The Countdown

Craving Chocolate

 I stood up and impulsively walked over to the door, my mind was racing as I tried to picture just how to retrace my steps out of the house. If I hurried and found Owen there was a possibility that I could make sure that I was with him, and only him when my timer hit zero.

I knocked on his room first. When no one answered I opened it up, slowly in case he really was in there and just didn't hear me. The interior of the room was mostly grey with an accent colour of soft pastel blue. The bed took up the majority of the room, while a dresser and a desk sat off to the side. The bed was perfectly made, and if not for the briefcase perched on the end of it I might have thought it to be another guest room.

I hadn't even noticed myself walk inside until as if by magic I was watching my fingertips brush over the polished wood of the desk.

My gaze absently moved to my match tattoo...which was next to my timer.

10, 9, 8...

Quickly I scrambled out of the room and turned to race down the stairs. A flash of pain as I tripped over myself and then someone had caught me. I shut my eyes as the voice that didn't belong to Owen spoke.

"Woah there speed racer" a pause, "are you alright, sugar?"

His question hung in the air like a dead weight.

Was I alright?

I ignored the query and rightened myself. One, two breathes in and I'd managed to pull whatever courage I had left to look at him.

Blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, eyes to the exact colour of chocolate, and a ghost of a smile on his lips. He wasn't looking at me, but down at his hand that still held my arm. Then I saw it. He now had the heart with 9 sections outlined by pink. TWO sections were filled, the grey and now the brand new coloured section was filled in with a simple, yet somehow complicated blue. On my own wrist the blue section was now coloured in.

Thumps of steps on the stairs had me pulling my arm away as Owen appeared on the top of the stairs. He smiled at me, none the wiser to what a bad "perfect match" I was.

"Ah, I'm glad you met Luke," I seriously doubt that, I thought to myself awkwardly as he turned to look at his friend, "Luke, this is my soulmate, Sang. I hope you don't mind her staying here a while."

I tried not looking at Luke. Him owning the house and being Owen's friend somehow made things worse. But who am I kidding? I couldn't help myself. I couldn't help this situation, and while I knew how messed up and confusing it was, I just hoped that Luke wouldn't freak out.

He raised an eyebrow at me, a small smile on his face, "Sure she's welcome as long as she likes," Luke said kindly, looking away from me to focus on Owen who nodded oblivious to the situation.

"North said Victor and Nathan will both be in for breakfast tomorrow."

Luke nodded at Owen in acknowledgement, "Chocolate chip pancakes," he said firmly. A twinkle in his eyes that I didn't completely understand.

"That's my favourite," I said automatically, and then wanted to hit my head off of the nearest wall for causing both men to look at me.

Owen tilted his head in interest and Luke beamed. "That reminds me, Luke, weren't you also to find your soulmate today?" Owen asked while walking over and putting a hand on the small of my back.

An awkward pause and then, "Yes I did, but she's a little busy right now even for me, so we're catching a movie tonight."

I felt my cheeks heat in a splash of jealously I couldn't explain. Owen's face fell, "Oh, tonight I have to fly to Florida, I almost forgot," he frowned, "I guess I'll need to be cancelling, I hadn't planned..."

I was lost but Luke seemed to know what he was thinking. "Hey man don't worry," he grinned, "I can watch the movie here, and Sang can stay while you're on your trip."

The jealousy faded away and I was suddenly nervous that Owen would catch on to what was going on around him, but even through the concern in his expression I could tell there was more than just me on his mind at present. For now, I was thankful, but at the same time I worried what this might mean for me when he got back.

"Are you okay with this? I'll be back in three days," he said, "or you can come with."

I didn't know what he was going to do in Florida, but I knew last minute plane tickets couldn't be cheap. Owen also didn't know I was choosing which soul mate to stay with but Luke did. The fact that Luke was staring at me intently, and Owen seemed more open to the idea of letting me choose, whether he knew it was between him and Luke or Florida and the house, didn't matter. At least not in that moment.

"I'm okay here," I said, smiling as if I wasn't going slightly insane.

Owen started speaking again, while Luke and I looked at each other in mutual secretive silence. His chocolate eyes told me everything I didn't want to believe. And maybe, just a little bit of something I couldn't help but crave, but then again that could simply just be the chocolate resemblance.