Dark One- The Khiara Banning Series Book 1

Five

When we get inside the room, he plops himself onto his bed and lets out a huge yawn while stretching his arms. I look around his room and gasp as I take everything in.

The walls are painted black. He's got a violin, a piano and a guitar sitting in the corner farthest from his bed. His bed, a simple double, is placed on the wall at the back of the room. The bed has an elaborate red and blue patchwork quilt that looks like it was sewn hundreds of years ago. The pillows are all the same colour as the quilt. Almost every inch of the wall where his headboard is has been covered with symbols and text, some I recognize and some I don't.

"Cael, this is beautiful!" I exclaim.

He just shivers and yawns in response. I forgot that he wasn't feeling well; I should get him into bed. I pull the covers back and help him in. I feel his forehead and note that he's got a bit of a temperature. I feel fine now, thank God, but he seems to have worsened.

"Take your shirt off." I say, "It'll help with the fever. I'm sure you're only wearing it because I'm here anyway."

He obeys.

"You're wearing boxers, right?" I ask him.

Cael nods, rolls his eyes and takes off his pants, sensing what I was about to say.

I help him under the covers and pull them over his shivering body. I turn on the fan that's on his bedside table, feel his forehead again and sigh. He's burning up. Fleetingly I wonder if I am as well, but that can wait.

"Your room is really something. The wall, right there," I point to the text and symbols, "what is all of that?"

He smiles as his eyes droop, "It's what I get to take with me. I've traveled to many places and I always learn some of the language of the land. I guess you want to know what it all means?" I nod my head. "It's all the same sentence. It says, 'I will never regret.' I've yet to write it in English for some reason, which is kind of funny considering."

I think about it. I will never regret. What does he mean, he'll never regret? What will he never regret? I find myself asking him out loud and am met with another yawn. I shouldn't bug him too much, he's pretty sick, and we hardly know each other. I think we've gotten to know each other pretty well though, in the last couple of hours. It's been so natural.

Awkwardly, I brush some hair that's fallen over his eyes, "I'll be going now. Feel better Cael, and hopefully this isn't goodbye. You seem like a cool guy."

He's already passed out and snoring lightly. I smile and grab a paper pad and pen from his bedside table to write my number so he could call me, if ever he wants to hang out for real. I decide to write a note:

Cael, thanks for being so cool about everything. You're really something; you're very different from anybody I've ever met. I like that. I hope you feel better, so here's my number if you ever want to give me a call, no pressure or anything, but I mean, I've seen you in your underwear and have had a pretty good laugh with you, so I feel like we could be friends. I mean, here I am, standing in your apartment while you're sleeping...I should probably go. Wow, I'm somehow rambling even though I'm writing this on paper...I do that when I get nervous. Not that I am. It's 467-9002.

Khiara Banning.

P.S I totally think the punch was spiked with something.

I place the note on the drawer, smile at his sleeping form and begin to walk towards the door until he says, "God, I am so sorry. Just know that you're not alone okay? Just because it is said, doesn't make it so. I won't let it."

I sigh, because he's a little loopy now that he's so tired. Maybe he's dreaming. "Good night Cael."

I walk out of his room and out of his house, down the stairs and out into the night, which luckily is lit by the streetlights. I pick up my phone, sighing, and call Cara who has left me tons of text messages and a couple of missed calls.