Flora (Dark Romance)

1

Chapter One// Alex

Flora tapped her foot impatiently atop the gravel on the driveway. She glanced down at the screen of her phone and scoffed.

She's late, again, Flora thought. Fifteen minutes and no call.

Just as she began walking towards the school, a car erratically pulled up onto the curb. Melanie quickly glanced into the car's rear-view mirror, combing through her dark, curly hair with her fingers, while a half-bitten apple was clamped between her teeth.

"Flo, I am so, so, so sorry," she spouted her apology as Flora opened the passenger door and slipped into the warmth of the car.

Melanie took a bite from the apple, "breakfast?" she offered, pushing the half-bitten fruit towards Flora's mouth.

"No thanks, I think I'll pass, Mel."

"Suit yourself," Melanie shrugged, swiftly pulling the gearshift into drive.

"Sooo," Melanie began, drawing out the oh sound with her mouth.

"Spill."

"Mel, I told you, there's nothing to tell."

Melanie rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and scoffed.

"So, you're expecting me to believe that you got no action this entire summer."

"Mel!" Flora squeaked, surely a deep crimson shade finding its way onto her already naturally rosy cheeks.

"What? You're gorgeous, you're single..." Melanie stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're too innocent, Flora," she teased.

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Not a bad thing," Melanie reached over and poked her nose, "it's cute."

Flora huffed. Cute.

"I got lots this summer," Melanie smiled triumphantly.

Melanie was Flora's best friend for, well, since she can remember. She was tall, tan, and beautiful. Her curly raven-black hair fell just below her shoulders, a striking contrast to her emerald green eyes and brown skin. She looked exotic and mythical. But the most beautiful thing about her was her confidence. Flora wished she could have even just a sliver of the amount Melanie had.

"So Italy was good then?" Flora asked rhetorically, knowing the answer by the smile that stretched widely across her face.

"Amazing! The best summer ever. I wish you were there, Flo. The cities are beautiful, the people are hospitable, the food is delicious, and the men are—"

"—I get it!" Flora said quickly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as Melanie's words trailed off into the air around them.

"—Even more delicious," she winked.

         ~~~

"Senior year...one step closer to escaping this hell-hole," Melanie said as she stepped into the school. It was start of yet another year.

"Shoot me."

"It's not that bad... I mean, we are seniors," Flora giggled.

Melanie linked her arm with Flora's, skipping off to first period, "Damn right," she smirked.

They parted ways as Flora reached her first class: History.

Flora took a seat somewhere towards the back of the room—trying her best not to be noticed. She had good grades, but she was never...really... social. Although, Melanie certainly was. Naturally, over the course of their friendship, Melanie had managed to break her out of her shell quite a bit. But being called on in class — especially when her hand wasn't even raised — was just a little too social for Flora. Hence, her seating preference.

The History teacher drawled on and on and on about the civil war.

Flora's eyes drifted in and out of focus alongside her decreasing attention span— that is— until a student she had never seen before abruptly opened the classroom door and instantly caught her — and every other girl's— complete attention.

"Oh! You must be Mr... ugh..." The teacher rummaged through a desk full of disorganized papers until he finally stumbled across an attendance list.

"Steele?"

"Alex," He answered uninterestedly, chewing rather obnoxiously on his gum.

"Well, Alex, welcome. Please take a seat at an empty desk."

Alex sauntered further into the room, before Mr. Bronson could even finish his sentence.

He was stoic.

No smile.

Just, nothing...

His frame was broad, tall, and muscular. And those arms...

No single feature made him so handsome. His smouldering gaze, his piercing blue eyes, his smooth, clear skin, or maybe the tattoos on his neck that were peaking out through the collar of his shirt.

"Close your mouth, princess. You look like a fish."

Flora quickly closed her mouth, feeling the the humiliation rise to her cheeks as she blushed fiercely.

He caught me staring? I was staring? Flora pondered anxiously.

His lips hovered just below her ear, his warm breath fanned across her neck, sending a devilish shiver throughout her entire body.

He swung his bag off his very toned shoulder, and sat in the empty desk next to her.

How had she not noticed him saunter over? She though.

Maybe because she was too busy gawking at his muscular body and imagining how it would feel pressed against h-

No!

Flora mentally chastised herself, refusing to have such... thoughts.

She quickly glanced around the room in a desperate attempt to recompose herself and ensure nobody else had seen.

"It's okay, your secret's safe with me," the mysterious new student smirked. He leaned back into his chair with the upmost confidence and stretched his tall body out amongst the small desk.

The things he could do to her against that desk...

With every last bit of dignity she had left, Flora forced her attention back to Mr. Bronson's history lesson.

Although, she didn't learn much about the civil war.

She couldn't help but notice the strange feeling that had been churning inside of her from the moment Alex's lips and that perfectly aligned Cupid's bow came so close to her skin.

Lust.