Pulse and Petals

Evara

"Because..." I struggle to find the words, my throat constricting with panic."It's got these damn transparent glass walls," I explain, my voice tinged with annoyance. "I can see the awful sight of the depth from here. I hate heights. Hate Hate Hate it. Feels like the ground could just give way any second, and if I even so much as breathe wrong, I'd be... I'd be...Falling. Plummeting down into nothingness. "

He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug, still rubbing circles on my back, and strangely, it does calm my nerves.

"I'm right here, Princess," he murmurs, his voice a comforting reassurance. "We're safe."

As his words sink in, I feel my heart rate slowly returning to normal. But just as I start to relax, he adds, "I'd never let anything happen to you."

In that moment, I realize that he's become my anchor, my safe harbor in the storm. His arms around me feel like the safest place to be. But the thought of relying on someone so completely, of letting myself be vulnerable in their presence, scares me more than my fear of heights ever could.

The doors finally open with a ding as we reach the car parking, shutting up the voice in my head but Alec doesn't move. He stands there with me wrapped around him, holding me close, waiting for me to break the hug.

Slowly, I open my eyes, letting go of him and stepping down from his foot. I look up at him, finding comfort in his steady gaze. Without a word, we make our way to his car.

******

Alec takes the reverse, his arm casually resting behind my seat, his shirt rolled up, muscles flexing as he looks back. It's strangely hot, even though he's not even looking at me. Everything he does just screams sexy, and I can't help but gape at him. There might even be a little drool escaping, but I quickly snap my eyes back to the road ahead when he speaks.

"Are you feeling okay, Princess?" Alec asks, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah, thanks... for that," I reply, my voice slightly breathless. I really am feeling okay, though I'm more than a little distracted by his presence. Okay. Fine. A little is an understatement. I'm definitely undeniably utterly distracted by his sexiness. Ughh hate this!

Alec starts laughing as he continues to drive, and I'm caught off-guard by the sound.

Oh my god, is he laughing? Like, really laughing? As in, full-on, genuine, belly-shaking laughter? I mean, I've seen him smile before, but this is a whole new level of adorable! It's not just a smile or a chuckle; it's a full-blown laugh.

My heart skips a beat as I watch him, completely mesmerized by the sight.

It's the kind of laugh that starts deep in his chest and bubbles up until it spills out of him, contagious and irresistible. With every laugh, his eyes crinkle at the corners, and his smile stretches from ear to ear, lighting up his entire face.

He looks so carefree and so beautiful, and I find myself wanting to see him like this every damn second now. I'm completely lost in him and completely enchanted by him. I can't help but feel a rush of butterflies in my stomach.

I could watch him laugh like this forever, losing myself in the sound and the sight of him. It's like music to my ears, filling me with this warm, fuzzy feeling that I can't even begin to describe.

In this moment, all I can think about is how much I want to see him laugh like this all the time. Because, honestly, there's nothing in the world that compares to the sight of him being genuinely happy. And if I have anything to do with it, I'm going to make sure he laughs like this every single day.

"Woah. You can laugh. But why are you laughing?"

Alec's laughter subsides slightly as he glances over at me. "You're all tough and feisty, throwing punches and drenching people, but when it comes to heights, you're like a scaredy-cat," he teases, a playful smirk on his lips.

Spoke too soon, he's still an asshole.

I frown, feeling a bit defensive, "I am not! Shut up!", crossing my arms and with a nonchalant tone, "I'm not scared of heights. I...I just hate it." I'm terrified of it but I'll die before I accept it out loud. I'm not gonna give him more make-fun-of-Evie-material.

Alec laughs even more at my reaction, "Uh-uh. Cute. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Eyes on the road, Alec," I say with mock sternness, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

He shakes his head, still chuckling softly, and I can't help but smile as I watch him. Despite the fear and the teasing, there's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here, with him.

Wait a damn minute!

Holy fucking shit! The realization that I'm falling for him, hard, freaks me out. I try to push the thought away, to bury it deep down where it can't hurt me. But it lingers, lingering like a shadow at the back of my mind, a constant reminder of the risks I'm taking.

Alec continues to drive, oblivious to the turmoil raging inside me, I can't help but wonder what I've gotten myself into.

"Why weren't you scared when we were going up?" His question catches me off guard, and I feel a little out of place as I search for an answer.

I shrug, trying to play it cool. "I dunno, I guess I was distracted," I reply casually.

He raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Distracted by what?" he presses, his gaze fixed on me.

I bite my lip, avoiding his eyes as I recall everything that went down at The Vein. "Just... stuff," I mumble, not wanting to delve into the details.

But Alec raises an eyebrow, his silent questioning pushing me to speak up. I know he won't stop until he finds out. With a sigh, I relent. "Fineee," I say, finally meeting his gaze. "I was thinking about The Vein and everything that went down. How you were extremely mad at that water splash disaster. So, I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings."

I was so lost in my head, thinking about all the possible consequences of my actions, I didn't even realise we were gazillion feet up from the ground. That's really unsettling to even think about it now.

"I'm not mad about that," he says, his tone calm and collected.

Surprised, I turn to him, furrowing my brows in confusion. "You're not?" I ask, needing clarification.

He simply shakes his head. "No."