Crystalline

07

"Sorry to ruin this date of yours little brother, but we need to go."

How unlucky I must be that just when Jaime was about to spill his secrets on the table, one of his older brothers came to his rescue. I would have intervened and tried to stop him, but the wariness behind Elijah's mockery kept me still. Even though he tried not to show it, it looked like something bad had happened. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ushered Jaime to walk out as fast as he did. And even with one look, it seemed as if Jaime had understood what the matter was, almost as if he could read his thoughts.

Before he walked out through the café's door, he turned back and with a moment of hesitation, he spoke one short sentence as a goodbye.

"I will see you later, Maya Reed."

There it was again, the unique way he was saying my full name. However, I didn't have much time to wonder why he was calling me like that or when his mentioned later was going to be. As the sun was setting behind the horizon, I knew that my father wasn't going to be very happy with me coming late again. Not to mention, that I had to bear with Mino's judging eyes when he was going to wait for me in my room, ready to hear the real version of my story. Well, as real as he can manage to get out of me. Maybe I will be lucky and my lie would actually work on him tonight.

But considering how lucky I was with Jaime and the greatness of my lying skills, I clearly doubt that Mino was going to buy what I sell to him.

• • •

"You know that your father is really attractive for his age."

"Oh no, please don't say that. I think I just lost my appetite."

Reina Haruto was learning very fast how to get under my skin. She and my brother Mino would be a perfect couple in crime against me. If only I could manage to get them together... Unfortunately, even though she is very beautiful and has a lot of admirers, the only one in Reina's eyes was Elijah Valentine. And plus my brother never showed any kind of affection towards her. Secretly, I sometimes wonder if he is gay, but I never had the courage to ask him. I like my life enough not to gamble with my faith like that.

"What? It's not only me, just look at that girl from class B3; she is looking at him like a hawk. Oh, how I wish that I had him at home. Have you ever seen him shirtless?"

No matter if I tried to drive my thoughts at any other place than on what Reina was asking, it seemed as if she wasn't planning on stopping. To be honest, I wasn't oblivious of my father's attractiveness. For a man in his early forties, he kept himself in great shape, but come on people... this is my father we are talking about. The man raised me like his own daughter, changing my diapers when I was a little baby, taking care for my wounds when I fell in my childhood days, he even bought me my first pads and I had my first sex-education speech from him when I was fifteen. You see now why I would never see him as anything, but a father figure. Reina could talk all she wants, but the only thing she would see from me is what I had for breakfast. And she will get it right now if I don't spare her and leave the canteen as soon as possible.

"And this is my cue to leave. You can have my lunch as well."

"Wait..."

I think I've heard a faint yell from Reina, but my attention was caught by someone who just exited through the canteen doors. With fast steps, and almost stumbling from a student who was caring a tray full of spaghetti with a lot of souse, I followed after him.

I didn't take me long to walk in step with Jaime Valentine. He, on the other hand, didn't seem the slightest surprised seeing me beside him. Almost as if he knew that I was following him, as if he could sense my presence.

"I believe that we have an unfinished conversation."

For a short while, he slowed his steps fake-thinking about my statement. His eyes passively looked at mine and with a lifted eyebrow, he shook his head in a slightly mocking way.

"Let me think about it... No, we don't."

"Oh yes, we do!"

He tried to leave me behind as he turned right in the hallway with a fast walk. This situation wasn't anything new to me. It was becoming our thing - Jaime escapes and I follow after him, almost as if it was one of the usual days in Dark Mist High. And clearly, he still didn't know me too well...

His walk stopped in front of the school's bathrooms. Seeing that I was still following after him, Jaime once again turned towards me. Even though when he spoke his voice had the dynamic of a flat line, with the way his eyebrows were lifted high in the middle of his forehead, it was obvious that he was trying to provoke me.

"Are you planning on following me in the male's bathroom as well, Maya?"

Trying to avoid the fact that for the first time since we met, he called me using only my name and not my surname as well, I managed to bring a smug smile on my lips before answering him.

"I will if I have to, Jaime. You escaped yesterday, but you won't have the same luck today."

"We'll see about that..."

I could swear on my life that there was a joke hidden behind his words, but his face still remained the same, almost as if he was made out of stone.

With a quick movement, I shoved him in the bathroom and locked the door behind us. If he was planning on escaping today, he better has a plan on how to flush himself in the toilet, because there is no way he is getting out of the front door. I would have added - over my dead body, but considering the fact that there were possibilities that he was a vampire, I kept the thought for myself.

"Wanna bet?"

"You are unbelievable."

He spoke under his breath with a slightly shocked look. This was the first time I got this kind of expression from him, opposite of his always passive look. I guess today is a day for firsts, first my name now an unusual expression... If this continues, I wonder what I'll get next.

As if he read my thought, a devilish grin danced over his lips. His dark orbs shined with an odd brightness as if they swallowed the bathroom lights.

"Do you know what happens when a male and female are alone, locked like this?"

"You wouldn't dare..."

Now it was my turn to be shocked over his statement. I knew that he was only playing with me, trying to scare me away and escape from my questions. But seeing the way he looked at me as he was taking slow steps towards me, something inside the back of my head urged me to rethink my opinion.

From the way he licked his lower lip, tracing his tongue slowly over it and wetting it in the process, and how his head was tilted slightly in a mocking and if I must add ... a predatory way, I couldn't help but move a step back as he was taking one towards me.

My journey wasn't that long, because only after a few taken steps my back kissed the bathroom door. The cold surface of the door sent chills down my spine, but that was nothing compared to what I felt when his arms landed on the door on each side of my body, trapping me inside his cage.

From the distance we shared, I was able to see that light I previously saw in his eyes, but as I looked more in his dark irises - the more they seemed to gain the shade of a bloody red.

I didn't have much time to recalculate what I was seeing, because as soon as his words left his mouth every previous thought evaporated from my mind and suddenly I forgot how to breathe. The only thing left were his words, continuously ringing in my ears...

"Wanna bet?"

• • •

N O T E :

Things are about to get mushier! I hope you'll like it...

THIA