First Angel: The Source {Goddess Class Creation Series: Book Three}

FA:TS- Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Mark didn't hear what her boss told her, but he heard her loud and clear that she quit. She was so mad. When he saw her leave, he followed after her giving his apologies to everyone. He was surprised by how fast she was walking. He was having a hard time catching up with her. It wasn't till they were in the park that she stopped and sank to the ground.

Mark didn't want to hurt her or anger her. He walked around and sank to his knees to in front of her. He wasn't going to touch her just yet. He wanted to go slow. For her. He was going to do whatever he could to help her.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head with it bowed more. She actually liked that he followed her. She felt her tears falling slower than they usually did. She sniffed trying to breathe again.

"Can I hold you? You look like you need someone." In response, Dawn moved forward and Mark put his arms around her. He was amazed that she did it. She let him hold her. He felt like he made another victory with her.

He stroked her hair as he looked up at the moon holding her. She was curled up to his side. She stared at the button on his shirt. "It's all your fault you know." Dawn whispered into the air between them. She wanted him to know what he's done to her. That he had chipped away at her wall that she had built to protect herself.

"What's my fault?" He turned his gaze on the woman in his arms. He actually thought it was funny that he was taking the blame. But he dared not laugh or chuckle. She was starting to open up to him. He wasn't going to have her stop so soon.

"You've ruined who I had been for so long. I was fine by myself." She fiddled with the button she had been staring at.

"I would think that was a good thing."

She sighed. "Not for me. I shouldn't get close to anyone. They always hurt me." She closed her eyes and cursed herself for opening up. How did he do that to her? Made her slip so easily to reveal more of herself to him.

"That's why you keep running." He tightened his arm around her. "I promise to not hurt you. Just give me the chance to show you that you don't have to be alone." He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes. "You have my word."

"I'm scared." She breathed as tears fell.

Mark frowned as he wiped away her tears. "It's alright. You have nothing to fear from me." He was so close to her that if he felt it right, he would have kissed her. But she wasn't ready, so he held back. He didn't want to scare her away, she was scared enough by her own feelings.

Dawn turned her eyes away and they sat there in silence. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. Mark continued to hold her and rubbed her back. She wondered how he was doing this. Soothing her and comforting her.

Mark wanted them to talk more so he decided to break the silence. "I could find you a job." He shrugged. "Since you quit tonight."

"I don't need any help."

He looked down at her. "But don't you need to work?"

"I have other jobs." She said nonchalantly. As if it was nothing at all to her having multiple jobs. In all honesty, it wasn't.

"You have more than one?"

Dawn shrugged. "I keep myself busy. It helps."

"Where do you work?"

She shook her head. "Not telling."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" Fully amused again.

"Because, if you show up something will happen like tonight and I will have to quit them too."

"How'd you come up with that?" Mark couldn't help but to laugh at her logic. "You think just because I so happened to be there that I made what happened happen? I think that idiot would have done that anyways. Me there or not."

"Before you, I was invisible. No one saw me. No one cared to pay me any mind. They just went on their way and I went on my way. Not causing ripples, not being known.

"Now people notice me. He probably noticed me because you couldn't keep your eyes off me. I look hideous and grungy bussing all those tables." Dawn tugged at her outfit.

Mark smirked and lifted her hand up to inspect. He turned it over and over while he noticed her looking at it too. "I don't think you look at all hideous."

He held her hand in his as he started to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb. He watched her eyes close as he stroked her hand. She was relaxing to the sweet touch. He was soothing her more.

Reality hit Dawn for her to realize what she was allowing him to do. Getting close to her. She was unknowingly letting him in. His simple gestures were affecting her more than she thought that anyone's gesture could. She had told herself not to and yet here she sat letting him.

She pulled herself away from him and rose. She could feel his confusion. "I'm sorry. I've got to go." Her voice cracked as she spoke. She heard him rise but she was so fast as she ran. She had to do the one thing to insure he didn't catch up with her.

She ran straight to the ruin wall hidden in the park. She knew she was the only one to see it shimmering. The way it shimmered told her that the other side was where the opening was. She didn't miss a heart beat as she swung around the wall and slipped through her crack in reality.

She came out just around the corner from her apartment. She solemnly walked to her apartment with her head down. Her heart hurt because she ran. But she was scared. She hadn't opened up to anyone before. She's never had anyone be so tender to her like that before. It freaked her out.

Dawn sighed when she got into her apartment and laid down. Now she only had two jobs. The temporary file assistant job and the school janitor job for a high school. She had each during the day. School for four hours in the morning. Assisting for six through the afternoon. The busing job was for six hours in the evening. Now she didn't have an evening job.

She fell onto her bed and laid an arm over her eyes. She let him in. And she felt a little better about it too. He said he wanted her to use him. Use him to help her feel better. It was working though she didn't know if it was so good to be healed. Should she? This pain and loneliness has helped keep her focused and living all these years.

Slowly sleep took her. She didn't even stop it. There was nowhere for her to be till the morning. She slipped away from everything seeing Mark in her mind. Something she wasn't planning on.

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