Chapter 8
"But do they exist?"
"No, they don't."
"Think about it, though, what if they're out there somewhere and we could find--"
"They don't exist, Xanthe."
"Then what explains you and your obsession with leather jackets?"
"What?"
"HA! So you are a vampire! You literally wear black to sleep, Arsy pants,"
"Don't call me that."
"Yeah, yeah,"
Currently, Arsen and I are having a deep conversation about vampires. Or, more specifically, him being one. And technically, I'm the only one talking.
I mean, it makes sense, right? All he ever wears is black, and even his name is somewhat dark and dangerous...kind of.
"How does wearing a leather jacket have anything to do with being a vampire?" He asks coldly, raising an eyebrow and making me smirk.
I've been trying to forget about what happened a few days ago, the night Don's gang came. A, because of him being a bad boy and B, because of him being a bad boy.
And also, because I'm not confident enough to ask about what it was, exactly.
"Because leather protects you from the sun," I point out to the question before, and Arsen sighs, rubbing his face with his hands and falling back on his bed.
I guess comparing Arsen now to a few weeks ago when he first kidnapped me would be like comparing a brick to a before and after picture. Nothing's changed.
He gets angry over little things like me simply having a conversation with Don.
Jeez, what do they have against each other?
He also opposes against me going outside. He's locked me up! Although that's probably for dumb safety reasons, as Ameena so kindly pointed out for me.
Except, maybe, just maybe, I hate him a little less, now.
This still doesn't make up for the fact that...
He's a vampire. And an asshole.
"Xanthe, black leather doesn't protect anyone from the sun, the colour attracts heat and the thickness of it makes you warmer, so shut up," He growls, finally removing the hands from his face.
Speaking of heat, why am I suddenly feeling so hot?
I shrug.
"I'm just saying..." I trail off, smirking at him.
He just raises an eyebrow and gets up, walking across the room to the door.
Before walking out, however, he stops and turns to me, his face the same impassive, cold-stone self.
"Xena used to love vampires," He says deeply, looking at my lips since his eyes won't meet mine.
My heart falters at the way he's looking at me, and I kind of feel like punching my stomach for the butterflies in them.
How did they even get in there?
I decide to ask something different from normal.
"Did you love her?"
He pauses, and his eyes meet mine for a millisecond before turning to look around at his room.
He leans against his door casually, causing the air to go unusually warmer. For me.
"It was complicated," He answers bluntly, finally looking at me, but not my eyes.
"How can it be complicated? She loved you, you loved her, simple." I tell him, raising an eyebrow.
His face expression doesn't change, but his eyebrows lift slightly.
"Xanthe, you've--" I ignore him.
"I mean, think about it, Xena was an amazing person, so obviously you would have had to--"
"Xanthe, listen to--"
"--love her, and if that was the case, then you were obviously in a relationship, so--"
"XANTHE, it was ONE-SIDED!" Arsen booms, glaring at me.
I stop ignoring him, jumping a little at his loud voice.
"W-what?" I ask. He runs a hand through his hair in a very hot way.
"I wasn't in love with her, Xanthe, I've told you before. She was. I was just feeling things, there's a huge difference," He growls.
I stare at him for a while.
"So...you didn't love her," I ask, although it comes out as more of a statement than a question.
He nods slightly, and I exhale deeply.
Of course, he didn't love her. The stone-cold Arsen Reed who gives no emotions and is super intimidating?! Yeah, I don't think so.
He wouldn't be able to love anyone.
"Did she know?" I ask a little quietly.
He looks at me then, properly. And his fiery amber eyes that are usually blazing with an unknown fire, are now dull and dark as if he's not used to talking about this subject.
Almost as if he's...blank.
Which, honestly, isn't unusual at all. But a bit freaky.
"She knew, Xanthe," He tells me darkly, his voice sending shivers down my spine. I gulp.
Do I feel relieved?
No, definitely no.
I think.
Maybe I do...
"I'm going to eat," He mutters, before opening the door he was leaning against and walking out.
I sit there for a second, analyzing what just happened.
Him telling me that he didn't exactly love Xena isn't going to answer any of my questions except the fact that he's stone-cold and has no feelings, therefore will never love a girl, marry her and produce offsprings.
Great, I'm so wise.
Damnit, why am I getting angry?
Maybe you're just jealous...
Oh shut up, what would I be jealous of?
I think I need some food in me as well.
I decide to get up and walk towards the door.
Once I'm out, I walk over to the stairs, but at the same time, someone comes barging out of the bathroom, almost knocking me over.
Almost.
I'm just about to fall down the stairs when the person's arms shoot out and grab my waist. I look up to see who it is when I forget to breathe for a second.
It's Don. And not just that, but it's Don...semi-naked.
Oh my God, okay, Xanny, do not panic! Just a really hot guy with an amazing body and perfect muscles and a six-pack that could--
"Are you okay?" He asks, smirking at me.
Damnit, he knows he can give me a heart attack. Now his ego is going to build and he'll know how hot he is.
One again...damnit.
"No, no, I'm completely fine. Yeah, no, I was just, I was looking forward to eating and, I'm...ugh!" I groan, burying my face in my hands. Then I freeze.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no! It's not my hands I'm leaning into. It's his bare chest.
And I definitely know it's his chest because I felt it go tense underneath me.
Oh great, now I'm blushing. Add that to the very fast beating of my very annoying heart.
"Well, uh...I think God is too generous to fulfil your wish, Xanny," He says, his voice a shade deeper than before. And hotter, might I add.
And why am I still leaning against his chest?!
I was wondering the same thing.
Oh, shut up, you.
"Oh. So, um, I'm gonna go down to eat, and I'll....see you later," I say, moving out of his hold and waving (idiotically), before rushing down the steps.
Phew, that was so close.
Why did I wave?!
"Hey, Xanny, you look like you just ran a marathon and...oh my God, are you blushing?" Ameena laughs, getting up off the counter and walking up to me.
She flicks my cheeks hard and I immediately glare at her.
Although because of her cold hands, my cheeks cool down a little.
"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" I ask, snorting, and Ameena pushes my faces away by the nose.
"I wouldn't even hug you." She laughs, rolling her eyes and gesturing towards a chair next to her.
Ally the Ginger and Kaitlin the Purple both give me dirty looks, because they don't like me.
Arsen, who is currently sitting in between Noah and Xander, clears his throat. We all look at him expectantly. Especially Ally and Kaitlin, which earns them a glare from me.
Not because I'm jealous, but because they never listen to me when I clear my throat.
Yeah right, Xanthe.
Shut up.
"We're leaving for Canada tomorrow," He starts, glaring at Kade and Jax who are laughing at something on Kade's phone.
They quickly put it away, and everyone nods, hiding their smirks.
"...I have to sort some things out for that, and Noah's in charge--"
"Why not me?" Comes a voice from the kitchen doorway. We all turn to see Don standing there.
Sadly, with a shirt.
My cheeks heat up all over again.
"Because I said so," Arsen growls, glaring at Don with his blazing eyes.
Don frowns.
"But I'm also a gang leader, so shouldn't I be in charge?" He points out, looking so adorable that I almost sigh.
Almost.
"Devon, shut up. I give the orders, not you. Noah will be in charge, and I have to sort things out with Ameena's mom since we're going to be staying with her, and a few other stuff that Xanthe cannot know about."
Wow, he's talking about me as if I'm not here. Way to make it obvious, asshole.
"And this place better be tidy when I get back because I can't keep wasting my money on a bunch of maids who can't do their job properly, got it?" He looks at each and every one of his and Don's gang members until he has everyone squirming in their seats.
Ha, he can totally make anyone nervous.
"Good. And make sure Xanthe doesn't leave the house," This time, he looks at me. "With anyone." He adds the last bit in deeply, and I shiver.
Everyone nods but my eyes stay glued to his, trying to pull away.
They literally make you burn inside - not theoretically speaking.
"If there are any new missions from Dean, don't call me. Just tell him that I told Dean to shut the fuck up."
With that last message, Arsen is out of the house faster than you can say 'watermelon'.
"I can be way scarier than that," Don snorts once Arsen is out of the house. I hide my smile behind my hand.
No way, in Town's Bay, can he be scarier than Arsen Frickin' Reed. He's scarier than a crow with red eyes. I wouldn't want to compete with that.
"Yeah, Don, totally," Jax smirks, finishing his last pancake.
That's when I realize I haven't touched my food. At all.
"I forgot to eat," I mutter, making Ameena and Noah burst out laughing at the same time.
"Probably too busy thinking about me," Don whispers in my ear, winking.
Great! I just managed to cool down my cheeks, and they're burning all over again!
Bravo, Xanny, you're the dumbest person ever to roam this earth. Or maybe even galaxy!
"Give her a break, Donny," Ameena says, nudging him. Don, in return, pouts.
An adorable pout, might I add.
"Can I take her out for a while?" Don asks, sitting in the empty seat on the other side of me. My heart immediately skips a beat when his arm brushes against mine.
Oh, my God, he's so close!
"No, Don, you heard what boss said," Jax points out, and Don snorts, rolling his eyes.
"Who said I ever listen to 'boss', Jax? Besides, he isn't my boss, so I don't take orders from him."
This can't be good.
"Don't even think about it, Don," Noah warns, pointing at him. I decide to intervene.
I mean, they are talking about me as if I'm some plastic toy or something.
"Okay, guys, let's think logically here, okay? Don is an amazing guy, and he wouldn't stoop so low as to actually kidnap me like you guys so casually did, so one hour won't hurt anybody, right?" I ask, smiling innocently and hoping that they let me out.
Believe me, it feels like I haven't seen the sun in years.
Oh yeah, like you clearly don't sleep next to a window, Xanny.
I never asked for your opinion, actually.
I never gave you one.
Ugh! Put a sock in it!
Gladly.
"Okay, Xanny, first of all, I don't remember you ever thinking logically," Noah starts, earning a glare from me.
"And second?" I ask, my fingers crossed.
Please, please, please let me go. Please let me go. Please!
"And second of all...you can go," He ends with a heavy sigh, and I squeal, jumping up from my chair and giving Don an excited hug.
And then I immediately pull away when I realize I'm hugging the same body that was bare just mere seconds ago.
Oh, boy.
"But!" Noah quickly shouts, and Don and I groan simultaneously.
"There's always a but," Don grumbles, making me sigh and nod in agreement.
He's not wrong. There's always a but.
"That's what she said," Jax says between fake coughs, and Kade snorts, shaking his head.
"I'm giving you both only one hour and a half, got it?" He says, and I raise an eyebrow.
Great, we have a curfew?!
"We're not nine, Noah, we don't need a curfew."
So looks like Don was thinking the same thing.
"I know, but Arsen's gonna be home, and when he is, he's gonna murder everyone for letting Xanny go out, especially you," Noah says.
He's got a point, there. And looks like Don agrees.
"Okay, fine, whatever. Let's go, Xanny," Don smiles down at me, throwing his keys in the air and catching them.
Why do I feel like I'm not going to get out of this alive?
Right, because I never get out of anything alive. Duh.
"Can I change?" I ask wearily, looking down at my black hoodie-jumper and jeans.
"Nah, you look fine," He says.
Once we're in the corridor, he leans forward, his mouth brushing against my ear and causing me to shiver. "In fact, you look gorgeous."
*~*~*~*
"So, what is this place?" I ask as we get out of the car.
The car journey was actually pretty comfy.
I got to know that Don has a dog called Benji and a little sister called Jamie who's scared of pigeons. His mom is a personal assistant to the CEO of Devon Styles Co., and the CEO of Devon Styles Co. is his dad.
Beautiful 'boss and employee' love, he says. I agree. It's adorable. Reminds me of mom and dad's relationship before dad left.
"You'll soon find out, m'lady," He winks, bowing and holding out his arm. I giggle and give him my best courtesy before taking his arm.
He's brought me to a little park not far from the house. In fact, calling it a park is too generous. It looks more like a forest in the middle of the city, in a completely secluded place.
But it's not ugly, I'll give you that. Let's just hope he isn't planning to chop me up and use me as props for the unusually elegant trees.
Mother Nature sure knows about beauty.
We walk up to a stunning wall of leaves, with roses attached to them, their thorny-beauty really standing out and making it look way more gorgeous.
"And...we're here!" Don exclaims, pulling back the leaves as if they were curtains.
I'm about to gasp when the scene behind the leafy curtains literally takes my breath away. There are only two words to describe it;
Incredibly astonishing.
There was not one place I had ever been to that was as magical as this. It was like a scene from the movies. Or cartoons.
It was the greenest of lands I had ever laid my eyes on.
There were tall, ornate trees crowded around the interminable land of green grasses and bushes. There were flowers of all types dotted around everywhere. But the most eye-catching view was, indeed, the waterfall.
Oh, that beautiful waterfall.
And here I was thinking this kind of thing only exists in Google Images.
"Do you like it?" Don asks, and only then do I realize that he'd been staring at me this whole time, and my cheeks immediately light up.
Damnit, he was probably waiting for me to say something this whole time, and like the dumb idiot that I am, I was drooling over the whole place with my mouth wide open.
"Do I like it? Don, I don't think there are enough words to express how much I like it. Oh wait, there is...I love it!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms out and twirling around just as the wind picks up, enjoying the calming, slightly warm, breeze.
I hear Don laugh behind me. A soft, contagious laugh.
"I'm glad you like it," I hear him say from behind me, and I turn to see him grinning. I smile back.
Who wouldn't return a smile to such an innocent and adorable boy like him?
Arsen.
Oh, there she goes again.
Shut up.
"How did you find this place?" I ask him, turning back around so I can see the gushing waterfall.
"I used to come here with my dad when I was ten. Uh, so, do you like fishing?"
Wait...what?
Fishing? Where did that come from?!
"I've always wanted to go fishing but my parents don't particularly--may I ask why?" I say, turning to see him standing there...with two fishing rods.
Aw, he looks so cute I can't help but laugh.
Where the hell did he get them from, anyway?!
"Great! I've always wanted to teach someone fishing," He says happily, making me laugh again.
Don walks up to me and passes me a fishing rod, our hands brushing lightly, creating prickly goosebumps everywhere up to my wrist.
He has really nice arms.
And I know that only because he's got his shirt sleeves folded up halfway.
God, you sound so creepy.
No, I don't.
Yes, you do.
"Does it hurt?" I ask when he takes his position next to me in front of the tiny pond. He looks at me and raises an eyebrow.
"What? Actually, no, why?" He asks, incredulous, and my cheeks burn.
Pleasedon'tnoticepleasedon'tnotice!
"Wait...are you scared of fishes?!" He suddenly asks, his electric eyes full of amusement.
When my cheeks start to burn even brighter, Don bursts out laughing.
"That...that is...that is hilarious! Oh, Lord!" He splutters, bending over, and I glare at him.
"Shut up, grass head," I mutter. "Teach me how to do it," I quickly say in case he starts laughing again.
With one last shake of his head, he gestures towards my rod.
"First of all, you gotta hold it properly. The way you're holding it makes it seem as if you were told to hold Thor's hammer," Don snorts, and this earns him a glare from me.
"Well, it's not my fault the rod is so heavy," I mumble. He suddenly gives me a slight smile.
"Come here, I'll show you," He says softly. I reluctantly walk towards him, considering that murder scene again.
I mean, come on people, it's a possibility. He is in a gang, after all.
"Look," He starts as soon as I'm close enough.
Coming up from behind, he puts one hand over mine that's still clutching the rod tightly, and the other hand rests gently on my waist.
My heart starts beating incredibly fast, and I feel butterflies at the closeness. All I can think about is the fact that Don is now literally holding me, and that my soul won't sit still.
Is it normal for an eighteen-year old's heart to beat this fast?
Can I have a heart attack from this?!
And is it normal for me to want to turn around and kiss him?
With Arsen, it's different. I was kind of in a situation where I didn't have a choice. But with Don, everything's a possibility.
After that though, I can't help but lean back and nestle into his warm, broad chest. As soon as I do, though, I feel him tense up under me, but then he relaxes and pulls me slightly closer to himself, his hand tightening on my waist.
"You've got to make sure that your arm isn't bending so much, in case the fish is heavy. And--"
As Don explains how to hold the rod and how to bring the line up once I've got the fish, I can't help but notice how his body moves in sync to mine, and how every little movement causes me to shuffle with him.
And how good it feels.
I slowly lift my head up to see Don adjusting my rod with such cute concentration that I can't help but smile.
He notices because his eyes turn to me, and I can't help but realize how deep his eye colour really is.
It's dark, ocean blue.
Eyes that I can drown into.
He returns my smile, eyes flickering to my lips. A look crosses his eyes.
I feel him lean in closer, and as if there's an invisible string pulling us in, his warm breath fanning against my cheeks. And when I'm certain we're about to kiss, I hear a twig snap. Don hears it too because we both break apart from each other immediately.
My eyes widen when I see who it is.
"What the fuck is going on?"
______________________________________________________________________________
3414 words.
Okay, I'm pretty sure everyone knows who the interrupter is...
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