Darken my love

Chapter 10

5 Hours and 37 Minutes Later, I was staring at the ceiling watching stars, that hung low on my ceiling, shinning with light peaking out of curtains. The whole night I spent in my eyes after the text. I thought that it would be from someone who I helped with the study because it was usual to receive such messages but something about the message was odd, I decided to text to ask who was there but what came out was strange.

" Abraham "

"Abraham Lombardi"

I immediately realized: Karen's son, silver eyes, black hoodie, Brian's AB, all pieces fell right in place. I sat up immediately and replied back

"Where did you get my number?" Surprised was a smaller word for me but his reply never came and here I was shooting daggers at the ceiling. A knock made me jump in surprise, I turned my head to see the time, It read 6:00 AM then Bradley poked his head in.

"If you are up, wanna join me for a walk?" he offered to come into view in his tracksuit and peeled banana. I sighed and swung my legs to the edge before getting up.

"Sure, gimme a minute" I yawned moving to the bathroom. After a quick visit to the bathroom, I changed into Yoga pants and crop top and heard voices from the backyard. I saw Window slid and Brad and Mr. Blue eyes playing with a football. I poured water in a glass that was on side-table and drank before going to the backyard to join them. The moment I stepped out in the backyard, the cold air hit my body hard due to my crop top. I went back inside to put my jacket and zipped it up to my neck, wore my beanie and blue kitty muffs and I was good to go. Brad slipped inside my room when I was adjusting my beanie and swiftly closed the window, his teeth --- with cold.

"Are you sure about a run?" I asked amused, searching the drawer for cotton socks. The temperature all year in this part of the country remains the same almost 0 degrees but in godly hours it fell to negative.

"Positive. I can't function properly without jog" he beamed at me, retrieving his gloves from trousers and put them on before wearing a black fur cap, which gave him a pretty nice look.

"Let's get going then. We had to depart for the school near 7:30 and Viv's driving" I tried to warn him about Viv when we hit the road. He picked up the pace and laughed it out.

"I have my car. Surprise, Surprise!"

I tried to reach him but every time I reached him he fled away.

"Catch me if you can!" he sang turning his head to me and sprinted harder. After 20 minutes, I was still trying to catch his pace but my limbs gave away along with my lungs due to harsh air.

"St-oh-p!" I called out doubling over my knee and placed my hand on the tree trunk to smooth my breathing as well as the heart. He jogged back up to me and ruffled my beanie's top furball.

"Loser!" I swatted his hand away straightening up. "Sucker!" There was a bench underneath the tree, we both sat down on it facing East. It was like we were planning on watching the sunrise as the sun came out immediately. Brad had his head against the tree trunk when I put my feet on the bench folding them under me. We almost sat there for ten minutes, eyes closed, feeling the sunlight on our skin, PEACE.

"You remember your fear of sunlight?" Brad muttered a moment later. I groaned giving him hint that I didn't want to talk about it.

"We gotta go" Brad muttered beside me again. I opened my eyes turning my head to Brad and they made direct contact with silver ones, far behind Brad. He was watching me like a hawk, standing there hands in hoodie pockets, face covered under the hoodie, black jeans and brown boots.

"Do you know him?" Brad inquired looking him up and down then turned to me.

"No" I said sternly getting up but then it clicked me, he hadn't reply me. "Actually, yes" I narrowed my eyes at him who stood there unaffected, feet 10 inches apart, unfazed. "Lily, you go I'll catch up to you" I didn't even wait for his answer as he scoffed hearing his nickname.

I walked up to him who had his eyes locked with me but then went behind me for a second before returning to me. I turned my head to see the departing figure of Brad.

"From where did you get my number?" I asked but he turned and starting moving away from me in the opposite direction.

"You shouldn't come to place like this" His voice was deep and raspy. During all our encounters, this was the first exact sentence I heard from him, except those first encounter ones.

"I asked from where did you get my number?" I asked sternly but he looked unbothered. I grabbed his arm that made him stop dead in his tracks, not because of force but because of sparks that burst through the body on contact.

"Look there, you little bluff" He reversed back from emotions within seconds and made me look at the neighborhood. I didn't even realize that we, unintentionally, came into his house area while running. "That boy with one eye, he will not even think twice before murdering you because he eats human" My eyes went wide looking at the boy just behind me, 4 feet apart, in a garage looking at us. That was not it, he turned my face to the front of his house "That man will not think twice before raping you. You understand?" he put a little pressure on his words. A shiver ran through my body seeing that man eyeing me hungrily. I turned to look at him dumbfounded. "Don't come back here again. And also keep your little sister out of here. Do you understand?" He barked dangerously at me, I stepped back instinctively.

"But you shouldn't have involved her into this in the first place" I dared to talk back to which his response was dangerous.

"JUST STAY THE f**k OUT OF HERE!" He exclaimed then turned on his heels, I called after him.

"Can I meet your mother? How is she holding up so far?" He turned to glare at me.

"She doesn't live here anymore" he replied scooting closer to me.

"And Brian?" I questioned again not sure what I was doing.

"They shifted with her, too" he squinted his eyes trying to get my intentions."What exactly do you want?" He uttered the bothering question.

"Why would you text, last night?" I asked the most bugging question in my mind. His forehead creased in confusion. "Why did you text me, Abraham?" I asked annoyed, emphasizing his name. The moment his name rolled out of my lips, he gasped. He pierced his intense gaze through me to study me, to find his answers but came back, disappointed.

"I don't know how the f**k you know my name. I didn't even f*****g text you. Get out, your boyfriend is peeking out from the tree makes me ridiculously cringe. I turned my head and caught Bradley peaking from where we were sitting. He didn't leave me alone in a creepy place, how nice.

"He is not my boyfriend" I corrected hi turning my head but he was gone like air, without any trace. I sighed turning around and made my way to Brad.

...

Lunch

"Ok, people can I have your attention?" Bianca stood up and clinked her fork with a lunch dish. Yes, you read it right. I was in Lunchroom having Lunch with them. Surprise!

"I am a social birdie, so I added all of you in my accounts. I know I bugged you but I don't care about it" She flipped her hairs back in mocking way. "It's just us, then?" She asked looking at me and Matt, he shrugged sipping his shake, Elizabeth was on leave.

"Tom will be back in a month or two" I pointed out, signing him up already for god knows what.

"Ok, so we are four now?" she nodded he head in understanding. Right on time, Brad plopped down on the seat beside Bianca with a loud huff.

"Sign me up for whatever, I can't handle her group. Jesus! I am hanging out with you from now on" He shivered in mock disgust, pulling faces earned a chuckle and pat on his shoulder from me. Bianca and Matt exchanged confused glances.

"I am Bradley" Brad muttered bored to Matt and Bianca. "Cooper?" Bianca asked excitedly looking at him like any animal in Zoo.

"No, Bia. Bradley Kingsman. He is my childhood friend and cousin" But I could saw her drool so I added just in time Vivian landed on Brad's lap. "And also my sister's fiancee" Brad looked stunned by Vivian's actions so did Bianca whereas Matthew was enjoying the show.

"What the hell, Viv. You almost gave me a heart attack" Brad wrapped his one arm around her and put other on his heart.

"She was practically eye-raping you, baby" Vivian cooed glaring at Bianca then pinched Brad's cheeks. Bia scoffed and fell on her chair rolling her eyes.

"Oh please! I already have my eyes on the prize" she said dreamily and I muttered "Stefan" to Brad and Viv. Matthew spat his drink standing up. I looked at him confused but he had his eyes locked with something. He practically sprinted out of the table to the door.

"MATT?" I called after him. He turned around briefly to shoot me a reassuring smile. Viv got up too from Brad's lap and muttered "Lombardi", which only I heard, with wide-eyes looking at where Matt stormed off, then followed him.

"I think there is some problem with them " Brad murmured in some daze.

"Oh it;'s nothing. You know Viv, she is overdramatic. She, probably, have gone to see some random girl's accessories. You never know" I tried to lighten and successfully I did as Bia went back to her chatty self and even planned our date to Golf Club her aunt owned.

We got up when the bell rang, it was Nutrition class just down the hallway. Brad and Bia went to their respective classes. I neared the backside of Lunchroom, where Matt and Viv went, only an alleyway that was dark with one opening to the kitchen and other to BLOCK C. Upon nearing, I heard hushed and angry voices.

"- every time" It was Abraham's. The next one was Matt.

"This doesn't mean you come just to see her in our f*****g school" he was angry, I could tell because of his gritted teeth sound and amount of profanities, he never said one in front of me though.

"Shut THE f**k UP, M-" he barked. I neared the Kitchen window and saw Vivian putting a hand on his mouth. That part of the kitchen was old and nobody used it, leaving no point for anyone to see them. I lowered the blinds a little to see three of them face to face with each other.

"Just go away before you ruin this too, Abraham" Matt stormed out of alleyway jerking Abraham on is way out.

"Lombardi. Please, it will be a great fuss when Mom came to know about your arrival. Just go" she muttered patting his chest lightly.

"No, I am not leaving her. She is naive and stupid. She will end up in trouble. I know her Vivian!" he muttered pulling the roots of his hairs in frustration.

"I am handling this, Lombardi! I have been handling this since childhood, So don't play all "Protective" with me. You weren't there when she was sunburned, You weren't there when she went in for surgery and you weren't even there when she almost drowned. So, just shut the f**k up!" she pushed him angrily, he looked at her then fell on his knees with something on his face. I wondered who they were talking about. I squinted my eyes to see waters dripping out of his eyes, he was crying. Vivian sighed and sat down with the opposite wall, her back was to me while Abraham was facing her and me.

"I know, Viv and I hate me for that. I love Violet but I can't express t to her, it's killing me! seeing Matthew with he I think I am losing her" My breath knocked out of my body hearing this. All that time, they were talking about me? "But I was there Vivian when she fell off the cliff" There was a pause but my ears were ringing. They were talking about me this whole time but I didn't remember anything, sunburned? All I knew that I had Sunlight Phobia then it disappeared but didn't know-how. I didn't even remember being pushed in water, how my Aquaphobia developed, nothing I knew. Tom just told me that we were on a field trip and a random jealous girl pushed me in water, AND I BELIEVED IT. I didn't even recall falling off the cliff.

I didn't know how but everything spun in front of my eyes, my hand fell from blinds making contact with something steel as it made contact with the floor. Everything seemed in slow motion, the kitchen door opened with a stunned Vivian running to me as I fell on the floor slowly. My world just turned upside down within moments. Before closing my eyes, I saw silver eyes, the only evident thing was silver light in the middle with darkness all around.

"Baby?" Unintentionally, a smile crept on my lips listening to it. I remembered it, someone saying lovingly in my ears then darkness engulfed me in longing embrace.