Chocolate Emergency

Nineteen Hell

Nineteen Hell

          The car's engine was cut, its loud and energetic roar stopped beneath my feet. Laughter had abandoned us a long time ago, leaving a suffocating silence in its place. Devlin turned the keys and pulled them out, smoothly tucking them into the pocket of his grey pants.

          The night was dark, swirling around us like a hidden blanket of gloom and deception. Welcome to Oak Apartments Complex – said a wooden board with green painted borders hanging off a small rusted pole. Residents of the apartment were shuffling in and out the tall, brick building containing numerous black framed windows and straight staircases. Some of the small, metal paned windows led out to the wooden planked patios.

          Devlin had parked his Toyota Camry in the parking lot near the entrance of the apartment's shabby enquiry office. Besides us, cars were leaving their spots and some were being parked. It was a busy environment. Everything was bustling with life and activity unlike us. He wasn't talking neither was I. Time seemed to have come to a strange standstill. Both of us didn't know how to make it tick forward. Maybe only I felt that way. Maybe I was the only one who didn't want things to move on.

Why?

          Because I was scared of what's about to come, I'm scared of reality, I'm scared of his rejection which I know is bound to happen.

He was about to exit the car, the door was opened as he shifted to move out but I stopped him.

          I had to. I didn't have a choice. There were questions that needed answers.

          My hands trembled as I held his shirt's cuff, the fabric felt nice under my cold skin. His brows were creased as his eyes watched me wearily- it was like they could read each and every thought creating a ruckus inside me.

          I bit down on my lips to stop them from quivering.

He moved back and closed the door with a gentle thud.

          "What?" He spoke, dryly.

I gulped. My hand still held his wrist. I didn't want to let go. I wanted to hold his hand because I needed to. There aren't words to explain that necessity.

          I let go nevertheless, a lump forming inside my throat when I did.

"I went against my father today," My voice was hesitant, flickering like an open flame placed outside in the stormy winds. "I need to know why,"

"Because Mr. Brown didn't want us to be together," The expression on his face was blank as he said the words.

"Are we even together?" The tone of my voice was sharper than I had intended it to be.

"Are we?" He held my gaze, indifferently. My pulse quickened as I stared into those spellbinding eyes.

When I realized that he had turned the question back on me, my heart fell to the pit of my stomach.

I didn't know what to say.

"How old are you, Alice?" I had no idea where he was headed with this.

          "Eighteen,"

He averted his eyes to stare at the cold night. "Do you know my age?"

          "No," I whispered. I had a brief idea on how old he might be. He had already completed grad school so he's probably older than twenty-two. How much older? I really didn't have clue.

          He looks really young, which he is. I mean if I didn't know him I'd probably say he's still in high-school but he isn't.

          "In a few months, I'll be turning twenty-four,"