Five
The next morning, I woke up with the feeling of someone watching me. The only light that penetrated my eyelids was coming from the beside table where a lamp sat. Slowly, so my eyes adjusted to the light, I opened them to look up at Ari, who was staring down at me.
"As you can tell, it's time for you to get up," she said. Her arms were crossed over her chest. "You and Damon have to leave in a half an hour. I've got you some clothes. They're in the bathroom. You don't have to take a shower, do you? I mean, you took one last night, didn't you?"
I nodded as I slowly sat up. "Yeah, I knew we were going to have to leave early, so I took one then," I said.
"I also brought up a tray for breakfast. You'll have to eat quickly, though." And with that she left the room.
It didn't take me long to get dressed. And after I was, I picked up the tray of food and headed for the double doors that I learned the night before led out to a balcony that looked out at the ocean.
The day before, I basically just hung out in my room. I did explore the house a little more, though I wasn't allowed to see the basement. I will admit I got lost a few times, but then Castor would suddenly be there to help me get to a familiar area.
I didn't get my answer to my question about what really happened at the beach. All I got was a change of subject. I'd tried a few more times to bring it up, but I was always shot down.
I mean, the question had something to do with me. I thought I deserved that much, right? And I knew Damon knew why I could do what I could. If he didn't, he wouldn't have helped me bring Lee back.
Then there was the matter of the two dreams that I had with Damon in them. That last one wouldn't get out of my head either, not with the way kissing him made me feel, even if it was in a dream.
But the thing that bothered me was that they felt so real. The only thing was, I was pretty sure that they didn't take place in this time. And it wasn't just the clothing and armor either. It was just the atmosphere, the feeling that I got when I was dreaming about that place. It felt like home.
"Are you ready?"
I turned my head to see Damon standing there dressed in a suit similar to the one that I'd seen him wear before.
"Why are you dressed like that?" I asked, looking him up and down.
"Work," was all he said before he turned around and walked back out of my room.
"Where do you work?" I asked, following behind him. I walked just a foot behind him and could feel the heat that I always seemed to feel when I was near him.
"You like your questions, don't you?" he asked, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
I just shrugged. "Well, when you haven't answered any of them, it just makes me want to ask you more to see if I can get them out of you."
He sighed. "I own a business with two of my brothers," he said reluctantly.
"And what do you do at your business?"
"It's mostly PR and accounting. We represent a multitude of other businesses, watch their accounts and make sure they look good and are doing the right things."
"Sounds fun. And what's the name?"
"MOGG," he said as we started descending the spiral staircase to the front foyer.
"Does that stand for anything?"
"No."
I knew he was lying...or just trying to get me to stop talking. Probably both. But at least I was getting some answers to my questions. Now if I could only get some answers as to what happened at the beach...
"Hector went by your foster parents' home and got you things for school. They are in the car," he said. "He and Arachne have already left, but they said to tell you goodbye."
I nodded as we headed toward the door that led to what I was assuming was the garage. The house, I had found out, had one that had space for eight cars. And judging by the size of this place and the amount of land he had, all eight spaces were occupied.
I stopped up short when he headed to the passenger side of one car. I recognized this one.
It was the same sleek, black car that had followed behind Lee when he was driving beside me as I walked home, the one that had practically pushed me down the road.
"So you were the one following me and Lee?" I asked, looking at him.
He looked up at me with wide eyes, trying to look innocent.
It so wasn't working.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
I rolled my eyes and walked toward the passenger side, where he was holding open the door. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved beside him and ducked under his arm to get in the car. Well, I almost got in the car. I was so close to him that I had a hard time not reaching out and touching him. He was just so...beautiful.
I did, however, stop before getting in just to stare at him. I didn't meet his eye, but I couldn't find it in me to look away.
But when I did finally look up at his face, he was staring at me, too. A look of longing was in his eyes as he looked down at me. He stepped closer and I held my breath.
"You should probably get in. You'll be late if you don't," he said quietly.
I nodded, willing myself to move. I couldn't, though. It was like something was drawing me toward him, like an invisible string that tied us together.
"Go on," he said, nodding toward the car. But it looked like he didn't want me to leave his side either. At least that's what I was hoping he was thinking.
But on the bright side, I would be stuck in an enclosed space with him for another hour. That I could deal with.
I nodded slightly and slid into the black leather bucket seat. After he closed the door, I watched him walk around the front of the car toward the driver's side. I had to inconspicuously wipe the drool off my chin.
Once he had gotten in and closed the door, he started the car and it purred to life. Once it was on, I could barely hear the engine over the radio, which was barely playing.
"So what kind of car is this anyway?" I asked, looking at the control panel. I was afraid that if I touched it, I would scratch it or something.
"A Bentley Continental Supersports," he said. "I've only had it for about two weeks, so it's still brand new. You can touch it, since that's what you look like you want to do. You won't hurt it."
Hesitantly, I brushed a finger over the dashboard. "It's stunning."
He nodded once, not taking his eyes off of the road. Well, we were still in his driveway. Hector told me the day before that it was a mile before it got to the main road.
We didn't talk for the longest time. It wasn't until I started seeing familiar landmarks that meant we were close to Seabreeze Cove that I finally mustered up the courage to say something.
I didn't like how desperate I sounded when I did, though.
"So will I ever see you again?"
His head snapped to the side at my question, eyes wide. This time, it wasn't that innocent look like before, but shock.
"Uh...I...um..."
It was the first time that I ever heard him struggle to find words. It was actually kind of cute.
"I'm sorry," I said as a blush crept onto my cheeks. "That was a little too forward of me."
"No, it's fine," he said just as we passed the Welcome to Seabreeze Cove sign.
I slumped down in the seat. "Okay," I said softly.
Did he not want to see me again? Was I just a thorn in his side who he just happened to save? I guess I wasn't as memorable as other girls he'd probably met. Those dreams obviously didn't mean anything, just my subconscious telling me that I wanted a man that I hardly even knew. Wanted him in a way that I'd never even experienced before.
And before we left...was I the only one who felt like we were tied together in a way that I barely understood? Ever since I first saw him in the school's cafeteria, I hadn't been able to get him out of my head. And being in his company - even if he acted like he didn't want me there - cemented it more into place with every second that passed.
Like now, sitting just two feet away from him, I wanted to reach over and tug one of his hands from the steering wheel, kiss those knuckles that were turning white as he gripped onto it. I wanted him to hold me like he had in my dream before, kiss me until I couldn't breath. I wanted to see him smile at me like he had in it, too. I hadn't seen him smile once in reality.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.
Did I want to tell him the truth?
Um, heck no!
"Nothing," I said, leaning my head back against the headrest and looking out the window. We were passing through town then, only a few minutes from school. Everyone who was in town gawked at his car as we passed by.
"Yes, you are," he said. I felt him look at me, but I still didn't meet his gaze no matter how much I wanted to. "What is it?"
I shrugged, still not saying a thing.
"Persephone, tell me, please."
My head snapped in his direction at the sound of my name. He still hadn't answered my question on how he knew my name, but I kind of let it go.
"Persie," I corrected.
His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
"Persie. That's what you can call me. Persephone is a mouthful to say, so just call me Persie. Everyone else does."
"Do you not like your name?"
I shook my head. "No, it's not that. I love my name. I just like to be called Persie instead."
"Well, I'm going to call you Persephone. You can leave that to everyone else."
I snorted and rolled my eyes. "That always seems to happen."
"What?" he asked, looking over at me with interest.
I smiled, looking into his fiery blue eyes. "You getting your way with things."
He looked back at the road, but I could see the corners of his mouth pulled up just slightly.
A few moments later, he was pulling into the student parking lot at the back of my school. Every head turned in our direction just like when we were passing through town. I was looking out my window as I pulled my bag into my lap and he stopped the car. And when I heard a door close, I looked over to see that Damon wasn't in the car anymore, but walking around the front to come open my door.
"You didn't have to do that," I said once he opened the door and I stepped out.
I stood in front of him as he leaned forward to shut the door. "I'm trying to bring chivalry back from the dead."
I laughed, adjusting my messenger bag across my shoulder. "Nice," I said.
There it was again, that flicker of a smile on his lips. He seemed to do that anytime I smiled or laughed. I just wanted to see his smile full force. I'm sure I'd melt into a puddle when I did.
"So I guess you'd better go," he said.
We were still just a foot apart and I couldn't find it in myself to move.
"I guess," I said, looking up at him.
Nope, I didn't even thinkI could move away from him.
One of the corners of his mouth pulled up just slightly again. "Go on."
I sighed, nodding, before I stepped around him and headed toward the back doors of the school. That string that I felt tied me to him? Yeah, well, it was demanding me to go right back to his side, practically straining with every step I took away from him.
"Persephone."
I paused, turning back around to look at him. He was standing on the other side of the car with the driver's side door open, just about to get in.
"Yeah?"
He looked at me for a long moment before speaking.
"About that one question," he said. "My answer is hopefully, just under better circumstances."
"What...?"
But that's when I realized what question he was answering.
He was hoping that we'd see each other again, too.
***Yay! Another chapter! I'm surprisingly in the mood to write (which is a rarity for me these days!) so here's chapter 5!!!1
Tell me what you think! I want some comments and votes on this! You know I love hearing from you guys! :D
Comment, Vote, and Like!!!1***