The Outlier

TWENTY-TWO

Edward's torso glistened marvellously in the sun. Light refracted off of every inch of his skin, revealing colourful glimmers. My mind couldn't string up coherent thoughts nor could I tear my gaze from his statue-like stance. His eyes avoided mine as he stood awkwardly, his body looking far more exposed than it had been previously. 

The meadow looked dull in comparison to him. 

My hand instinctively dropped and I took an automatic step back. I would've been a fool to think Edward wouldn't have noticed my wary reaction. 

"I scare you, don't I?" he asked, sorrow lacing his tone. 

"No," I lied. 

"You're lying." 

"No, I'm not."

"Kai," he said as he stepped closer to me, "you should be scared." I planted my feet into the soil— refusing to make myself come across as frightened. 

"Why?" I scolded myself for asking such a foolish question when the answer stood in front of me in bright red. 

"I am a killer, Kai." He laughed humourlessly. "Everything about me is designed to kill." 

All I saw of him was a blur and suddenly he was half a kilometre away from where we stood, retreating out of the sunlight. 

"As if you could outrun me," he laughed mockingly, the sound echoing across the empty location. 

With no effort or difficulties, he ripped an old tree straight off its roots. He threw it around playfully, as one would toss around a pencil. In the blink of an eye, he threw the tree against another tree— one that was only a few metres behind me. I flinched as I felt the ground shake at the impact. 

What if he missed? I thought, shaken. 

He whirred in front of me, standing a foot away. His face looked tortured and pained. 

His voice was gentler this time. "As if you could fight me off." 

I stumbled backwards, out of the meadow. I rested my back against the base of a tree for some kind of support. The height difference between Edward and me was nothing big, but never in my life had I felt so small. My chest was rapidly rising and falling as I watched the boy I was sure I knew turn into something I've never seen. 

"Edward, stop it," I breathed out. 

"Why should I?" he mocked. "I'm the world's greatest predator. I can make you do whatever I want," he taunted. He pinned me to the tree behind me, effectively trapping me between his body and the tree trunk behind me. 

I pathetically closed my eyes and my breathing grew ragged. My heart was catapulting in and out of my ribcage. Being this close to Edward— it was difficult not to be scared. I could feel his cold breath on my face. 

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I saw Edward's face inches away from mine. I was shocked to see him look so... him. I had expected to see his beautiful face contorted into a three-headed dog. He looked so much like the Edward I knew, in a way I hadn't expected. 

Every ounce of fear left my body when my eyes met his face. I felt the same strange itch in my fingers to touch him. To feel him. I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. 

"What are you doing?" he demanded. 

"Nothing," I shrugged. His eyes were wide with fear at the closeness of our bodies. If I were to sway— even just an inch— forward, I'd feel him. 

"Just don't push me away, alright?" I whispered. 

I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his cold waist, the fabric of his billowy button-up shirt seemingly gone. I leaned my head on his shoulder, my forehead pressed against his neck. He turned into a cold, marble sculpture under my touch.