The Promise

Chapter Seventeen

Here we go! The next chapter is up! Please comment if you want :d I enjoy reading the comments.

The five of us exited the diner, the bell dinging at our leave. The four males were beginning to understand the severe nature of my disorder. They must approach this situation with a delicate hand and infinite patience. The Lost Boys weren't sure they were the right people to help such a fragile person, as they weren't known for their patience. However, they knew they would jump before a train or a hunter's stake for their mate. They would do anything they could for me.

"What do you want to do, mia cara?" Marko asked me, breaking us out of the comfortable silence that had ensconced our group since we exited the diner. I looked up at him and thought for a moment. I remembered the day that I was assaulted and what I wanted to do with them. It was a desire to play board games and just lose myself in the magic of the Boardwalk. Therefore, I hesitated momentarily before reaching out with my fingers toward a game stall.

While they were used to the Boardwalk and being able to play games whenever they desired, it was still new to me. I wondered if they would scoff or laugh at my desire, but honestly, there weren't a lot of choices to do on the Boardwalk at this hour. I waited momentarily and looked at their faces, which showed no annoyance.

"You want to play?" David asked, sharing a glance with Dwayne. I nodded eagerly, not noticing David's barely perceptible nod to the Native American. I watched as Dwayne disappeared into the crowds. Once, he gave me a wink and a smile.

"Alright!" Paul whooped, grabbing my hand. I smiled down at our entangled fingers before noticing that my body was moving without my permission. I laughed, throwing back my head, as Paul pulled me towards a small booth. My eyes met David's pale blue eyes, which looked at me with such a soft expression in the light.

David lit a cigarette, following Marko as they crowded around Paul and me. This booth was a shooting game, where you had to shoot out the shape with the gun. Paul handed the attendant the money for both of us. I had a hard time since the shotgun was heavier than anticipated. Marko stepped up, wrapping his arms around me and holding onto the gun.

I almost couldn't concentrate with Marko's hot breath on my ear. However, I pulled the trigger, letting Marko help me position the gun in the best way possible to win. Once I had run out of the BBs in the gun, the attendant pulled the papers towards us. Paul's was perfectly shot, while mine was almost perfect.

"What do you want?" Paul asked, pointing at the stuffed animals hanging from the roof. I looked at all the options, seeing penguins, lions, tigers, bears, and dogs, but finally, I settled on a more exotic choice: the stuffed Lemur.

"Here you go, little lady," the attendant smelled of body odor as he leaned over the counter to hand me the Lemur. I tried not to wrinkle my nose as his scent invaded my nostrils. I gave him a strained smile, accepting the stuffed plush into my arms before scurrying backward. The attendant wasn't able to notice that when I scurried backward, I took in a massive whiff of Marko's scent. It was almost enough to replace the stench that burned into my nostrils.

"Yeah," Marko sympathized, patting my back. He wasn't that sympathetic, as Marko was snickering at my obvious discomfort at the smell. I rolled my eyes. Everyone who had met Marko once thought he was the angel of the group, but little did they realize that Marko was one of the worst. Sometimes, the way that he treated others was even colder than David's, and I had already established that David hated other people with a passion. "It's alright, baby."

"He stunk!" Paul whined, wiping at his nose dramatically. I let out a chuckle and left the comfort of Marko's arms to wind them around Paul. He gasped, wrapping his arms around my form, chin resting on my head. "My baby! You want to comfort me!"

"Knock it off!" David hissed, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot before disentangling the two of us. I gave a small yelp at the suddenness of being removed from Paul but let David pull me to his side. "Where to next, kitten?"

"Um," I thought momentarily before motioning towards another booth. It was a dart booth. Marko smirked, a bit mischievous under the lights. If I wanted to equate Marko's expression to that of a high fantasy novel, he was the embodiment of a High Elf or Loki himself.

Marko was the one who sauntered up to the booth, an evident swagger in his step. I looked up at David, who caught my gaze. David just gave a light shake of his head, smirking as he pointed towards Marko. I saw Marko holding three darts in his hand, but he was staring right at me. My mouth dropped open as Marko took aim, never breaking our gaze. Then he popped each balloon. The attendant seemed angry that Marko beat the rigged game, but I got to pick another prize. This time, I decided to choose a kitten plush.

"To remind yourself of me?" David smirked, twirling my auburn hair around his gloved fingers. I just shrugged, letting myself get lost in the magic of the Boardwalk.

Each one of them dragged me to different stalls and different rides. We spent the evening in a whirlwind of laughter, prizes piling up around me. I noticed that at each stall, their antics became wilder as if they were trying to outdo each other to win my attention. At some point, Dwayne came back, handing me a stuffed dog. All too soon, the Boardwalk began to calm, and people left as the shops started to close.

"Let's take you home," David said as we walked to their motorcycles. Due to the amount of stuffed animals and prizes the guys had won throughout the night, I couldn't make it home by myself.

"Okay," I agreed.