Fallen

Chapter Twenty-Three: "Good Enough"

"Under your spell again

I can't say no to you

Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand

I can't say no to you"

--Good Enough, Evanescence

A few hours into our drive, Riven pulled into the parking lot of a tiny little diner. As soon as I realize what it is, my stomach perked up and growled pleadingly.

Riven chuckled, the sound low and husky. It made warmth pool low in my belly. I actually had to close my eyes to refrain from reaching out and pulling his face to mine.

Again, for the hundredth time since I'd gotten into this car with Riven, I wondered what was wrong with me.

We got out of his car. It stood out among all the other cars here. It sparkled like a diamond in a pile of rocks.

Riven held the door open for me and I stepped inside, muttering a thanks as I hurried past him, desperately trying not to touch him.

The smell of food assaulted my sense immediately. My stomach was growling out a song by then, it was so excited at scent of burgers and fries.

Riven led us to a small booth where a sweet girl who looked to be around my age took our order. I noticed her shooting appreciative glances at Riven and I honestly couldn't blame her.

After the girl had gone to place our order, I snuck a look at Riven, only to find him staring at me.

My skin warmed immediately.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked, embarrassed.

He smiled, his eyes sparkling with humor. It was as if he sensed my embarrassment and he liked it.

"No reason." His answer was simple and he said it with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. His eyes held an unfathomable expression, though, and it made me feel rather uncomfortable as he looked at me.

"Here you go," a chipper voice said.

Our waitress was putting our food in front of us and my stomach--upon seeing the food--grumbled in appreciation.

I wasted no time in digging in right away. Riven was watching me, but I was too damn hungry to care.

"I didn't know you were so hungry," he said. interrupting my quiet time with my food.

I looked up at him. He had a slight frown on his perfect face.

I shrugged. After clearing my mouth of food I said, "Neither did I. I guess going on the run from a power hungry angel who wants to kill you for Satan will do that to you."

Riven shook his head, fighting a smile.

"I didn't know you could be so sarcastic, angel."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

"You did."

"Okay then stop."

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p.'

"You're an asshole."

"Am I?"

"You are."

"Then why are you smiling?"

At his words, I realized there was indeed a small smile on my face. Lord help me, I was smiling at Riven even though my mind was telling me he was annoying the crap out of me. 

"I'm smiling because you're an idiot," I said, defensively.

"Is that it?" He was watching me as I ate a fry, his gaze intense. "Are you sure it's not because you're in love with me?"

My fry got caught in my throat and I wheezed and coughed for a long time, grabbing my drink and chugging it down to help. Once I'd regained the ability to talk, I glared at him and said.

"Why would you think something like that?"

Riven, who had looked too amused during my near death experience, grinned and said, "It was just a question, angel. It was nothing to get choked up about."

"I hate you."

My words fell on deaf ears, though. He just smiled softly and looked down at my plate.

"You're done."

Although his words were a statement and not a question, I looked down at my now empty plate and nodded.

"Then let's get back on the road," Riven said, standing up gracefully and clapping his hands together. "I want to get you to Caine as soon as possible. At the rate we're going, we can be there..." he trailed off, looking over at the clock and squinting his eyes as he tallied up how long it would take us to get to our destination. "In a day, maybe more and maybe less, depending on how often we need to stop."

He tossed some money on the table and the two of us were back out in the frigid cold, making our way toward his sleek car which was completely conspicuous in a parking lot filled with Sedans and minivans.

Once I was inside, I stared through the window, like I had been doing most of the drive. The clouds above us were grey and the sky was darkening as night began to encircle the day. I wondered, not for the first time since we started this trip a few hours ago, what my parents were doing right now. I wondered about how terrified they must be. I wondered about my brother, George, was he worried about me? Despite our tiffs, we were still brother and sister. I knew that if he suddenly disappeared, I would worry about him.

My mind drifted to my friends. When school started tomorrow, I wouldn't be there. How would they feel? What would they say?

These are the thoughts that plague me as we speed down the interstate. Closer to Biblical beings and further away from normalcy.

(A/N): Bruh, was I able to upload a new chapter of Mrs. Billionaire and a new chapter of Fallen in the same day?? Who are you and what have you done with Shy'keijah? Thanks to all of you who have been patient, I've been finding inspiration for these stories lately, so bear with me!

Also, I've recently been using my Twitter more often. Here's the link: https://twitter.com/IamShykeijah

If for some reason it doesn't work for you because, let's be honest, this is me we're talking about why in the bleep would it work normally? My Twitter username is IamShykeijah. You're going to want to follow because I'll be announcing up and coming projects, I'll also be able to see a lot more of your comments if you @ me and, because I have so many unpublished stories, I'll be holding a poll asking you guys what you want to read next, so stay tuned. 

Hope to see you soon! Thanks again for your patience and your support!