I turned the corner, making my way along the streets as the sun finally begun to dip below the horizon, the sky painted a mix of orange and purple. It reminded me of his bruised face after days underwater, the purple blotches of rotten skin and orange, festering cuts across his skin. I shook the memory from my mind and looked at the ground, deciding to focus on the concrete footpath and the ghouls hanging from my clothes instead.
I was only five blocks from home - two blocks from the bar - when a loud screeching echoed behind me and a car pulled up beside me.
"Hey girl, you alone?" A guy yelled, hanging over the passenger side window, his friends looking over eagerly.
A loud sigh left my mouth and I turned to him, sending him an unimpressed look. I was really not in the mood for lame pickup acts tonight. It was obvious these guys were from out of town - their large ute, trashy stickers, and out-of-town number plate were dead giveaways. The other giveaway was that no one from this town ever hit on me, they didn't want anything to do with me.
"No, thanks," I said coldly, turning away and continuing to walk, hoping they wouldn't bother to follow.
"What was that?" He yelled angrily and the sound of car doors slamming made me stop, turning slowly.
I groaned out loud at the sight of the three of them lining up menacingly. My whole life I had been dealing with scenarios like these, but I still didn't get any more used to their weird pick-up tactics. I was like a magnet for slightly insane 'nice guys' who struggled to understand that a girl would turn them down. Dad used to tell me he couldn't sleep properly after the first attack, which was why he started me in defence classes. Even up to the day he took his own life, he was still worrying about my safety and had told me not to go out alone.
You obviously didn't care that much, Dad.
"You heard me," I said, sending the group of three guys a small grin. The driver was still sitting in the car but he also looked ready to jump out. "No. Thanks."
"What's wrong with hanging out with us?" One of them said, whilst another nodded their head.
"Yeah! Why're you making us out the be bad guys, we just wanted to hang out," the first one sneered and I let out a deep sigh.
This was eerily similar to the scenario I had experienced just weeks ago, but I couldn't be too annoyed as it was rare for me to go so long without some type of harassment incident. I guess I should be happy it had taken life this long to send another my way. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and held it up quickly.
"Guys, look, it's still bright out, I have milk here that needs to get to the fridge, and I'm just not in the mood. Let it go?" I asked, wishing they would agree. My phone was flat, but they didn't need to know that. I was hoping just having it there would make them back off.
"How about we get your number first?" One of them said, breaking away from the others and stepping up closer. He was smirking at me, a sleazy grin that sent chills down my spine, but if all he wanted was a number I could do that - giving a fake one was easy.
"So, does this happen to you regularly?" A voice asked lightly from next to me and I looked to my side quickly, feeling happy for the first time ever to see Shax's grinning smirk.
"God, more than you know," I said with a chuckle, letting out a sigh of relief and relaxing slightly. Shax may not be the bulkiest guy in the world but he was definitely tall and intimidating and, better yet, he was on my side. "Sorry guys, I have plans," I said with a fake smile, looking back at the three guys who looked unimpressed.
"Yeah, she's with me," Shax said, walking up closer and throwing his arm across my shoulder. I didn't even mind it, even though his jacket buckle was pulling my hair, because he made the three guys turn and hop in their car without so much as a word of protest.
The driver waited until the last door shut before he sped off, one of them hanging from the window at the back and yelling out "Bitch!"
"Thanks, Shax," I said with a grin, looking up at him as he pulled his arm off me.
"No worries. Maybe you shouldn't walk around alone," he commented with a raised eyebrow. "How often does this happen?"
"Eh," I shrugged. "More than I'd like to admit. Still gotta live my life, though. So, how much did that cost me?" I asked with a cheeky grin, eyeing his perfectly style blonde hair curling on the top of his head. He shoved his hands deep into his dark jeans pockets and pulled a face as though he were calculating.
"You know what, since I'm nice, the first save is free. Any more, though, and it'll cost ya," he laughed, walking ahead. I fell into step beside him quickly and lifted the grocery bag up.
"You sure? I have chocolate in here somewhere."
"Oh, go on then," he said, looking at the bag excitedly. I dug inside and found one, handing it over to him. Luckily, I bought more than one, as I wouldn't have given it away so easily if it was the only bar.
"Here."
"Seriously?" He scoffed, grabbing the bar and ripping it open. "Milky way? What are you, twelve?" I raised an eyebrow at him as he bit into the bar roughly, eating half of it in one bite.
"You don't really seem to care," I mused, happily.
We walked in silence for a moment as he ate the chocolate and I felt oddly awkward. I didn't really know Shax all that well, aside from his fixation on money and his apparent sweet tooth. Even though he had been at tutoring every time with Amy and me, he had never really said much. I took the silence as my chance to eye him, but he looked the same as the first day I had seen him - platinum blonde curls, black clothes, and pale skin.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked, looking away from him and at the bar in the distance. I assumed that was where he was going.
"Sure," he said, sending me a curious sideways glance. "But it'll cost you."
"How much?" I asked warily, knowing he was completely serious.
"Depends on the question," he replied with a wink, scoffing the last half of the bar.
"Okay, well," I took a breath and held the air in my cheeks for a moment before blowing them out. "Why do you follow Amy everywhere? Like, why come to tutoring just to sit there? I swear I have never seen you without her. This is the first time," I commented quickly, looking at the ground.
"Oh, that one's expensive," he said lowly, looking up at the sky briefly.
"So, it's a secret?"
"Something like that, I guess," he commented backhandedly. "More like, you wouldn't understand even if you knew."
"That doesn't make any sense," I said honestly, sending him a dubious glance.
"Told you, you wouldn't understand," he teased as he scrunched the empty wrapped and shoved it into his pocket.
We were only a few metres from the bar now and I could see Shax slowing down in preparation. I slowed with him and looked at him curiously.
"So, you won't tell me?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Why do you need to know?" He countered, stopping outside the bar and leaning his back against the same brick wall I had first seen Lucas leaning on.
"I... don't really," I shrugged. "I was just curious."
"That's why you don't need to know." He shrugged, looking away from me and into the window next to him. "Are you coming in?"
"Uh, no, thanks," I said quickly, holding up the grocery bag and gesturing to the milk inside as though that were the reason why.
"You sure?" He said with an evil smirk. I nodded my head.
"I'm sure."
"Lucas is in there," he said, sending me a raised eyebrow and a suggestive glance. I hesitated slightly, leaning to the side to try and catch a glimpse of him inside. My hesitation made Shax's smirk wider and I looked away, shuffling my feet awkwardly.
As much as my body wanted to see Lucas, the memory of heat and pure, burning desire from the other night made me hesitate. I didn't like feeling as though I wasn't in control of my own body and that was exactly how he made me feel the other night. It was like I had been in a trance, brain-washed, controlled. I was positive if Lucas had made a move I would have melted like butter under his warm touch, and there was nothing I could have done to stop it.
"I'm fine!" I squeaked out, my voice rising an octave. "You said he was bad news, remember?" Shax laughed at me and shook his head, pushing himself off the wall.
"We both know you didn't heed my warning, Lil," he retorted as he moved to the door and opened it slightly, sending me a look over his shoulder. "Walk home safe this time."
I nodded my head, but I wasn't listening. Instead, my eyes were locked onto the dark ones inside. The ones peering deep into my soul and lighting my body on fire. They were staring at me over Shax's shoulder and I struggled to look away, couldn't look away, until Shax stepped inside and the tinted door closed to cut our connection.
I let out the breath I hadn't realised I was holding and took a shaky step away from the door before I high-tailed it away from there.