Hi Everyone! Just Wanted To Wish Everyone A Happy New Year And As A Gift For You All As You Enter The New Year, Here Is A Chapter For You All. Enjoy And Thank You! Happy New Year!!
Night Four
Marko parked in front of Charlie's and I immediately jumped off his motorcycle. He chuckled at me as he got off.
"It's not funny. You drive like a maniac." I said.
He rolled his eyes at me and we both started walking towards Charlie's. When we got to the door we found it locked. My brows furrowed. Why would he have closed shop early?
I looked at Marko as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and put his phone to his ear.
"Hey Charlie, why'd you close up early?"
There was silence as Charlie answered Marko's question.
"Well, Claire and I are here, do you mind if we go inside for a bit?"
I watched Marko as his face started to go pink.
"All right Charlie I know your rules. Besides, you know Claire wouldn't let that happen. She'd kick me in the balls first."
I blushed even though I had no idea what he was talking about.
"Thanks Charlie, see ya tomorrow." Marko said before hanging up.
I looked at Marko curiously.
"Charlie was tired after the party yesterday so decided to close up early today. He said specifically to "keep my hands to myself and no sex on his counters with the young Miss Claire Marie." As if I would do that without your permission." He said, smirking.
I rolled my eyes as a blush crept into my cheeks. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. I immediately went in to the safety and warmth of the coffee shop. I sighed in comfort as I walked over to the counters.
Marko walked behind the counter and turned on a few of the lights so it wasn't too bright in here. I smiled at him and he turned on the coffee machine and turned around to face me as it warmed up.
"So, mind if I ask you a few questions?" He asked.
I shrugged.
"Only if I can ask a few of my own." I said.
He nodded thoughtfully before going on.
"Why do you like it here, in Charlie's?"
I shrugged at his question.
"I stumbled upon the place one freezing cold night as Charlie was closing up. He asked me what a young, innocent girl like me was doing out in the streets at that time of night and made me come inside. He made me some hot chocolate and I told him everything. From that day on Charlie made me a deal. If I came in and bought something from him every night, he would continue to keep the lights dimmed low for me."
Marko smiled and nodded.
"What's the deal with your family?" He asked.
I was silent and he stared at me from where he stood on the other side of the counter.
"My dad...he works all over the world and has never been home for more than four days at a time. Andy, he plays football and baseball at your school and our dad has never once been to one of his games. And he is a junior! And when my mom is at work and my brother is at school, I'm forced to stay at home, alone. Do you have any idea how boring that is? No one to even talk to you..."
I sighed as I thought about those days.
"So, that means tomorrow..."
"Tomorrow I'll be home alone while Andy goes to school and my mom goes to work. Actually, my dad has to decide what he's doing..."
I looked at my hands as Marko placed a warm mug of hot chocolate in front of me.
"What's the deal with your father?" He asked, leaning over the counter towards me.
I shrugged.
"For as long as I can remember he's always been working. Always been traveling. I remember, after one of his trips, he'd have a gift to give me from all the different countries he visited. He thought that, since I couldn't travel, he'd bring other countries to me. And now..."
"It's all falling apart." He whispered.
I rested my face on my hand and pulled the mug of hot chocolate in front of me with the other.
"He got her pregnant. My mom is making him decide by tomorrow." I whispered.
I could feel tears well in my eyes. I quickly shook them off and sat up.
"Enough about me. What about you? Where's your family?" I asked.
He took a deep breath.
"Well since you asked...I'm a foster kid. Well, was. When I turned 18 I was kicked out so now I live in an apartment of my own but uh...yeah. My foster mom was wicked cool; I was the oldest there. I visit there all the time to see my younger siblings too."
I stared at Marko, surprised to see a softer, more serious side of him.
"What about your real parents?"
"My um...mother was a drug addict and my father was...abusive." He whispered.
I stayed silent, not knowing what to say.
"Oh. I'm sorry for asking, I shouldn't have; it's none of my business." I blurted.
He smiled and shook his head, leaning over the counter.
"No, it's all right. It feels good to finally let all of this out to someone." He said.
I nodded slowly, realizing for the first time just how close our faces were. I swallowed.
"How do you know Charlie?" I whispered.
"When I turned 14 I got a job here, but before that I used to come in here and buy sweets from him. I used to be his favorite customer until someone else took that position." He said, referring to me.
I smirked and he rolled his eyes.
"So..."
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I blurted.
I don't know why but I was curious. He shrugged at my question.
"Don't have any idea. I'm not really good at anything except coffee beans and machines."
We both laughed at that.
"What about you?" He asked.
I frowned.
"Well...nothing."
His brows furrowed and my frown deepened.
"I've never dreamed of being a firefighter or any of those silly things because of...my condition."
He looked at me pointedly and my brows furrowed.
"What?"
"You cannot tell me you've never dreamed of being anything before." He said, matter-of-factly.
I didn't answer him and he smirked.
"So, there is a dream somewhere in that cynical body of yours."
I glared at him.
"I am not cynical and so what if I've had a few dreams? None of them will ever come true."
He leaned closer to me and stared deep into my eyes. I blinked.
"Why do you say that?" He whispered.
I could feel his breath blow across my face as he spoke. My lips trembled and I blinked a few times.
"Because I can't go out during the day." I whispered.
He nodded thoughtfully.
"What are these dreams of yours, damsel?"
I stared at him before spinning on my stool.
"I don't know. They're stupid." I said as I kept spinning around on my stool.
"All right, how about this. I'll tell you one of mine and you'll tell me one of yours." He said.
I stopped spinning and before I could say no he had already spoken.
"I want to have a family not like mine. I've always dreamed of a place where a family loved me and everything."
I stared at Marko as he stared at me. His eyes watched mine and I couldn't bring myself to look away.
"I've always dreamed of traveling the world and going to all the places my father has." I whispered.
"I want to be able to bake but I suck." He whispered.
I giggled softly and he smiled.
"I wish I could watch the sunset and the sunrise." I whispered.
His smile fell and I chewed on my lip.
"You've never seen a sunset damsel?" He whispered.
I shook my head no and he studied my face.
"Well, it's kind of different everywhere." He whispered.
I nodded, knowing all about sunsets from my brother.
"Andrew says they're the most beautiful thing, sunrises and sunsets. They're all orange, and red, and pink, and sometimes purple and they're never ending in the sky. He told me they're so romantic and beautiful." I whispered as I pictured a sunset or sunrise.
Marko chuckled.
"Well, they are beautiful. But you're not missing out on much. I like the night time much better than the day." He said.
My mind focused back on now and I looked at Marko curiously.
"What? Why would you like the night time rather than the day?" I asked.
Marko shrugged.
"Because during the night it's more peaceful. Everyone is asleep so there is no one around to bother you. Plus, the full moon is amazing and the stars are too."
I nodded, agreeing with him.
"And I found out that you can meet some pretty special people during those hours." He whispered, staring into my eyes.
I felt my face warm up as my cheeks became red.
"Shut up." I whispered, smacking his shoulder.
Before I could pull my hand back he snatched it up in his giant hands. We both froze and he opened up his hands as if he were a little boy who had caught a delicate butterfly. He smoothed my hand out on his palm and looked down at our hands.
His skin was dark and tan from being out in the sun while mine was the complete opposite: white and pale.
"See what the sun does to people?" He whispered as he ran his right hand over mine.
"Your skin is perfectly white, untouched by the sun's harmful rays while mine is the color of beach hunks and girls who go to tanning salons. Your skin is pure innocence Claire while mine has been tainted by the evil sun and what it brings."
I stared at both of our hands, thinking about what he said.
"I look so weird though. Everyone has tanner skin while I'm so...pale. Everyone can see how different I am just from my skin. Why do you think I try and stay away from densely populated areas? If people don't know my face they'll automatically rule me out as a freak." I whispered, pulling my hand away from his.
He grabbed my hand, catching my attention. I stared at his face and saw him staring at me with the most intense look I have ever seen. His eyes met mine and I couldn't look away.
"You are not a freak. You're not different from anyone else and don't let anyone tell you different. You don't need to be able to be in the sun to be normal. In all honesty I'd rather be in your shoes then have to face the day. It brings several disappointments."
I blinked and tried to take my hand back but his grip tightened. He pulled my hand forward, pulling me out of my seat so that I was now practically laying on top of the counter. Marko's face was mere inches from my own, his lips a breath away.
I stayed frozen where I was as he stared at my face.
"The night on the other hand...isn't as disappointing. Is it?" He whispered.
I blinked a few times, unable to comprehend the situation at hand. What was he jabbering on about? Why are his lips so painstakingly close to mine? Why do I have the urge to lean forward and...kiss him?
My breathing became faster as I felt my stomach do a few flips inside of my body. My intestines felt all twisted up and my heart was hammering itself against my ribcage enough to cause temporary bruising.
I shrugged. He stared at me for a moment longer before letting my hand slip away. I slid back to my stool on the other side of the counter and Marko and I just stared at each other. He sighed and looked at me sadly as if he knew something I didn't.
"You're kind of lucky Claire. Since you have never been out in the sun, you're so...innocent." He whispered.
My brows furrowed in confusion. How is that a good thing?
"Yeah but being innocent sucks...everyone is always ahead of you on everything! My own brother who is two years younger than me isn't even a virgin anymore and I've never even been kissed by a guy! And I'm eighteen! And sometimes I get tired of being the angelic daughter. I mean...don't you ever get that feeling where you just wanna do something...outrageously crazy? Something your parents would ground you for the rest of your life for?" I rambled.
Marko nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah...no. Just you. Because I do things like that daily while you..."
"Are innocent." I mumbled.
He nodded and I sighed, taking a long sip of my hot chocolate. I moaned quietly when the taste hit my tongue and closed my eyes.
"Wow this may even be better than Charlie's hot chocolate." I whispered.
Marko chuckled at me and I opened my eyes to look at him. He was staring at me with a small smile plastered on to his face. I was surprised to see that the smile even met his baby blue eyes.
I put the mug on the counter and we stared at each other as a silence filled the coffee shop.
"Would you like to go for a walk, damsel?" He whispered.
I groaned.
"What is it going to take for you to stop calling me that?"
He chuckled and came around the counter so he was standing next to me. I turned towards him on my stool and blinked in wonder as he offered his arm towards me.
I slid off the stool before wrapping my arm around his. My face started heating up and I pulled all of my hair forward to hide my blushing cheeks.
We walked outside and I shivered from the cold November air. I didn't even bring a coat. Marko locked the shop and we started walking down the sidewalk in silence. I could see my breath as I exhaled and within five minutes I was shivering.
Marko looked at me and chuckled.
"Someone looks a bit cold, huh?" He teased.
I glared at him instead of answering him because my teeth were chattering uncontrollably. He chuckled again before stopping. I stopped walking too and he turned my body so we were facing each other.
Before I could do or say anything he pulled me into his chest and started rubbing his hands up and down my back. My whole body went rigid when my face squished against his rock-hard chest. His smell overloaded my nostrils and I couldn't stop myself from inhaling it deeper.
He smelled like fresh pine and the sun with a hint of grease from fixing cars, and smoke.
He smelled like the day time.
He pulled away after a few minutes and looked at me. He chuckled again and I looked at him confused. He reached up and brushed his thumb across my lips.
"You're so cold your lips are blue." He whispered.
My face heated up from embarrassment and he pulled away. He swiftly took off his leather jacket and put it around my shoulders. I opened my mouth to object but before I could he had already thrown his arm around my shoulders and we were walking again.
A silence filled the air as we walked and my body warmed up. I glanced up at Marko every few minutes to see him staring straight ahead.
"Hey Claire?" He said suddenly, making me jump.
I looked up at him, startled.
"Why were you so mean when I first tried to talk to you but now you're not?"
I stayed quiet for a moment, unable to answer his question.
"Well...you were annoying. You still are annoying but I'm getting used to that. You were a guy so that didn't really help you either. Plus, you are a Day-timer."
He looked at me confused.
"A what?"
I sighed.
"Ever since I was younger my parents would come up with these weird nicknames for stuff. People like me, who only come out at night; we call them Night-timers. People like you, who are able to go out during the day, are called Day-timers."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"So, what, you don't like Day-timers?"
I shrugged.
"It's not that I don't like them. They don't like me." I said.
His arm tightened around my shoulders slightly and I looked up at him.
"Well if it makes any difference, I like you." He said.
I chewed on my lip and let my hair fall in front of my face to hide my blush.
Another silence fell over us and I looked around at the unfamiliar street we were on. Where are we going?
"Marko uh...where are we?" I asked, alarmed.
"I want to show you something." He said, stopping outside a gate.
I looked at the gate curiously. It was just a plain, tall, black gate that closed an alleyway. Marko pulled out his keys and unlocked the gate, letting it open. He turned back to me and smirked.
"Come on damsel, don't look so frightened. I don't bite. Hard."
I rolled my eyes at his joke and followed him through the gate.
We were walking in complete darkness, no light whatsoever. I followed behind Marko and tripped on something on the ground.
I stood up and froze when I didn't hear Marko's footsteps in front of me. I reached out in front of me, hoping to touch him but my fingers slipped through the cold air.
"M-Marko?" I whispered into the darkness.
Fear started to grip me when no one replied. My body started to shake as my mind started to scare me.
What if Marko is hurt? What if some guy with a gun is in here, looking for an innocent girl like me to kidnap? What if a hungry bear is directly in front of me, waiting for its next meal? What if a crazy dude with a chainsaw is waiting at the end to cut me up into tiny pieces and feed me to his pet piranhas in his backyard pond?!
I inhaled a shaky breath as I tried to calm down. My heart was beating faster than it should and I felt sick to my stomach. I continued walking forward in the darkness when I stepped in something squishy.
I gasped and bit my tongue so I wouldn't scream. I quickly walked away from it as I tried to get whatever it was off my shoes. I hopped around in the darkness and stopped when I felt it come off my shoes.
I sighed in relief and closed my eyes for a second. My heart was almost back to its normal pace when I froze.
Something wet and slimy just slid down the back of my shirt.
I did the only thing a girl would do in this situation.
I opened my mouth and screamed.
I screamed and ran away from whatever it was and just ran blindly forward. I ran and ran until I ran into something solid, groaning.
I felt two strong hands grab my arms and I screamed again.
"MARKO!"
I was pushed up against something solid and a hand slid over my mouth. My scream was immediately cut off and I was frozen in fear. A tiny sliver of light came from somewhere, hitting the person's face to show me their eyes.
"Calm down damsel, it's me." A familiar voice whispered.
I stared into the familiar blue eyes of Marko and tried to slow down my ragged breathing. Marko pulled his hand away from my face and pulled me into a hug. I stiffened for a moment before melting into his arms.
"Calm down damsel, jeez. You're going to give yourself a heart attack." He said.
I slowly got my breathing back to normal before pulling away.
"Don't you ever and I mean ever leave me in a dark place alone again. I swear to god I will kill you the next time you do!" I yelled.
He chuckled and grabbed my hand. His hand was rough and calloused but so warm and safe that I gripped his hand tighter.
He pulled me forward and I followed until we got to another gate. He opened that gate and led me into our destination.
"Wow..." I whispered, looking around.
"Did you do all of this?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Yeah with the help of some of my siblings. They love helping me with my projects."
I nodded as I looked all around me. We were on a large plot of land that probably once used to be an empty lot. Now it was covered in grass and trees. It was a garden.
There were tall hedges which acted as a fence surrounding the lot. There was an old car sitting to the left with a really old movie player sitting on it, pointed at the one brick wall.
A tree stood behind it mostly bare but I could imagine that it would cover the car from any weather during the spring and summer months. Winter flowers grew in pots or freely in the grass while the summer flowers looked dead. Even though some of the plants were dead and the tree was bare, the place still looked beautiful in the glow of the full moon overhead.
I looked at Marko.
"This place is amazing. You did all of this?" I whispered, walking towards the car.
He nodded and walked over to the big tree. I noticed then that there was a homemade treehouse up in the tree and a big swing hung down from a thick branch. I walked over to the swing and sat down on it.
"I remember when I was younger, when I lived with my parents...I would look out my bedroom window and see this empty lot and wonder why people didn't do anything with it. After a few days, this lot became my only hope of survival in that place." He whispered.
As he talked he walked around the tree until he was behind me where he started pushing on the swing so I would move.
"After every day in that horrifying place, when they went to bed, I would sit up in my room and think of all the different things I could make with this lot. I could make a play ground for kids like me. I could build a sky scraper that went to the moon. I could do anything with it."
He continued to push me on the swing as he talked and I listened to this softer, serious side of Marko.
"Then, when DCF took me out of there I continued to think about this lot and once I had the money, I bought it. But then I couldn't think of what to do with it until one day."
I turned my head and looked at him curiously. His eyes were glazed over as if he was reliving through his memories.
"I was leaving Charlie's one day after work and found him talking to this woman who had a girl with her. The girl was wearing a purple shirt with a white flower in the middle and purple jeans. Her shoes were white sneakers which also had white flowers on them. She even had a headband in her hair which was covered in white flowers and jewelry which was also all flowers. I was inspired then. I had never seen more than one flower in New York until that day and decided then that this lot would become a garden." He whispered.
Just then I was stopped, mid-swing. I could feel Marko's chest pressing against my back and turned my head so I could look up at him as I thought about what he just said. Wait a minute...
A memory filled my head of the day my mother took me to Charlie's after the first time I had been in his shop. It was the day that Charlie found out what E.P.P. really was. My mom wanted to meet the man who helped me the night before and talk to him about our arrangement. I remember seeing a boy there working with Charlie. I never thought much about him except that I felt embarrassed to be around a boy my age.
I looked up to see that Marko was looking down at me and his eyes flickered down to my chest. His head tilted to the side curiously and he reached forward, grabbing the necklace which sat around my neck. A blush formed in my cheeks as he stared at the gold flower and he looked up into my eyes.
"That was you." He whispered, his eyes going wide.
My face became a deeper red and he stared at me in wonder and surprise.
"If that was you then...wow. It's like...wow." He whispered.
I nodded and he started pushing me again.
"What were you doing at Charlie's then damsel?" He asked.
"Well...my mom wanted to meet Charlie and explain to him my...condition. So, we arranged a meeting and after that I was able to stop by every night."
He pushed me again and when I swung back towards him, he stopped me. His chest was pressed against my back again and I stayed still as he leaned forward.
"Thank you, damsel." He whispered in my ear.
I turned my head so I could look at his face. When I turned my head, it caused our faces to be closer than I had thought and I was surprised to see how serious his face looked.
"What for?" I whispered.
"For giving me hope." He responded.
We stared into each other's eyes and I could feel my heart beat faster and faster as his face inched closer to my own. His lips were so teasingly close and even though I found this guy a pain in my butt, that didn't mean he wasn't growing on me.
Which he definitely was.
We stayed like that for a long moment and I could see in his eyes that he was having an internal argument with himself. I watched him curiously before he sighed and closed his eyes, letting me go.
I couldn't stop the feeling of disappointment that coursed its way through my veins and entered my heart. I tried to stay positive as I thought of all the reasons why Marko wouldn't want to kiss me but couldn't.
He sighed again as he started pushing me and I leaned my head against the rope, sighing to myself.
"Claire?" He whispered.
"Hm?" I answered softly.
He sighed again and walked around so that he was in front of me. He grabbed the ropes with his hands and stopped me, leaning down so his face was level with my own.
"I'm not...good for you." He whispered, looking away.
My brows furrowed in confusion. He what?
I looked at his face and saw how pained he looked. My face softened and I lifted his face so his eyes met mine.
"What are you talking about?" I whispered, clueless.
He sighed.
"I'm not...good for you. I'm bad, Claire. I'm not good like you are, I'm bad. That's the way it is, the way it will always be. You and I, this can never work out. I'll...I'll screw it all up." He whispered, looking away again.
My heart started fluttering in my chest as my stomach did flips. Is he saying he's not good enough for me?
"Are you saying you're not good enough for me?" I whispered, shocked.
He nodded, and my mouth fell open.
"Marko that is the dumbest excuse I have ever heard in my entire life!" I announced, standing up.
He looked up, surprised at my sudden outburst as anger consumed me. How could this boy say that about himself?
"You are not bad and I have no idea why you think that way of yourself. I don't know if it's from your past or from what others say about you but it's all wrong. Look at what you've done!" I said, spinning around.
"You built a garden when you were 16! Because you thought flowers were beautiful! You still visit your siblings at your old foster home and they're not even your real siblings Marko. I have yet to see you angry at anyone or anything and just because you have that amazing mohawk and wear a hot leather jacket and ride around on that scary motorcycle does not make you bad!"
I stared at Marko as he stared back at me, surprised with everything I just said. I wasn't even sure of what I just said. I just spoke until all my anger was out.
"Claire, you don't understand – "
I grabbed Marko's shirt and pulled him forward.
"No, you don't understand. You telling me that you're bad for me is like saying that I'm good for anyone. Which is so not true." I growled.
His brows furrowed.
"Wait a minute. Why are you not good for anyone?" He argued.
I rolled my eyes.
"What kind of guy wants to be with a girl who has been homeschooled all her life, is as innocent as a baby and cannot go anywhere during the time of day? Do you know of any guys who want a girl like that, because I sure as hell don't. I'm from a totally different side of the planet from every single guy to exist and not one of them will ever take an interest in someone like me."
Marko was quiet as he looked at me thoughtfully.
"You're wrong, damsel." He whispered.
I looked at him, confused.
"What are you talking about? Do you know of any guy who would be interested in someone like me? Do you?" I asked, knowing his answer would be no.
He smiled a big smile, it meeting his eyes.
"Yes." He whispered.
I gripped his shirt collar tighter. What was he talking about...?
"Who?" I whispered.
"Me." He answered back before pressing his lips to mine.
My mind was both blank and running a mile a minute as I tried to comprehend the situation at hand.
I was being kissed.
For the first time, a guy was kissing me.
Then I realized who was kissing me.
Marko was kissing me.
My hand let go of his shirt and he pulled away from me, staring into my eyes. My face felt warm and he chuckled as I blushed.
"You're cute when you blush, damsel. Don't be so embarrassed." He teased.
I groaned and leaned forward, hiding my face in Marko's chest. He chuckled and pushed me back so he could stare at me. I watched as his eyes softened and my heart flipped in my chest.
He reached forward and brushed my bangs back, tucking them behind my ear. I blushed again and he smiled at me, staring into my eyes. I looked away from him and backed away so I was sitting back on the swing.
I watched Marko as he disappeared behind the tree.
"Hey Claire?" He asked when he popped up behind me.
"Yes Marko?" I whispered.
"Do you have any bad habits?" He asked as he pushed the swing.
My brows furrowed and I crinkled my nose when the smell of smoke hit my nose.
I turned my head and saw Marko standing behind me with a cigarette in one hand and his other hand pushing me on the swing. I blinked a few times.
"You mean like smoking?" I asked pointedly.
He sighed, blowing smoke everywhere.
"Yeah..."
I shrugged.
"Being clumsy." I answered.
He chuckled.
"When did you start that nasty habit of yours?" I asked, looking at him.
He stopped pushing me and walked forward so I could see him.
"When I was thirteen. Some older boys who used to be in the same foster home as me were pretty nasty and I ended up following them around. They got me started on some bad stuff. I used to be a really bad kid Claire. I did all sorts of drugs, got into all sorts of trouble. I told ya I'm bad."
I got up from the swing and walked over to Marko whose back was facing me. I put my hand on his shoulder and turned him around so we were face to face.
"You keep saying used to Marko. You're not like that now, are you? No. You're not. I don't see you doing any drugs or stealing from a dollar general."
He smiled and I sighed, exasperated.
"Seriously. All you do now is smoke cigarettes and that's an easy habit to stop." I said.
His brows scrunched together.
"Easy? You're funny, Claire. It was easy getting off the other drugs because I didn't do those as much but smoking?"
I nodded and took a step towards him. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it with his toe, digging his toe into the ground to make sure it went out.
I took another step forward so our chests were touching.
"I think you can do it. With the right reasons and the right motivation, you'd be able to stop smoking."
He looked down at my face, leaning forward so our lips were almost touching.
"Like what?" He whispered.
My brain became foggy from the close proximity and I almost forgot what we were talking about.
Almost.
I smiled as Marko closed his eyes and leaned forward to kiss me. I turned my head so his lips planted a kiss on my cheek and he pulled away, surprised. I took a step back and smirked, knowing exactly how I was going to get him to quit.
But I decided not to tell him yet.
I stretched my arms towards the sky and yawned.
"What time is it?" I asked, completely changing the subject.
"One." Marko answered, staring at me as I stretched.
I felt self-conscious as he stared at me and dropped my arms to my sides, pulling Marko's leather jacket tighter around my body. Marko smiled a small smile before walking towards me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me out the gate and through the dark alley.
We stopped once we got to the sidewalk so he could lock the gate and then started our journey back to his motorcycle.
"Hey uh...Claire?"
I looked at Marko and saw that he was staring straight ahead as he spoke.
"Yes Marko?"
"Do you want to meet up at Charlie's tomorrow night?"
I looked at him for a second.
"We both have school...you have to get up earlier than I do."
He shrugged.
"So? I want to see you."
I started to blush which made a big smirk grow on his face.
"Yeah we can if you think you're up to it." I said, bumping my shoulder into his arm.
He scoffed.
"Puuuleease. I'm up to anything with you baby." He said, smirking.
I blushed again and rolled my eyes at him.
"You gross me out."
"And yet you still haven't told me to leave you alone." He said.
I nodded.
"Why is that?" He asked.
I shrugged. I remember how, just two days ago I wanted to get him away from me and out of my life and now here I am, wearing his jacket and kissing him.
I looked at Marko who was staring at me.
"You're weird." I said.
He laughed at me.
"You are the weird one, damsel." He said.
I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever."
A silence fell over us as we continued our walk and a random question popped in my head.
"Hey Marko, how come you tell everyone your name is Ace?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"Because Marko sounds dumb. It's a lot like bucko. So, when I was younger I decided that people would call me Ace instead of Marko. It suited the whole badass image too so no one really bugged me in school. Still kids at school choose to stay away from me. I haven't met one guy who has the guts to even look me in the eye." He bragged.
I rolled my eyes at him as we stopped next to his motorcycle.
"Well if it makes any difference, I like Marko a lot better than Ace." I whispered.
I watched as his cheeks became pink and I giggled.
"You look cute when you blush." I teased.
His brows scrunched together as he started to pout.
"Shut up." He mumbled.
I giggled again and he smiled as he got on his bike, starting it up. I stood there and stared at the bike for a while as fear twisted in my gut.
"Are you coming damsel or are you going to stand there and stare at my sexy body for the rest of the night?" Marko asked, his award-winning smirk in full bloom on his face.
I glared at him and got on the motorcycle.
"Hold on damsel." He yelled over the motor and I wrapped my arms around his chest before he sped off towards my house.