Chasing Starlight

Chapter 36 - Melted

Samia jolted out of her sunlit reverie when a gentle touch and familiar voice called out sweetly to her.

"Samia..."

She turned her head to see Rory, dappled sunlight painted him in yellow and indigo, blue eyes lit up and a rare indulging smile across his face. His cool hand brushed against her cheek, pulling her to him with only the suggestion of a touch.  The world around her melted, did I fall asleep..? Is this a dream..?

Up to this moment she had felt overcome with anxiety, dread and heavy guilt. She had been constantly questioning herself with 'why'. Why did I do that? Why did I let myself get swept up with either of them and lose sight of things? Why did I let both of them get hurt? Why didn't I stop things sooner? She had been shifting internally to decide what to do from here, and had been slowly unearthing an answer she loathe to consider. Even with the warm sun on her face, she felt underground. She had been digging herself a hole and couldn't reach out.

In was in this moment of deep indecision and despair, that the cool touch and call of her name broke through. The pit shattered around her, lifting up the muggy hell she felt trapped in, cooling her and filling her with relief as rain breaking through a damp August day.

She felt breathless in his beauty, like a living masterpiece painting was created before her. The deep pool of his eyes always pulled her in, the hunger she always felt from him was there but it felt different. Deeper, more focused, pulling her to him with the intensity and relentlessness of a black hole, and all she can do is stand, transfixed as she is devoured whole.

He murmured her name again, his voice husky and low as he pulled her to him and kissed her as naturally as breathing. She looked up at him as he leaned out the window and wrapped his arms around her. Her heart thudded in her chest and she stared at him with wide eyes as she tried to think of what to say. A sly smile crossed his face and he leaned in again and kissed her once more.

"Now how am I supposed to hold back when you look at me like that?"

Blush flushed Samias face and her hands flew up to cover herself as her mind short circuited.

"I-uh, um," she stammered trying to grab hold of something to tie her sanity onto, "we're at school! What if.. what if...some one sees?" She finished weakly as she gazed into his eyes.

"Hmmm, oh my, Miss Hawes, I guess you're right!" He couldn't help from teasing her, seeing her cute face scrunched up in embarrassment but still shyly glancing at him with longing, it made him want to be a bit villainous to her. He leaned in close to her, her breath caught in her throat but she didn't pull away.

"Guess I'll just have to kidnap you so no one knows then, right my little kitten?"

Before she could react, he slipped his hands onto her waist and lifted her with ease in through the window, closing it behind them and into what Samia realized was a very dark hallway she had never been in before. Outside, the sunlight continued shining on a small garden and dark, now closed, window.

Her face flushed with his nearness and touch, and he leaned in towards her and pulled her against him tightly with another kiss.

He smiled at her again, Samia could swear that's all it took to make her heart beat faster. Even in the dark, his blues eyes shone like starlight. Her heart ached, the very things that fell away with his touch came creeping back in, reminding her of what's to come. She suddenly felt choked up, and small. She turned her face away from him so he wouldn't see the tears pulling at her eyes.

"Hey...kitten... why won't you look at me?" He asked, ducking his head around to try to catch her eye.

She shook her head, willing her tears away with poor luck as she felt the lump in her throat grow.

"Hey...hey..shhh, what's wrong?" His voice took on a small twinge of panic, afraid he had scared her after what happened with Elliot. He dropped his arms to his sides and went to his knees so he could look up at her as he softly held her fingers.

"Samia... I'm sorry if I scared you just now... sometimes I can't help myself around you.. but I promise I'll stop if it's making you scared after everything that happened.."

His sorrowful look and downcast eyes reminded her so much of a puppy that the contrast to his usual cool and unaffected demeanor almost made Samia snort with laughter. When did he get to be so cute..?

She caught herself in time but couldn't help but smile towards the gentle Rory.

"No...no, that's not it." Her heart squeezed again a reminder. "Though to be honest, I have been thinking a lot about what happened.."

Rory listened intently, the serious composure he always pulled on for battle somehow felt necessary to him in this moment.

"Um... I think.. I need to come clean to the Headmistress about it."