CHAPTER TEN
[FEEL REAL]
"Just because I showed up doesn't mean you have to leave, Molly." Kai says, in an almost demeaning tone. He puts his hands up and pushes himself up onto the dock, then stood up in front of her.
She kept her eyes locked on his. "How many times do I have to say this to get it to stick?" Molly narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't like you."
Kai's eyes trailed up to the side of her face, and he gently lifted his hand up to pull out a small leaf that was stuck in a strand of her hair. Molly flinches slightly, and watched him as his eyes followed his hand, before flicking the leaf into the water.
Molly looked at him confusedly, and he raised her eyebrows at her. "Sorry, I wasn't listening. What were you saying?" He asks.
Molly shakes her head and spins around, beginning to walk away. "I'm kidding." Kai says, following her. "I know why you're such an asshole to me."
Molly almost felt bad, she wasn't a mean person. She tried her best to be kind to everyone— but those thoughts were quickly overrun as she forced herself to remember what he's done. "Then you must understand why I don't want to be around you all the time." Molly says, after turning back around to face him.
Kai stepped closer to her. "I know—That if you weren't such an asshole to me..." He was barely an inch away from her. "Then you'd be all over me." He whispered.
Molly swallowed as she stared up at him. While he was partly correct— Molly owed him nothing. He didn't deserve her kindness, or her pity— or anything else. She mustered up the only words that she could sort out in her brain in that moment. "I think that goes both ways." Molly says, lifting her chin up at him.
It grew silent for a second, as the two stared at each other intensely.
But Molly interrupted the stillness by turning around again and walking opposite of him. "You think I'm an asshole to you?" Kai questions.
"Mhm." Molly responds, the dock creaking beneath her feet.
"What?!" Kai laughs. "I'm so nice to you. I made you breakfast."
She reached the end of the dock. And she should've just gone home— she knew it was the right decision. But a part of her wanted to stay, and bicker with Kai. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself— he made her feel important. Maybe it was the fact that she was the only person he could be around... But she took what she could get. Even with the arguing, and the slightly terrifying psychopathic tendencies— she was drawn to him.
Molly turned around. "You're right, Kai." She smiles faintly. "Your breakfast really made up for the fact that you shot an arrow in my stomach, blew up my car, hit me with a rock, knocked me out with a spell, ch—"
"Chained me up twice, blah blah blah." Kai interrupts. "Are you ever gonna let that go?"
"I'll let it go when I feel like I can trust you." Molly says, the conversation taking a slight turn in a serious direction.
"So you're saying you're willing to trust me?" Kai asks.
Molly takes a deep breath. "I'm willing to do whatever we can to get out of here."
Kai lifts his chin slightly and the corner of his mouth lift up in a smirk. "Anything?" He questions.
Molly felt her breath hitch, then spoke. "There it is." She let out. "You made it weird." She raised her eyebrows. He didn't respond, just gave her a cheeky smile. Molly looked at him confusedly. "What?" She spoke.
Without hesitation, Kai pushed Molly off the dock and into the lake.
Molly let out a scream before the freezing water took over her body. She didn't like swimming in the lake— or the ocean. The feeling of not knowing what was under you was terrifying, and the lake was completely dark. She float to the top, and took in as much air as she could before beginning to flail her arms around as an attempt to stay afloat. "I can't—swim—" Molly yelled, in between quick dunks after water.
Kai hesitated, and Molly almost thought he was about to sit there and watch her drown— but he jumped in in front of her and wrapped his hand around her torso. For once Molly didn't flinch at his touch. He started swimming towards the shore when Molly broke out into laughter.
He turned to her confusedly. "You're laughing— why are you laughing?" He pants.
"Because I was joking." Molly says, she squirms out of his gentle grip and moved her arms around slowly to keep her head above water.
"Woah," Kai hides a smile. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor."
Molly fake frowns. "Oh, good one." She says sarcastically, before going underwater and swimming towards the shore, that wasn't too far off. Once she could feel the ground underneath her, she walked up onto the sand and sat down, letting the leftover laughs out of her system before Kai joined her.
Molly leans back on her hands. It quickly falls silent as she thought to herself. She liked talking to him, but she just kept picturing what he did to his family, and all it did was confuse her.
She always saw the best in people, which tends to be a bad thing at times.
"Kai—" She began.
"Hm?" He asked softly as he drew in the sand with his finger.
Molly hesitated before she spoke again. "Did you really kill them?" She asked, turning towards him with a serious face. "Your family?"
He didn't even take a second to think. "Yes." He mirrors her stern expression. "Does that make you feel uncomfortable?" He asks.
Molly questioned her sanity when she wished he would've just lied to her, and told her he didn't really kill them. "Yes." She responds.
His eyes looked different, darker. "I've thought about killing you." He spoke softly, staring into the sand. Molly felt her stomach drop a little at his words. "I think about it every time I see you. I think about how quick and easy it would be—"
"Stop." Molly says quietly.
"I come into your room at night while you're sleeping and just sit there for hours thinking about how I could do it." Kai continued. "And how you would react, and how I would react—"
Molly began to wish she never brought it up.
"But for some reason— I don't." He says, finally meeting her eyes. "I don't technically need you for the spell. Just your magic. Which I could easily take, and then kill you for." He shrugs slightly. "But I'm drawn to you, and I don't think I've ever been drawn to someone before." He narrows his eyes as he spoke, Molly swallowed nervously. "So I have to keep you alive."
She turned away, but his eyes lingered on her.
"I think we need to stop messing around and find a way out." Molly swallowed, avoiding eye contact. "Because I'm not sure I can do this much longer." She clenched her jaw.
"Why?" Kai asked, like it wasn't already clear.
She turned to face him quickly. "Because you scare me." A tear that she didn't know was in her eye fell.
"I don't scare you." Kai lifted his chin slightly. "You're scared because even after everything I've done you still want me."
Molly's blood ran cold, and Kai got closer to her.
"I think..." Kai said, almost in a whisper. "You want me to touch you." Molly could feel his breath on her face as he spoke.
Her heart was beating so fast he was worried he could see it— or even hear it. She needed to stop him, she needed to get up and leave. But every bone in her body told her to stay.
He slowly brought his hand up to her leg. Molly felt like she melted at his touch. "And I think, if I was wrong..." He whispered, as he slowly grazed his fingers up her thigh. "You would've stopped me by now." He looked up at her, and met Molly's eyes who have been locked on his the entire time. His fingers met the hem of her t-shirt.
Molly's eyes flickered down at his hand, then back to his eyes. He leaned in, and ghosted her lips.
Molly wanted nothing more than for him to just grab her right there— she wanted him right now. Everything he's done was out of her mind. He'd put her in some sort of trance and she was done battling it.
Molly lifted her chin to try and connect their lips but Kai pulls away. Molly grew confused and a smirk creeped on his lips. Kai brought his hand up to her face and caressed her cheek. She let out a deep breath at his touch. But then he pulled away completely, and stood up.
"What are you doing?" Molly said, confused.
Kai runs his hands through his wet hair and looked down at her. "Proving a point."