Ravenous

Three

Mia cleared her throat after a prolonged silence. She wasn't sure what to say next. And she wasn't inclined to ask his help either. There were pieces of garment she'd blush in embarrassment if a man, particularly a stranger she'd just met, would see. It may sully whatever relationship they'll have in the future.

"Uhm... thank you for bringing in my stuff," she said timidly.

Richard glanced up, meeting her gaze and looked away towards the door. "No worries. I...ah...I should go and help grannie in the kitchen." He informed and slowly walked back out. But then he halted, holding the door open for a second. He glanced back at me, meeting my gaze again. "Ye should join us, ye know."

Mia noticed a hint of pinkish glow on his cheeks. "I did say I will."

He nodded and turned around. "Good." With that, he closed the door behind him with a slight slam.

She flinched at the sound and waited a moment longer, hearing his footsteps disappear, and grunted in frustration.

The task of unpacking kept her mind busy, for a time. Then she thought about dinner with her aunt, Adelia, and Richard. Once her mind had gone to Adelia's grandson, she found herself conscious of the idea of him. However, it couldn't bear any fruit when another thought passed her consciousness as well.

Erik Alexander Kingsley.

A shiver runs down her spine merely thinking of him.

When was the last time she willingly conjured his name in her mind? If she said it out loud, the image of his handsome face wasn't far. But as she closed her eyes, she could see him.

She was then transported to a buried memory. There were nights her body run in a cold sweat at the vivid dream. Yet it wasn't a dream. It happened. And she was in the middle of it.

Like every other performance that evening, she was engulfed with emotions. She remained unaware of her surroundings. Her breath calm, each intake was calculated and controlled. The spotlight glared bright like the sun on a hot summer's day. The crowd was silent and focused. Their gaze was filled with awe and admiration.

Her hands glided in the invisible air, like a gush of wind creating perfect ripples on a serene pond. Muscle and joints in her body melted along with each movement. As the musical caress continued in the background, she moved in tune with it.

She was lost in the moment.

But then, there he was, sitting front and center. They locked eyes. A warmth deep within the pit of her stomach started to simmer. She got sucked in his tantalizing gaze until a sound loud as thunder broke her from his spell. Her body suddenly felt disconnected. She gasped and nearly choked while clawing for air. All of it happened in a span of a second before echoes of scream erupted.

Nobody completely saw what happen that night. Yet she vividly recalled those pair of sapphire blue eyes staring triumphantly every time she conjured the memory. However, no one saw him attending her last performance.

Maybe the memory was part of a dream. She had been an induced coma for days after the incident. Her mind may have played a trick on her. Yet she skin crawl every time she closed her eyes and see it play out again.

Maybe it was real...

Bam!

Mia jolted awake, returning to her reality. Her heart hammered, echoing on her ear. It took her a minute to recover. The muffled voice sounded clear across her door.

"Mia!" Leanna called. "Dinner's ready, sweetie. Come on!"

She got up and glanced around the room, studying her handiwork. Half of her luggage was already unpacked and placed inside the empty cabinets, which were all pulled out. The top part was half-filled with her undergarments and sleeping wear, yet most of her casual clothes were still the luggage. Those might take time to compartmentalize if she wanted to access her sweatshirts and knitted tops easily.