The Ocean's Call: Part One | ✔

Part Sixteen

Part Sixteen

The girl standing there with him downs the last of her drink, pushing off the wall. "I'll cover for you. Good luck." She pats him on the shoulder as she walks by.

She smiles at me before going back inside through the door I just came out of. I watch her disappear inside before turning back to him. He is real. He's right in front of me right now.

He knows my name. How? "How do you know my name?"

"That's your first question?" he asks, his entire demeanour relaxing visibly. "Why did you take the bracelet off?"

I look down at my left wrist. He knows about that? "How would you know?"

He smirks. "Aside from the fact you're clearly no longer wearing it, I can feel it. Same way you knew where to find me, Isla."

It does worry me a little that somehow, I knew exactly where to find him without even thinking about it. My body just brought me in this direction, a nagging feeling in my gut directing me. "Who are you?"

He walks towards me. "I'm Austin."

"Why am I dreaming about you?" I ask, crossing my hands across my chest.

He stops just in front of me. He looks better in person. His hair is messier though, like he has no idea what a hairbrush is. His green eyes have nothing on mine, they are so vibrant I feel like I might get lost in them if I stare to long.

His mouth twitches. "You might want to put the bracelet back on."

I frown. "Why?"

"I do know what a hairbrush is, but I have this terrible habit of running my hands through my hair constantly."

My eyes widen. He heard that? Did I say it out loud? I go back over the last couple of things I said, no I didn't say that out loud. He can hear my thoughts?

He nods. "When you're projecting them, yes."

"Projecting them?"

He points to the pocket where I put the bracelet. "If you put the bracelet back on, I can't hear them anymore."

I reach into my pocket and produce the bracelet. I fiddle with the clasp, but I can't get it. My fingers shake as the panic builds from not being able to get the bracelet back on.

He steps closer, his feet in my line of vision as I fiddle with the clasp. "Can I?"

I look up at him, take a deep breath before I offer my wrist and the clasp to him. I don't know if he does it on purpose, but he manages to do the clasp up without touching me at all. I drop my hand to my side a sense of security pulling over me as my thoughts are now my own.

"This isn't how I imagined this going you know." He says, stepping back.

"I can't believe you're actually real." I whisper. I'm tempted to reach out and touch him just to double check, but I remind myself that's not an appropriate thing to do.

He laughs. "Yeah, you've been on a bit of whirlwind."

"No kidding. I have questions I need answers too."

He nods. "I know you do but not here though. I've pictured this conversation so many times, I'd feel better having it where I imagined it."

"And if I object? What if I don't feel comfortable going somewhere with you?"

He takes another step backwards, holding his hands up. "Do you feel uncomfortable?"

I wish I could say I do just so I didn't have to prolong this conversation anymore than it already has but I surprisingly feel at ease around him. There's a calming feeling around him. I feel like I've known him forever, yet I know nothing about him. He needs to give me answers to that as well.