Midnight Shades

Chapter 8

"Say something?" He laughs quietly, in nervousness as he keeps his hands on my waist.

I feel dizzy, and nauseous, and I feel like I will pass out any minute.

"I want to leave." The words leave my mouth in a hushed tone, when I finally blink heavily.

"What?" His face immediately drops, and his smile turns into a frown and I nearly feel guilty. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but I just thought that I have to tell you."

"No, it's not that," I shake my head slightly. "I'm just really late, and I need to go back for my friends, they must be waiting for me right now."

He lets out a deep breath, runs his hand through his hair before nodding with a hint of a smile, "Let's go, then."

I nod silently and follow him to the motorcycle. I rest my hand silently on his shoulders, not holding them tightly or gripping them, just resting my hands on them. The whole ride back to the dark alley is silent, yet my mind speaks thousands and millions of thoughts.

Am I happy that it is not the first time he saw me? Am I sad because he saw me a few months ago?

Neither. I am neither happy nor sad. I am absolutely freaked out, I feel like I am going to be turned into a mad woman with all of these thoughts inside mind. How? Just how? How in Lyara's sake did he see me and notice me? How did I not notice it? How didn't I looking him looking at me?

I remember that my eyes never left him, I would only zone out when he was very busy with customers, or when he was drawing or something. But I never, ever let him out of my sight when he was sitting alone or doing absolutely nothing.

All that I can think about at the moment is that it must be fate's game.

I don't notice that the motorcycle is now not moving and that we are basically doing nothing. The dark alley around us is making everything quieter and darker, making the thoughts inside my head get louder and louder, making me feel like I am indeed mad.

The only thing that can be heard right now, is Louis' breathing and mine, nothing else. He hasn't tried to move or hop off of the motorcycle and I don't bother to move either. His feet are now on the cold ground and both of his hands are resting on his thighs as he stares at nothing but the dark.

My action are slow and with caution as I tug a strand of hair behind my ear. I take a deep, long breath before letting it out and opening my mouth to speak. However, Louis beats me to it as he says, "Are you mad at me?"

His question startles me and confuses me. Mad at him? Do I even have it in me to be mad at him? At anything in particular? Never. And more, mad at him for noticing me before the day I went to the parlour? That's impossible. I can't particularly say that I'm happy about it, but I'm not mad about it either. If anything, I'm really confused.

"Why would I be?" I barely breathe out as I ask him back.

He sucks in a deep breath and says, "Because of what I said?"

"Why would I be mad about that?" I slightly smile as I stare down at my hands.

"Stop asking me back, just answer me," his voice comes out more like a whine as he tells me. "Are you?"

I swallow, wet my lips and answer, "That's not something to be mad about."

He suddenly lifts his legs up in the air and turns around to face me before placing his feet on the ground again, straddling the motorcycle once again. I stare up at his blue eyes – that still surprise me that it glows like diamonds in the dark – as he stares right back at me. With a faint smile, he speaks, "So, you won't run away?"