Disguise

Crocodiles that Bite

Stupid, treacherous tears! I knew those crocodiles would come back to bite me.

"Look, you don't know anything about me so-"

"I know you can't sleep well, and I also know that you haven't seen anyone else in all this time. I know that you can't get close to any man, because it hurts to - OH GOD." A horrified expression came across features. "I can't even think about the pain you've gone through." He shook his head in rigid denial as if trying to force the thoughts out of his mind.

By this point I could only see red.

H-How could he possibly...?

Two years of repressed despair and anger began to build up again. But this time it was anger at myself.

He was right; I couldn't. I had tried and tried but the feelings hardly declined. If anything they seemed to get worse. Yet, I lied.

"You know nothing." I spoke coldly, my eyes never leaving his.

He studied me carefully, as if I was a specimen on display, and then let out a frustrated growl.

Yeesh. What an animal.

"I haven't handled this well." He whispered to himself and I let out a derisive laugh.

"Now you will stay away from me. Is that understood? Or I will call the cops or-"

And then suddenly I couldn't speak anymore. Because the devilishly handsome man I was yelling at two seconds ago now stood in my face, our lips only inches apart.

He'd appeared so suddenly that despite having space to move away, I hadn't had the time.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't think. It was a miracle that I could still breathe.

His eyes bore into mine with such intensity that I couldn't look away.

They weren't threatening in the least, but what they were, was much worse.

Because in his eyes I could see only one thing clearly and that was determination.

He then leaned forward, his arms snaking around my waist and pulling me closer, almost lifting me off the ground. Our faces were millimeters apart, but instead of kissing me like I thought he might, his lips went to the crook of my neck.

And then he took a long, deep breath.

If I found it weird, I didn't have the headspace to make it known. I stood there on my tip toes and just let his breath tickle my neck as I struggled to remain standing. I couldn't understand anything, and I couldn't do anything about that either. As if some magical, preternatural situation was unfolding and it had shut me down. In fact, I felt myself slightly lean into him..

"REECE!" Grey's loud cry broke us apart and suddenly Reece was standing forty feet away from me.

What just happened..?

I stumbled back in a daze as his support left me. My thoughts were barely coherent. How did he get there so fast?

His back was turned towards me, but I could see his upper body move with his rapid breathing.

Grey came running towards me, it felt deliberately slow, and before I could tell him to stand back as well, his hands were on my shoulder and chin, trying to hold them apart gently.

He was examining my neck.

"Are you okay? Did he do anything?" He asked me hurriedly, scanning my face for my answer and I wordlessly shook my head. I was slightly dizzy and Grey had to support me till I got my sense of balance back.