Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 2-10

I'd hung on to every word, fascinated by his story. The people of Los Angeles believed strongly in this character and worshipped him. Yet no one wanted to know more. The inhabitants had a hero and nothing else mattered to them.

— "Good evening."

A young man with a matte complexion and light eyes came to the counter. His natural charisma and elegant physique did not go unnoticed.

— "Is David here?" he asked politely.

I looked around, but I didn't see him. He must have gone to the back.

— "I'll go get him," I replied to the young man. "You are?"

— "Morgan."

After the surprise, I gave him a big smile, happy to meet him. I went to the back of the cafeteria, finding David putting away milk cartons.

— "Morgan is here," I happily told him.

— "Damn, he's early. I'm not finished yet."

— "Leave it, I'll take care of it. Go to your appointment," I ordered him.

— "Thank you, Zoe."

He hugged me and went to join his friend.

**

The day ended. After calculating the cash register and taking care to close the cafeteria, I went out into the open air and took a deep breath. It had gotten dark without me noticing. I rushed to the dimly lit campus parking lot to pick up Lily's Mustang. I was looking forward to going home and finding the Mattew family and my room. The place was deserted on that Friday evening. Baylor emptied of all its population had a completely different face. The darkness covered every corner with a mysterious silence.

I could hear my footsteps echoing on the concrete when suddenly the dull echo of other footsteps called out to me. I turned around, but saw no one. Cloudiness was my only company. Fear seized me, and an alarm signal instinctively coursed throughout my body.

Don't give in to paranoia, Zoe. It's nothing.

I accelerated my pace until I ran the last few meters to my car. Once inside, I immediately locked the doors. My pulse was beating very fast, and I couldn't catch my breath. When I turned the ignition on, the Mustang refused to start. I didn't insist for fear of drowning the engine. The panic shook my guts. I felt a presence there, very close to me. I could hear the footsteps approaching, but I couldn't see anything in the dark. I grabbed my phone from my bag, trying to make my brain work, paralyzed by fear. Asarys lived the closest. I had difficulty dialing her number, but after several rings, she didn't answer. I eliminated Lexy, who was too far away. David had already left. I pinched the bridge of my nose to think. Faïz! Without thinking any further, I decided to call him.

— "Zoe?"

He answered immediately in a deep voice. I burst into tears.

— "The car isn't starting, there's someone following me, I don't know what's going on. I..."

— "Don't move," he ordered me, worried by the sound of my voice. "I am coming."

He hung up immediately without me being able to add anything.

Eighteen minutes later squeaks of tires rang out in the university alley. A black McLaren parked next to me. Faïz stepped out of the car, and when I saw him, a swell of emotion seized me. When he opened the door, he came to sit in the passenger seat, and I threw myself into his arms, so relieved. It was the first time I'd been pressed against him. The strength of his chest surprised me. Once my calm returned, Faïz pulled me away from him and took me by the shoulders, observing me attentively.

— "Did someone hurt you?" he asked, trying to contain his rage.

His black eyes made me guess how dangerous he could be if something bad happened to someone around him. I began to tell him what had just happened, how I had felt. He stroked my cheek. This gesture comforted me and burned my flesh at the same time. Faïz then called his mother to warn her of my delay, failing to tell her about the incident that had just happened. It was no use worrying Lily more than necessary. Then he walked through the parking lot, certainly looking for a prowler, but saw no one. He took a look at my vehicle and managed to get it started without too many problems.

— "I'll take you back with my car!" he said.

I sat in his car, with its sophisticated interior and absolute luxury. Faïz's scent floated inside. When he came to sit behind the wheel, I felt a sense of security and comfort. All my uneasiness disappeared instantly.

— "I'm sorry about your evening with Rachelle," I lied.

I had a feeling he didn't believe a word of my apology. He started at full speed towards Elora.

— "The main thing is that nothing happened to you."

— "Will you stay at the villa tonight?" I asked, worried.

— "Not tonight. I have a lot of things to take care of."

My heart tightened at the thought of him leaving to find her again. I turned my face towards the window and contemplated the landscape that was scrolling by my window. I didn't want to meet his eyes, as I didn't have the strength to pretend anymore tonight. My batteries were completely drained.

— "She went home," Faïz confessed to me without me asking him for an explanation.

I suspected him of wanting to calm my thoughts so that I could have a more serene evening.

— "Good," I whispered without embarrassing myself about this news.

I felt his gaze weighing on my back. He sighed as if he wanted to add something, but changed his mind.

We arrived at Elora, both silent. Faïz escorted me to the front door to make sure that I was safe from any danger.

— "You're going back right now?" I hastened to ask him.

— "Don't worry about me, it's okay. I have to get the Mustang back. Try to rest, Zoe. After all these emotions you must be exhausted."

I approached him and slipped him a sweet kiss on his cheek. He didn't reject me. He stood straight in front of me, destabilized by my gesture, then turned on his heels, fleeing the moment that seemed to have stopped. I realized I was falling in love with a very mysterious man with impenetrable thoughts. And moreover, who was already in a relationship.