Fatal Attractions

Chapter Seven

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I was speechless. The previous night, I assumed I would never see Alex again because of what had happened. But here he was, standing before me.

I resisted the urge to jump off the stone wall and give him a big bear hug. Although the fact arose that I had only just met him, I couldn't deny that I missed his presence and was scared he didn't want to see me again after last night. My curiosity got the best of me and I pushed him too hard for information.

If he wanted to be secretive, I had to respect that. I, of all people, should have understood.

"What's wrong?" he asked after I remained silent for a few moments. It took me a second to hear his question, and I looked up at him.

"Where'd you go last night?" I asked, and his brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" I couldn't help but let my jaw drop at his response. He had to know what I meant; wasn't it obvious?

"You stormed out last night. You got angry and left," I answered, and he looked confused for a second before realization filled his eyes and he looked at me.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," he mumbled, dropping his head down as he came closer to me and sat next to me on the stone wall. I lifted my left leg and rested it across the top of the stone wall, facing him.

"Are you, like, bipolar or something?" I asked, and he smirked and shook his head slowly.

"No. No, I'm not. I'm really sorry about that. I just get touchy over certain things," he responded, and I suddenly felt curiosity nipping at me once again.

"For example, when someone asks why you're always disappearing and popping up in random places?" I asked, immediately regretting my question. I didn't want a repeat of last night, especially with other people around to witness it.

Surprisingly, though, he kept his cool. "I actually never get asked that," he answered, looking at me. His expression was calm. More calm than I expected, considering my question. When I confronted him last night, he seemed more mad than ever. For Christ sake, he pinned me up against the wall. If I wasn't mistaken, I could've even swore his eyes went red for a second.

"Oh. So is it okay if you answer then?" I tried to keep my eyes on him, but it was difficult. I was scared of upsetting him once again, so my gaze automatically wanted to avoid him. Maybe if I made it seem like I wasn't pressuring him, he would give me an answer.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked, and I was taken back. Was he avoiding the question?

"Um... Can you answer my question first?" I asked, and he twisted his lips.

"I'd really like to go for a walk, Lena. This whole social party scene is killing me," he mumbled, looking behind him as a trio of girls came walking through the french doors, giggling loudly.

"I figured you were enjoying yourself," I nodded towards the red plastic cup he was now absentmindedly picking at. He shrugged his shoulders and lifted the cup to his lips, taking a sip. "It's just soda."

"Oh," I mumbled, looking down. In the corner of my eye, I saw him smirk.

"So how about that walk?" he asked, and I looked back up at him. I wasn't sure if being alone with him was the best idea. The last time we were completely alone, he shoved me so hard against a wall, it knocked the wind out of me.

He noticed my hesitation and his eyebrows furrowed. "What's the matter? I don't bite," he said, a ghost of a smile coming across his lips. I let out a slow sigh and nodded my head.