Chapter 11
1165 Words
Elara's pov
The bass thumped in my chest faster than my racing heartbeat. I felt a cold stare cut through the noise, the hairs on my neck rose and sweat broke over my skin.
Adrian's gaze flashed for a split second and then snapped back.
There it was again, that strange flicker of colour in his eyes.
I gave Ethan's shoulder a gentle squeeze, he gingerly put me down but his smile shrunk two times in size when he saw how pale my face had gotten
“Sh*t, I forgot you were a lightweight!” He choked out a nervous chuckle.
My lips half twitched to correct him but I decided it might be better not to.
Why was that guy here anyways?
Worst he had brought company, about five other people around his age lurking around him, having a conversation with just their eyes but I did not see their lips moving once.
I had my suspicions but were they really a cult?
He wore a maroon T-shirt and ripped jeans, his messy hair was half tucked into a varsity ball cap. As I unconsciously scanned him I didn't spot anything that proved he had been in an altercation earlier.
No scratch marks, bruises or nothing.
Jordan even had a few injuries too, thankfully nothing that a good ointment won't-
I seized my thoughts, mentally facepalming myself. I needed to stop thinking about my hot neighbor for two seconds and figure a way to wiggle out of this party before that creep would approach me.
“Hey, Ethan, I think I'm going to throw the towel in for tonight…” I said making sure to speak above the volume of the booming music.
His smile flat lined immediately.
He threw his palm to the back of his neck brushing it awkwardly.
“Is this because I spun you around earlier? I ruined the mood didn't I?” He didn't wait for me to answer before he jumped to act on another conclusion again, “I'll walk you home,”
It was already too late to admit that I wasn't that drunk, and I could feel Adrian's stare boring a hole in my back.
“What about Maya?” I asked, averting my gaze toward our best friend who was now surrounded by a swarm of flirtatious seniors.
He shrugged flippantly. “It pretty much seems like she's having the time of her life,”
Looks like she wants you to finally notice her for once, I paused to roll my eyes and groan within myself almost tempted to whack some sense into him.
"I think you should stay, it doesn't seem safe to leave her all by herself."
Ethan's brows furrowed in slight confusion, but he didn't argue.
The group of seniors gathered around Maya had gone from kinda cute to seriously concerning.
Ethan sighed, he flashed me an apologetic look and said. "After the party, can we talk? Just you and me?" He didn't wait for my response before rushing to her side.
“Would you look at that…” my drink suddenly vanished from my hand.
I looked up, my eyes met the creepy cult leader tipping my cup to his lips.
His gaze locked on mine, the corner of his lips tugged to a mischievous smirk.
I took some steps away from him so my back wasn’t to him, but before I could step away, he grabbed my arm firmly and finished the rest of my drink in front of me.
He tossed the empty cup aside without breaking eye contact and whispered. "You taste nice."
My body reacted before my mind could process anything.
I slapped him, hard.
His cheek blazed crimson with the imprint of my hand.
As soon as I saw it I swallowed so loudly I'm sure he heard it too, his friends noticed in a snap like I had slapped them and we're coming for me, without waiting for an impending retaliation I spun on my heels and ran without looking back once.
Though there was much less running and more slithering pastok sweat bodies, I wasn't the biggest party freak but did people's bodily fluids always smell this strongly?
I scampered upstairs.
The first room I opened was taken by a couple making out, I cupped my eyes and ducked right out. The second room was in a raunchier scenario and then the third was locked.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline persisting through me, I curved my shoulder and pounded on the door until it broke loose and I gained entrance.
Around me were lines of shelved books, world maps and a table propped with piles of documents. I grabbed a chair, ducked it under the partially functional door handle and hid myself underneath the desk.
I waited hoping he'd forget all about me.
Wishful thinking. The door was thrown open seconds later and then closed back.
“I know you're here, come on. It's not fair for you to rile me up like that and run off,” he chuckled
Was this guy a part-time detective? How did he find me so fast?
“I'm not going to hurt you,” his fingers were now tapping on the desk where I was hiding, “believe it or not I want to get to know you, Elara Nyxviel,”
I blinked once and two goons were in front of me, they forcefully extracted me from under the desk, standing at my side and trapping both hands.
The smile on his face broadened, unsettling me even more.
“I'm sorry for hitting you earlier, but lets just call it even for stealing my drink plus the weird comment you made,”
“Straight to the point, huh?”
I bit into my lip almost puncturing it, “Yes, I'm not interested in joining your c-club or whatever, just leave me alone,”
“That's too bad, I thought you would have liked to know more about Jordan,”
Shamelessly, my whole body froze up before I could even think of uttering a nonchalant; “I don't care,”
Unable to help myself I was looking at him and asked.
“Tell me everything you know,”
He smiled but surrendered no information.
“Why should I tell you? What's in it for me?” His eyebrows kept tugging upwards and I think I might just slap him again.
Instead I curl my fingers atop the desk.
“What do you want?’
His eyes sparked again and it felt like i was going crazy, but for a split second, it looked like they changed colour.
He came closer, he smelt like harsh leather and bad decisions.
“Tomorrow, get dressed up I'll be around to pick you up by eight, then I'll answer every question in that little head of yours,”
This was so… so crazy, so crazy the obvious answer should've been-
“Fine, but we'll have to meet somewhere else,”
- Writer
