The Mark of the Wild Flower

Chapter 6, The Second Kiss

Fabian

I sit there for a few moments just staring at her peaceful face. I watch as the colour return in her cheeks. But she is not waking up. Again the thought pops up in my head, she looks like a princess, and all princes kiss their princesses awake when they have been cursed. I move to kiss her again and as I lower myself, her eyes shoot open.

I am startled by her green eyes, they’re lighter and have less sadness in them. Her face contorts into horror, and I realise I must seem like a predator to her, taking advantage of her while she’s sleeping. Instead of moving I blurt out the most ridiculous thing I can think of.

“I am just checking on your breathing,” that is very smooth.  

“Oh,” she whispers. Does she sound disappointed?

“I apologise,” I am an i***t. I love this girl, I don’t know anything about her except that I love this girl with every fibre in my being and I am making her uncomfortable.

“No problem,” She looks into my eyes, staring me down almost. I don’t know why but she’s daring me to kiss her again. And instead of fighting it and risking another spat with Chase I fall down onto her lips and kiss her. It seems like forever and I nearly break the kiss to run when she folds her arms around me kisses me back.

I finally break free sit up straight and say something “you are probably very confused and freaked out but you need to understand that all will make sense.”

She starts moving off the bed and then just say “okay”

“Okay?” is she for real now? Maybe it’s shock. “Are you okay?”

“No, but I am sure this a very vivid, very lucid dream and that in a few hours I’ll be awake and back to reality,” she seems too calm.

“No, love,” I say the word before I can stop myself and I see her green eyes become larger. “Sorry I meant Eleanor…”

“Ellie,” she cuts me off, “Eleanor is what people call me if they don’t like me.” She senses I have feelings for her then. Or am I reading too much into this.

“Okay, Ellie. Remember the night I kissed you?” I want to make this easy.

“Yeah,” she says cautiously, and she is starting to eye me very suspiciously.

“Okay so that night I fell in love with you,” No that came out wrong, I meant to say something in the lines of feelings. How do you tell a girl you have feelings for her?

No response, great.

“After I kissed you, I ran away and avoided you because we shouldn’t be together. My father will never approve and certainly not the estate.” Yeah smooth.

“The estate?” she sounds confused, and I realise this girl knows as much about my world as a fly about being a spider. This is ridiculous. I am supposed to spend my life with this girl and I can’t even tell her that I want to go on a date with her.

“Never mind that, that’ll make sense in time, but basically what happened today was my body telling me I should be with you.” Nice touch, I sound like a perv. Now her eyes are growing bigger, and I realise this is going to be a long night.

“Okay so now you want to forgive you and start dating you?” She gets the drift but I think she’s being sarcastic.

“Yes,” I drawl out that yes like my life depends on it. “Well basically I am asking you to be mine. But less subtle. I want to be with you forever.” Yes, that’s how you do it, pervy and clingy!

“Woah, look, I don’t know who you think you are, but I don’t see us working. Firstly, you left me standing, then avoided me for 2 years, now you want me to be all devoted? Secondly I have no feelings for you.” That last bit cuts a little, but I know she’s lying, one thing wolves only imprint on wolves that’ll imprint back, I can feel her body hungering. I want to feed that hunger.

“Okay let me put it this way, I can tell when you’re lying so you can cut the bullshit and I am apologising, for that night. But you’ll soon realise you cannot be without me for long periods. You already love me, and I know you find this scary, but you do love me. You just need to admit it to yourself.” Okay where did this confident jerk come from. I am kind of getting sick of this crap she’s throwing my way. Why can’t she just admit that she wants me and we can run off into the sunset?

She looks genuinely surprised and storms out of the room. I hear her yelling at those downstairs to take her home.

I need to follow her. s**t I don’t know where she lives, I don’t even have her number. Then I see Mrs Silver coming into the room “She’ll come around very soon, that girl is going to need you now more than ever. But here’s her address and cell phone number. Good luck little Alpha” She hands me a scrap of paper and then leaves the room.

Ellie

I haven’t felt this calm in ages. I open my eyes and right there in front of me is Fabian Blackwood. His blue eyes staring into my soul. Oh, my word am I dreaming? This is a very good dream.

I take a second to try and remember where I am and what was happening just now. Oh yeah, I fainted. But why is Fabian hovering over me. I feel my cheeks flush and my eyes growing wide.

 “I am just checking on your breathing,” oh that’s disappointing. 

“Oh,” I whisper.

“I apologise,” for what?

“No problem,” I honestly hoped he wanted to kiss me.

Instead of sitting up he actually comes back down and kiss me. I am so paralysed by the sensation that I don’t even move. When it feels like he wants to stop I find the strength and pull him close. This kiss feels more desperate than the one 2 years ago, but still remarkable. The world stopped all around me and I am only aware of him.

He breaks away and scoots up  “you are probably very confused and freaked out but you need to understand that all will make sense.”

“Okay,” maybe I should also sit up, lying down feels rather pathetic

“Okay? Are you okay?” I was great until he started talking. That kiss was so great, maybe I am in a dream.

“No, but I am sure this a very vivid, very lucid dream and that in a few hours I’ll be awake and back to reality.”

“No, love,” I snap to look directly in his eyes, did he just call me love? Are we now in a relationship? “Sorry I meant Eleanor…” Oh hell no, he is not going to ruin my Euphoria with my full name.

“Ellie. Eleanor is what people call me if they don’t like me.” I say very gently, trying to keep the serotonin from that very great kiss in my system.

“Okay, Ellie. Remember the night I kissed you?” Of course I do, I have been thinking about that night every night since. Where is he going with this?

“Yeah,” I ask cautiously.

“Okay so that night I fell in love with you,” My heart skips a beat. He what. I wished so many times he would come into my life and be mine, but if he flakes after one kiss he will probably be a serial flaker.

“After I kissed you, I ran away and avoided you because we shouldn’t be together. My father will never approve and certainly not the estate.” What does the estate have to do with this? Rich kids can only marry rich kids?

“The estate?” I really want to know what’s his problem.

“Never mind that, that’ll make sense in time, but basically what happened today was my body telling me I should be with you.” What is that supposed to mean?

“Okay so now you want to forgive you and start dating you?” I am trying very hard to understand where he is coming from and the hurt from that night is starting to kill my high from earlier.

“Yes,” That is one long yeah, is he trying to think of a response suitable enough “Well basically I am asking you to be mine. But less subtle. I want to be with you forever.” Earlier today he was repulsed by my presence and now he wants me to be his? Forever? Oh how I wished for that but no, I am not some damsel in distress and I don’t need saving!

“Woah, look, I don’t know who you think you are, but I don’t see us working. Firstly, you left me standing, then avoided me for 2 years, now you want me to be all devoted? Secondly I have no feelings for you.” That is a lie, I want to be with him and I will be a barefoot and pregnant devoted wife for him any day of the week, but my strong and independent mindset will never allow this.

“Okay let me put it this way, I can tell when you’re lying so you can cut the bullshit and I am apologising, for that night. But you’ll soon realise you cannot be without me for long periods. You already love me, and I know you find this scary, but you do love me. You just need to admit it to yourself.” Poof gone is the nice perv and in with the cocky perv. I need to leave.

I practically stomp to the door making a grand exist and run downstairs.

I find Phoebe and Donna in the living room.

“Can someone please take me home now?” I plead. I am sort of sick of this madness.

I see Phoebe looking towards her mother and I see Mrs Silver standing from the dining table. Am I the only sane one here? The whole room is calm, and no-one utters a word.

I walk towards the door, determined to leave this house, and go back to my house, even if I have to walk. I am halfway out the door when Phoebe finally joins me.

She edges towards her car but I feel uneasy and blurt out very sarcastically “I’d rather walk.” The way she reacted in her bedroom earlier was just uncalled for and frankly I don’t need her peppering.

“I thought you needed a lift?” She asks, clearly unphased by my tone, I am the only sane person here!

“Yes but not from you!” that got to her as I see the hurt growing in her eyes, now I feel remorse and I regret saying it. “I am sorry, I am just upset about your reaction earlier toward my secret. I never meant to keep it from you but I just didn’t want to tell you and create any awkwardness.”

I think she accepts my apology for the tone in my voice but she’s clearly still mad at me.

“Yeah well, I am your best friends, but that apparently doesn’t count anymore. Turning 18 in two months and you have already outgrown me.” Ah now I see where the hurt come from and I feel it growing inside me.

“Yes, but I just couldn’t. I tried to so many times but I was fighting against a wall.” I see her expression shift and she seems to understand.

“Yeah Fabian didn’t will it.” Okay now I am lost. “Anyway speaking of Fabian, what happened in there?” The curiosity on her face growing and I see her wiggling her eyebrows at me. And then the memories of the kiss floats into my head followed by the awkward strange conversation between us.

We decided to walk, when Donna comes outside to see why we haven’t left yet. All the way home I tell them about everything from the moment I bumped into Fabian at school until the minute I left the bedroom. Including the kiss from earlier.  

“So why did he kiss you that night?” Phoebe asks.

“I don’t know, I felt drawn to him. But only when he took me outside. I never felt anything until that moment and then I could never stop think about him. Everyday. I stopped gymnastics because the captain of the team had a crush on him and wouldn’t stop talking about him, and that hurt me. I stopped cheerleading because he sometimes went to the games and then I would see him. I even tried running one day but then got lost and when I finally recognised my surroundings I was staring straight up at his window.” I admit the last piece.

I see Donna and Phoebe exchange a knowing look that I am not part of and then they look at me. We’re at my front door but before I go in, I want to ask them what is going on and what do they know.

“What?” I nearly yell the question. I am so frustrated that I only get half of everything today.

“Ellie, you’re going to have to forgive Fabian for what he did 2 years ago and call him. You two can no longer be apart and we cannot explain this to you now but you two are made for each other.” Donna sounds desperate.

“Just keep an open mind from now on,” Phoebe says calmly, but then replaces the tone with an excited shrill, “Finally we can tell you everything!” Now I am confused again.

“Do you guys want to come in?” I ask but the two of them shake their heads and smile at me.

“No honey, you’ve got guests.” Donna says and turns to leave.

“Call us tonight and tell us everything?” Phoebe shrieks and sprints out the front gate.

I stand for a minute or two just staring at the spot where I saw Donna and Phoebe disappear after they left. What on the bloody earth did just happen? What was happening the whole day? I feel lost and confused.

I finally decide that it’s too cold to stay outside and I tun to go inside. As I open the door, I find mom and dad sitting at the kitchen counter smiling at me.

“Did you have a good career day?” Mom asks.

“Yes. Thank you. I went to Phoebe’s house afterwards for some ice-cream.” I say wanting to sound normal.

Mom looks me up and down. She smiles, “That doesn’t explain the change in clothes? You look so pretty. You should wear dresses a little more often. Especially green.” Mom gets up and goes to the living room.

“I’m cooking tonight,” Dad says, and I smile, “I am making lasagne.”

I love dad’s cooking. “Okay when will dinner be ready, I want to go rest.” I ask. I have this urge to go to my room.

“Around 7pm,” he says.

I look at the clock and see that it’s 4:30, Jeez okay. I smile at dad then retreat to the safety of my bedroom. When I enter the hallway, I start to smell something divine. I practically run to my bedroom. I open the door and the sight before me catches my breath.