All For Not - Wednesday

Page 99

"The scent has burrowed its way in, I cannot stand this...." I groan loudly, falling over into Kent's side as he chuckles, wrapping an arm around me as he carries his duffle on his back and my pack in his free hand.

"It'll go away, we set off that scent bomb."

"It smells like a soured dog now though, I see not how that is better than before..." I huff and he laughs at my displeasure, giving a halfhearted shrug, "It was supposed to be roses."

"Well it does not, Roses smell like rot and plant goo." I pull away with heavy lidded eyes, looking around as Kent twines his hand into mine. The action pulls a contented purr from my chest and I relax, sighing, "fine, if you say it will then i'll take your word, siren..."

He scoffs out a laugh and the corner of my mouth curls upwards, "yeah, keep sassing me and i'll cover you in pearls, smart ass," he says and snorts, pulling me closer by my hand as I grimace.

"Pearls are food, not something to be adorned in," I respond and roll my eyes, looking away as his expression hardens and he stops in his tracks, hand tightening on mine as I keep walking only to be pulled back by him as he stays unmoving, "Did you eat the one I'd given you?"

Blinking as I look up at him I tilt my head to the side, observing the reaction before speaking, "Of course not...why would I do so, it was a gift was it not? To be courted?"

"You ate that jewel," he states, eyeing me. I frown, "I prefer to eat fresh water pearls," I say, continuing, "besides, when I had licked it, it was much too salty, I don't see what could possibly be enjoyable from eating that one..."

We stare at each other for a moment before I huff and glare, causing him to click at me as I pull my hand away and raise a singular brow. My eyes narrow and my hands feel hot but before my skin starts to smoke and I pop at the audacity I move.

Without thinking about it I unzip the silky skin tight athletic jacket that covers me under his large fuller coat that he'd thrown over me just this morning. There hangs the pearl in a small cage of gold and carved lava rock.

"Your lack of trust in me is unbecoming, I do not find myself interested in this feeling..." I say, not a sneer but a glare as he clicks and pouts at the sight, "I didn't mean it like that, I just didn't think about you possibly eating it."

Huffing I pick up the chain and hold it up, "Clearly I have not, to even suggest so-" my hand heats, melting the chain into a snap. I stop talking eyes wide as I watch Kent catch the encased pearl with his quick reflexes. I pull my hand down slowly, broken chain sliding off my neck as I let it drop to the ground.

We stand in silence for a moment before I swallow and look at his face, something I'd never caught in his expression clouding it, "Maybe I should hold onto it..." He starts and I perk up more, eyes wide at the words, an uncomfortable simmer inside my chest and behind my eyes.

"But it is mine," I say and he grits his teeth, responding, "Yeah but maybe I gave you one too soon."

His words make my eyes twitch and my throat tight, "What do you mean?" I ask and he responds quickly looking down at it in his hand, "I think that it means more to me than it does to you that I gave you a pearl, you could have melted it or broken it just now."

"I didn't mean to-," he interrupts me, "I know...but I think I should keep it instead, so you don't do it again."

Swallowing thickly, the tightness in my throat is hard to ignore just like the way my chest feels hot and pressurized. I blink repeatedly, my head tilting naturally as I observe him and how he just slides it into his pocket unceremoniously.