in private?" He asks.

I pause. More flashbacks come back to me, completely unwarranted, especially in the way they make my toes curl. If Stace and I go back into a private room I hate to think of what would happen...By the quiet gleam in his eye, there's no way he's going to take this conversation seriously, and I'm not ready to be lured into bed with him, regardless of how I felt in the moment last night.

"No, I think right here is perfect, Stace," I exclaim, walking into the sitting area where others drink coffee and enjoy their books in partial silence. "I was just considering doing some reading."

Stace watches me pluck a random book from the communal bookshelf, choosing a seat close to the wall to collapse into. Sighing, Stace sits on the seat opposite me, watching me intently.