Truly Me

|| Mateo Sinclair||

He bowed his head low, trying to focus on his breath while he walked through the village. He hated these weekly outings to the market, but he needed food anyway. The moment he walked into the crowded square, the emotions of people hit him like a wave, crashing over him and pulling him down in others' feelings. Mateo Sinclair was an empath. He felt every emotion someone felt. Crowded places were hell for him. 

Even though he lived with this for 18 years, he still never got used to the overwhelming feeling. Yes, he managed to control it better, but the weird feeling never eased. His mother used to tell him it was a gift, a gift he must keep hidden from others. Over the years, that mindset began to fade. Now it only felt like a heavy curse Mateo must carry around. 

He walked with a quick pace toward the food stall, grabbing everything he needed. He quickly flicked some coins toward the man standing behind the stall and pushed everything into his back. "Have a good day, sir." The man said. With a small sigh, Mateo looked up. Once he made eye contact, all the emotions around him narrowed to the person he looked at. Sometimes it was calming. When his mother took him to crowded places, he kept looking at her. Mateo's mother was always calm. She was his rock in a stormy sea of wild emotions. But this wasn't with everyone, some people had emotions much worse than in crowded spaces. 

This time, he had luck on his side. Sure, the man he looked at was greedy and desperate for money. He was a tad sad, but nothing he hadn't experienced before. Mateo gave the man a small smile. "Yes, thank you. You too." He said and quickly walked away. 

He pushed himself through the crowd, his eyes fixed on the ground. "Why is it always so goddamn busy here," Mateo murmured to himself. When he finally got to the quiet streets at the end of the village, his shoulders relaxed. This was better. With his eyes still on the ground, he kept walking, his steps slowed to an easy pace. He noticed the sun going down, the light still giving warmth to his face. Suddenly he bumped into someone and his eyes shot up. That's when Mateo saw her.

~~~

I looked down at her, my eyebrow slightly raised. Her hair was blonde and short. Her eyes were brown and almond-round. Her skin was pale, her lips a light pink. Even though she was pretty, something didn't sit right with me. I noticed how she was scanning my face and my body. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She subtly apologised. I looked into her eyes. She was calm, content and even a little satisfied. Those are emotions I did not mind, it made me feel calm too. But I also felt something else. Something I had never felt from someone before. It changed every few seconds, but the feeling stayed constant. "Don't worry about it, I didn't either," I told her and reached out my hand. 

She looked at it for a second and then looked at me. I chuckled slightly.                                              "You know, shaking hands? Introducing yourself to one another."                                                                                                    "Ah, yes. Yes of course." She grabbed my hand and shook it.                                                                    "Macy." She said.
I looked at her. She was lying. It wasn't guilt that I felt when I looked at her, but something else. She wasn't at ease when she told me her 'name', she wasn't as calm as she was before. Even though her voice didn't betray a thing, her inner emotions did.

"Macy? Really?" I grinned. She raised her eyebrow. "You don't believe me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "I guess I don't," I responded. Something flashed in her eyes, but I couldn't read it, and neither could I feel it. It faded too quickly. "What's your name then, huh?" She crossed her arms over her chest. A smirk played on my lips. "Mateo Sinclair, such a pleasure to meet you." 

The mysterious girl looked at me. "Well then Mateo," I liked the way my name sounded on her lips. "I'm sorry for bothering you, have a nice day." She casually walked past me but I grabbed her wrist. She swiftly turned around, offence clearly in her eyes. She wasn't scared, nor comfortable.
"Do you have something to do, like right now?" I questioned, giving her a small smile. I want to figure her out. Normally I wouldn't do that, but she's too interesting to let go. Life is short after all, better enjoy it.
"Why in stars name do you think I'm going to tell you that?" She shot back.
"You seem terribly lonely and I happen to be perfect company." My smile grew wider.
"You're ego is too big, I don't like people with too big of an ego."
"Come now Missy, you don't even know me." My smile turned into a smirk as an irritated look flashed through her eyes.
"Precisely, I don't even know you." She pulled herself free.
"Then this is the perfect time to get to know me." 
She groaned. "You're a pain in the ass." I let out a chuckle. 

"Fine then, you seem desperate to pass some time, can't turn down the miserable people, can I now." The girl said while turning around. She walked away. Should I wait here or walk along? "Well, are you coming or not?" She yelled from a little distance. "Alright Missy, calm down." I chuckled again, quickly following her.

I had no idea where we were going, but she was quiet the whole way, not the awkward kind of quiet. It was peaceful. The walk was rather long, I hadn't prepared myself for that. When we finally got out of the forest, a small, cozy looking cottage appeared in my view. It was settled in the middle of a small open space, trees surrounding us. "If you tell anyone I live here, I might have to kill you." She said, then paused. "Or hold you hostage." I let out a low laugh. "Your secret is safe with me Missy." I promised her while she opened the front door. 

"Stop calling me Missy." She sighed. "If you tell me your real name, I might will Missy." I shot back, walking up the front door and following her into her house. I looked around. It was small but, like I expected, cosy. The girl disappeared into what I guessed was her bedroom and came out a few seconds later. Now that her coat was gone, I noticed how she wore the same clothes as I did. A simple kind of suit. She had a high collar, which she calmly straightened when she walked to the kitchen. She poured two glasses of water and handed one to me. 

Before I could thank her, she opened her mouth. "It's Cassidy. Cassidy Miller." She said, her mouth immediately shut as if she just realised that she lost our little game. "Cassidy Miller. Good name, why keep it hidden?" Cassidy her eyes shot back to mine. "Everything to make you stop calling me Missy." She sighed. I eyed her, and that strange feeling buzzed through my body. Was it an emotion? Or something else? I never recognised it before, but it felt so familiar.
Who is this girl? And why am I so attracted by her?