The Deadliest Desires

Chapter Three

Chapter Three – Lilia

It's funny how our eyes are so advanced but we always seem to miss the important things. 

Keaton stayed for dinner and he seemed pretty content about it. He helped me set up the table in the dining room which holds one to many flower pots. I insisted that he should sit down but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Keaton looked really happy with my moms cooking... Which is saying something. He is one of a kind. On the up side, he kept my mind off of Caleb stupidity. On the down side... When he left, all that shit came pouring in all fresh. Tears sprung up in my eyes as I limped upstairs to my room (and not from the pain shooting up from my ankle). I laid down in my bed as my phone started to ring. I look down to see an unknown number. I pick up, “Hello?”

“Lilia? Look outside your window," said the person on the other line and then the line when dead. 

I looked my phone and then at the window. I slowly got up putting as little weight on my injured ankle as possible. Again I limped over and looked down onto my lawn. Caleb was standing in front of my house in a tux holding flowers. I looked away from the window to find my mom standing here with an angered look, “Should I shoot him or should I shoot him?”

I shrug, “Either one. I don't mind.”

My mom nods and gives me an evil smiling. “Oh! And Keaton left this note for you,” my mom smiled as she handed a small green note.

I nod and hop over to my bed before opening it.

Lilia- I am so happy I stumbled in on a beautiful princess in the forest. I'm even happier that I get to be prince charming, even for a day. Call me whenever you need me. :-) -Keaton

A small slip of paper with a phone number was inside of the green note. I continued to repeat the number a bunch of times until the number is etched into my head. I smiled as I rolled over to lay on my stomach as I checked my cell phone. No new messages. Well I guess Caleb is changing things up.

~

I twisted my ankle and put my running shoes onto my feet. It's been five days since the accident and I feel a lot better. Keaton is coming for a run to make sure nothing happens to me since my injury's so fresh. I fixed my long wavy hair into a pony tail and then tied it into a tight bun. With all my hair out of my face, I quickly got into my black shorts and my red tank top. My mother bought my a cell phone strap which is now wrapped around my bicep.

The doorbell rings and I run downstairs to open the door. Keaton is standing there in long black sport pants and an amazing tank top that fits him oh too well. I smile at him, “Ready?” I ask him as I close the door behind me.

Keaton nods and smiles at me, “Totally. Lets see what you got.”

I smile deviously at him and start jogging down the porch stairs and towards the forest. Keaton easily catches up to me and smiles, “Not bad. Is your ankle bothering you at all?”

I kinda bounce on it and find it to be sore, “No not at all... it's just sore.” I smile up at him. Oh boy he's tall! And he's really cute with his dark brown short but messy hair. His gold eyes always seem to be determined. He has a great smile that is always somehow joking. Did I mention he's tall?

“Good,” he smiles. Keaton starts to pick up speed and I easily follow down the familiar path. I don't know how it got here but it's been useful so far.

We run for a while in silence, looking at the scenery and smiling at each other whenever we egg each other on. Keaton is starting to sweat a little bit... Not a bad look on him. I look past him into the forest and catch a glimpse of what looked like a girl. My foot snagged on something and I fell right into Keaton. He caught me but I'm still staring at the forest, searching for any signs of the human girl.

“Lilia! Are you ok?” Keaton asked me. He brushed loose hair out of my face as he gently put me down on the ground.

There was another flash of a body running through the trees. My eyes are not fast enough to catch something moving that fast. It's inhuman. The forest started to become unusually active as my eyes kept on seeing sudden flashes of a body or a face. Something shook me hard and I had to use all my strength to turn and look at Keaton. His eyes looked at me in a sickeningly worried. Keaton's hands were continuously pushing back my hair out of my face.

“Did you see it?” I said. I quickly got up and pushed Keaton out the way. I stepped into the forest and started making my way deeper into the forest and farther away from the path. A strong hand latched onto my arm. I tried to pull away, as it kept me away from whatever was moving deep within the forest, but it held me back. I turned around and Keaton is staring down at me with a hard look on his face. I start to get angry because he doesn't believe me, “I'll go find it myself! You can stay on the path but I want to figure out what the hell it is.”

“Not now.”

My eyes search his as shock sinks into my body. He believes me? Why does he believe me? He should think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy. Keaton pulls me in for a hug. I hug him back and let my head rest on his chest as I breathe in a few shaky breaths. Keaton smells of shaving cream, soap, shampoo, and the forest... And right now, of sweat. His hands run down my hair, smoothing it out. “Lets head back. Just a light walk for now,” he says. His chest vibrates from his voice. I nod while still hugging him. Keaton takes my hand as we start to walk back to the path and back to my home.

My home... Where does Keaton live? There are a lot of unanswered questions about Keaton. Whatever, I think, He'll tell me when he feels comfortable. I smile as many more questions pop up into my head. I keep my head down so that my hair covers my face from him.

“Lilia?” says Keaton. “How did your mom come up with your name?”

I shrug. Of course I've asked my mother the same questions a thousand times. Why couldn't I have been named something normal? I look up at him and give him a half smile, “She tells me the same thing every time I ask her. Her answer is always the same. Apparently my dad named me... Or told my mom to name me Lilia.”

Keaton smiled, “What's your dad's response to it?”

I shake my head, “I don't know. I've never met him. He left my mom before I was born.”

Keaton looks at me sadly, “I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked.”

“You can't mourn over something you've never had,” I say as I shrug it off. I squeeze his hand and smile up at him. We are finally on the path and walking back nicely enjoying the breeze and the shade. “Hey what about you? How did your name come to be? It's unusual too.”

Keaton shakes his head, “My mom... She likes experimenting with names... Like my brothers name is Alexius. My younger twin sisters names are Corinne and Magdalenia.”

“So you have a big family?”

“Ya you could say that. There are six of us under one roof,” he laughs.

I nod and try to stifle my smile. A bunch of questions rain down from the thunderstorm that is my brain. “Ya that is a lot of people. Do you live in an old Victorian house like mine or a smaller one in town?”

Keaton nudges me and squeezes my hand, “I live on the other side of these woods. So even farther away from town. But my house is more of a ranch house than yours and probably much newer.”

I nod taking in all the information. Keaton lets go of my hand and I am temporarily disappointed until his arm wraps around my shoulders. I let my head rest on his body as we walk in sync. So far... He's a great friend. I just hope my mind isn't playing tricks and using him as a rebound... But Caleb never did this...