Fates Intertwined

44. | Coincidence

After spending a long hour of trying to plan a way to end Van Helsing and his corporation, they finally dispersed, Aurora heading back to her room. She was ready to change into workout clothes and find a training room.

"Rory," Zyran called. She glanced back to find him jogging toward her. He fell in step with her. "You heading back to your room?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to change and try to find their training room. I need to work back my strength."

"Ah. Sounds fun." He nodded his head. "So have you seen Esme yet?"

"No. She's...busy, I guess." She sighed. She was starting to believe that Esme really wasn't alive and they were just stringing her along.

"But you don't believe she's alive?" He asked and her head snapped to him.

"How'd you know?" Her brows furrowed.

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're very easy to read."

She sighed. "That's not a good thing."

"Why not?" He asked as they made their way back up the stairs to the guest quarters.

"Because if you can read me, then anyone else can. Including an enemy." She explained.

He shrugged. "I'm also your friend and have been with you for the last week, so I've gotten to know you."

She looked at him. She shook her head as they reached the top of the stairs. "You don't know me." She said with a breathy laugh.

She moved to continue walking, but Zyran stopped her by cupping her elbow. "I know that you're kind-hearted. And that even if no one believes anything you say, or no matter how much scrutiny Lina gives you, you keep calm. You don't hold grudges and all you wish for is to keep us safe, even if you end up dead in the process."

"I'm a killer." She blurted. "I have four deaths on my hands. I fed from that man until his head literally fell off—"

He cupped her face, successfully cutting her off. "Your family's deaths are not your fault." He shook his head, determination in his eye. "They did not die by your hand, they are not your kill. And that man? That man was a creep and a pervert. It was only a matter of time before his actions caught up to him."

Just from the look in his eye, she could tell he believed it. With his entire being. With his whole heart.

And for some reason, that set her skin ablaze.

She cleared her throat. "Okay..." She whispered against the sudden war of butterflies in her stomach. They continued walking and as they reached Aurora's door, she realized she was still wearing his necklace. "Oh, here's this back." She said, unclasping it and holding it out to him.

He took it from her and stared down at it for a long moment. But then he shook his head, rewrapping it around her neck and reclasping it. "Keep it."

Her brows scrunched. "Isn't it special to you?"

"It is." He nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But I know it's safe with you."

She nodded, moving to open her door.

"Hey, Rory?" He called.

She turned. "Yeah?"

"Evelyn mentioned a... a Summer Ball. I was wondering if... maybe..." He shrugged unsurely. She stared at him confused. "Maybe you'd want to... I don't know..."

"I'd want to what?"

He cleared his throat. "Be my date?"

"Oh, uhm..." She felt her skin heat. "Sure. Yeah. I'd— I'd like that." She smiled at him.

He blew out a breath. "Oh, good."

They fell into silence, staring at each other.

Aurora finally cleared her throat, turning to look at her feet. "You really should take your necklace back. I don't want to have something so personal to you."

He stepped forward, forcing her to look up at him. "I want you to keep it." He reassured her. "If there's anyone I trust it with, it's you."

"Are you sure?" Her face scrunched in worry. She reached up to remove it again. "I don't want you to—"

He grabbed her wrists, pulling them down from her neck. "I'm sure." He smiled. "Besides, it looks much better on you than it ever did on me." She smiled at him, her cheeks turning a tinge of pink.

Their smiles slowly faded as they became aware of how close they were standing, Zyran's eyes flickering between her eyes and her lips, chapped as they may be.

Aurora's breathing picked up and she found herself leaning closer, his breath fanning over her mouth.

But just before their lips touched, a glass vase full of flowers splintered.

They jumped away.

"Okay... That was weird." Zyran murmured.

Aurora nodded, but she was staring at the glass vase still. That was the third time that had happened. First in the gas station bathroom, then again with the clock at Seanna's, and then now.

Each time had to do with Zyran touching her, or almost touching her. Intimately.

She cleared her throat. "I'm going to head into my room. I'll see you around, Zyran." She said quickly before disappearing into her room, shutting the door behind her.

She walked into the middle of her room, mulling over the different times something has interrupted her and Zyran.

The mirror. The clock. The vase.

All dealing with glass.

All splintering the second they touched.

It couldn't be a coincidence, as much as Aurora wanted to believe it to be. Something else was trying to keep them apart, something that didn't want them together.

She heaved a breath, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Come on. Remember." She whispered. There had to be something from the past that could explain why this was happening. Why Zyran and her were having these occurrences.

But no matter how hard she wished, nothing ever came.