Fate's Choice (ON HOLD)

Chapter Seven // Who To Trust

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David awoke that morning with a groan. I hadn’t slept well so I was up early and had gone in to check on him. His eyes met mine and he smiled sheepishly. I smiled back.

I’d prepared him some pancakes and bacon on a tray. He gazed at it like it was heaven grounded before eating as fast as humanly-possible. Or inhumanly-possible, in his case.

He finished three pancakes and half the bacon before he slowed down. “You eat, too.” He ordered between bites, pushing the food toward me.

I pushed it back to him but couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “I had something earlier.”

It wasn’t a whole lie – I’d had some coffee – but I still felt guilty the moment the words were out of my mouth. I hardly ever lied to David, I hardly ever needed to. I wanted him to eat it all, though, so it was necessary. Xavier had told me to make sure I gave him extra food to heal at a steady rate.

“What did I do to deserve you?” He reached out to touch my hand, which was suddenly very clammy. I didn’t know what to say so I just looked at his pancakes.

“We’ve been living together for two years now.” My head snapped up as he trailed off in though. “How come you’ve never had a boyfriend?” He asked bluntly, surprising me.

I laughed a little nervously and shrugged, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “I never talk to anyone but you and Xavier. You guys are really the only boys I know.”

His eyes narrowed at that. “You don’t like Xavier, do you?”

I laughed sincerely this time. He was being ridiculous. “Of course not. Why do you ask such things?” What was he getting at anyway? Xavier was with Roma and, even had he been single, I wouldn’t have any interest in him.

We’d always been very open with each other, ever since the very beginning, but we’d never discussed something like this.

David looked awkward, shrugging his shoulders and trying to act nonchalant. “I was just wondering. A lot of girls like Xavier, though he’s only ever had eyes for Roma.”

I shook my head. “I mean, why the questions of boyfriends?”

“Well, I…I,” the more he stammered, the more nervous I got. What was he going on about? “I really like you, Alba.”

I was so shocked by his statement that I froze up, unable to move or speak. I just stared at him with my mouth open, probably looking like an idiot. He took my silence the wrong way.

“I know it’s not the best time and I should be focusing on finding Fate and whatnot, but I swear, I am focusing on that stuff. I mean, I’m prepared and everything but I–“

I leaned in quickly – knowing that if he wanted to move away he had more than enough time to do so, since my quick was a lot slower than his quick – and planted a small kiss on his lips. It was just a peck but it was more than enough to shut him up.

He blinked, his face blank and his qualms gone. Neither of us spoke. It wasn’t our first kiss but it was still different. This was new territory. It was the first kiss we’d shared under the pretense of actually liking each other. For him, anyway. I’d liked him all along.

“For how long?” It was the only thing I could think of but I knew I’d have to say something or this wouldn’t work.

He shrugged, trying to play it cool and failing. There was an excited twinkling in his eyes that gave him away. “Since the first day you were here. You walked out of your room looking all confused and scared. It was cute.”