The Unreachable Star

Don't Talk to Strangers

When Dalila awoke the next morning, she smiled as the warm sun kept her eyes shut. She checked her droid. There was a message from her mother.

Claire: @ 10:30 am Martin + Cornelius R coming. B prepared + look nice! <3 U. :)

Dalila looked at the time.

She had fifteen minutes till they arrived! It wasn't that she wanted to look nice more as her mother would skin her if not. She scrambled around looking for something to wear. She looked under her bed where she would stash clothes when she was to lazy to put them away. Finding a baby-blue blouse and some dress pants, she ran to the bathroom; almost tripping on the clothes on her floor.

Walking down the steps, she had barely finished on time. She held her breath as she walked into the living room. And in the center, beside her mother and his father, was her unbearable fiance. She smiled sadly and joined them. After making polite conversation, Martin took her arm. "You look beautiful." he whispered in her ear. Dalila frowned and swatted at his comment like a pesky fly.

They were on the balcony outside enjoying the sun. Dalila's golden streaks grabbed at the suns rays and held them tight, creating a fiery glow.

"You know you can't run from this." Martin said, all of a sudden serious. If Dalila had not known what he was talking about, she would of found his comment random. But, this upcoming situation had been hanging over her like a murder of crows.

"Your stuck with me," he continued. "You know the reasons." Dalila nodded grimly. The Empress couldn't lose the partnership with Cornelius for the sake of the Empire. Claire had to merge both their "powers" together permanently. This was her answer. And, even though there was divorce, society would never allow that. They would end up being shunned, verbally crucified, and the end of their unity would end up causing revolt. It all seemed extremely ridiculous and superficial to Dalila.

She took in Martin's profile. Dark, straight hair with sculpted arms and wide shoulders. His eyes seemed to always laugh at a secret that he would never tell anyone. Everyone loved him, except Dalila. She knew the truth. He was psychotic.

He smiled and said, "I know what you are doing."

She shook her head. "I wasn't." she replied even though she regrettably was checking him out. She walked away from him extremely embarrassed and upset. He followed her and grabbed a piece of her hair. She stopped abruptly and inhaled sharply.

"Your hair is so interesting." he felt it between his fingers. "It's almost as if it could be alive." Dalila hit his hand, and he let go. She turned around and faced him. The sun shining into her golden eyes.

"Don't-"

"Those eyes..." he said admiringly more to himself.

Dalila, defiantly, closed them. Warm hands held her face and she opened them.

"You're mine."

"No, I'm not." she replied in distaste.

He smiled. "Not yet. But, even now, I have you wrapped around my fingers."

Dalila backed up, but Martin held her tight. "I knew that you were the one."

"Stop your flirting." she slightly joked, but he silenced her with his finger stroking her soft cheek. Slowly, he bent down to kiss her, while holding her tight. She couldn't get out of his grip, his hand holding her shoulder. She almost kissed him back before common sense hit her with a baseball bat.

'Wait, I can't kiss him!' She pushed him off of her, horror veiling her face, and ran inside. But, she couldn't escape his dark laughter, "I have her."