Chapter 5
Syrina followed Aralt up a large flight of stairs. They landed on the second floor where he took a sharp turn down the hall. He then stopped abruptly in front of a maroon colored door. Syrina hadn't stopped in time and managed to slam into him; her torso colliding uncomfortably with the small of his back.
Aralt stiffened slightly then relaxed. "Patience, dollface. You'll get freaky with your little boyfriend soon," he laughed as he rummaged around in his coat for the apartment key. Syrina simply stared on, itching to see Talon again. "No need to get all touchy feely with me."
"Sorry, I..." she began as Aralt opened the door. Inside she could see a darkened room. The curtains had been pulled completely shut, with only small hints of light traveling in. She scanned around and saw that it had been decorated like a tiny bachelor pad. A flat screen tv, leather couches, and high definition DVD players had been neatly placed about. On the loveseat sat Talon. He had been oblivious to them- completely indulged in whatever he'd been watching on the screen.
Aralt strolled in casually and threw his keys onto the nearest coffee table. "Look, Brother! I found a stray," he said in a sing-song voice as Talon turned his head an inch to the side. His eyes grew wide at the sight of Syrina who was still standing in the doorway.
She was frozen in place as she locked eyes with Talon. Aralt had pulled back the curtains, allowing the natural light shine through the room. Syrina moved to take a step toward him, but she found that her knees had locked. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as Talon got up from the sofa. Her stomach flipped in a million little circles as he inched near. He made his way over to her in a painfully slow manner, causing her heartbeat to increase with each step. Syrina's body ached to feel him again- to be held in his strong arms.
They were now only millimeters apart; Syrina engulfed in the smell of him. He smelled of man cologne and mint. She felt high off of his scent and stared bleakly up at him.
"Why didn't I see you again?" he whispered softly, scanning her eyes frantically. "I walked the Thames every day at noon...just so I might find you." He cupped her face in his hands, gently forcing her to look at him. She was shaking now, completely lost in his words. He sensed her shaking as a sign that she was cold, so he immediately wrapped his arms around her.
"I couldn't see you," she said finally. There was hurt in Talon's eyes, and Syrina felt the guilt spread throughout her whole body. She wanted to tell Talon, but what if he wouldn't believe her?
Aralt strolled in from the kitchen, rubbing his chest and holding a club sandwich. "Ow dude," he said in between chews. "That really hurt the heart. Girl, quit putting the homie down." Both Talon and Syrina turned to face him. She stopped and noticed that he'd been holding his sandwich with gloved hands. She squinted in confusion.
"What? I don't like touching bread," he shrugged, taking another bite. "It freaks me out."
Syrina disregarded him as her eyes flew back to Talon. He huffed in annoyance and shook his head. He knew there was a lot to discuss, and his jokester of a brother was not helping the situation.
"Aralt... just eat," Talon turned to scold his brother before facing Syrina again. He hesitated slightly, peering into her erratic eyes. She's hiding something, he thought. He knew she wanted to tell him, but could sense that she was afraid. "Syrina, what is it?"
She stared deep into Talon's piercing emerald eyes. She hadn't noticed the color before due to the heavy snow and fog that masked them. She could tell he was worried- she heard the heavy pounding of his heart.
She let out a long sigh,"That day at the park.. I received a phone call." She spoke slowly, Talon nodded his head, coaxing her to continue on.
"It was a man. He... He said he needed something from you." She looked down to find that her hands were shaking slightly. She tried to clasp them together, but it was no use. Talon quickly grabbed them and held them in his. His jaw was set, and his lips hardened in a grim line. "He told me not to leave so that he may find you. I couldn't let him do that." She shook her head wildly and looked down.
