The Fated Bond

Dangerous Feelings

[Lance’s POV]

When I woke up this morning there was only one thing I could think about, and that was that I would be seeing Violet. Our Friday date had come around, and despite knowing it was strictly business, I couldn't stop myself from wanting our promised time to come earlier. However, to my surprise, the day drags on as if the sands of time are thick and snagging one another before they can fall, and when it all becomes too much, I decide to get ready and head out early.

With luck, the weather is nice and I can enjoy a bit of a stroll around town. Little did I know that I would soon regret it, given the number of happy couples that surround me.

They stroll about, hand in hand, their fingers twined like knots that will hold them together for all eternity while not realizing that forever is such a fragile thing. I witnessed that so-called forever firsthand, and it ended so abruptly, so suddenly, that it left not only me but even my father reeling and feeling empty.

But even when I knew that, I still wanted others to live happily, especially if their time was the same and not different like a fae and anybody's. And knowing that I was the one who did that when I was the one who ruined my father’s made me feel a little bit better.

Sighing, I begin to shake off the conflicting things that I’m feeling and then continue on my way to the place that I promised to meet Violet. When I reach it, it is about thirty minutes until our meeting. This gives me time to get my head straight so that I don’t bring my earlier bad mood to our shopping adventure, and if all went well, maybe I would invite her out to eat.

I didn’t quite understand why I wanted to spend more time with her than any of the others that I helped find their match, but when I saw her, when I saw her smile or her eyes sparkle, I just felt something in me shifting, swaying, and, if I dared to say it, cracking.

It wasn’t something I was used to feeling after living so many years and watching so many people come and go. It was a scary thing that left me feeling like I was missing out on something, and because of that, part of me wanted to help her find her perfect match quickly, but the other hoped that it would never happen.

“Dammit,” I growl, shoving my hands in my pocket and pulling my jacket around me.

Getting comfortable against the wall I’m leaning against, I fix my gaze in the direction that Violet should be coming from and then wait. As I do, a few women let their gazes trail toward me, and I instantly see that look that I’m so familiar with. It’s one filled with hunger and longing, and it infuriates me. That’s why when they go to approach me, I don’t even acknowledge them, and when they try to speak, I pull out my phone and begin to mess with it.

“Dick.” One huffs.

“Bastard.” The other snaps.

“You aren’t all that, you know?” Another growls.

They’re all the same insults I’m used to having hurled at me, but they don’t bother me as I spot the woman I’m waiting on coming towards me with a look of frustration on her face and a gift bag on her arm.

“Sorry!” She huffs, coming to join me. “I’m late. I hope you didn’t wait long.”

“Not at all,” I smile, feeling my mood shifting completely. “I just arrived too.”

After that, she hands the bag to me so that I see she got me a gift even though she didn’t have to, but I can’t help but think to myself that it fits her perfectly. She’s a kind and selfless girl. It’s a good and bad thing, but honestly, I think that’s one of the things that drew me to her.

Most people were only worried about themselves and didn’t give a damn about anyone else's feelings. They fought for what they wanted, and once they got bored, they moved on. It was a very human thing and something I saw all too commonly, but I didn’t see it coming from Violet, nor did I see any of the other negatives that turned me off coming from her.

In a way, she was almost perfect with the way she cared for others and how she could joke about herself while not getting too upset about it. That much was proven as she tries on dresses, and when they just don’t work, she finds the positive in them anyway. It was cute, and I was finding myself smiling a little too often with this woman, and that scared the s**t out of me. But even while being scared, I just can’t stop myself from wanting to get closer to her, to see more sides of her, and when we finish picking out the perfect dress for her, I know that I absolutely don’t want this day to end. But before I can get the courage to ask her if she would join me for dinner, my phone begins to ring.

Frowning, I pull it from my pocket and see that Natalie, one of my other clients, is calling, and I know that even if I didn’t want to, I had to pick up.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” I tell Violet, who was just saying something to me, and to my surprise, her face falls and her eyes flash with something that looks dangerously close to disappointment and maybe even jealousy, but as quickly as it appears, it is gone, and she is smiling and simply nodding.

Deciding that I probably just imagined seeing such things, I bring the phone to my ear and then immediately regret it as Natalie’s voice explodes from the other end.

“Lance!” She squeals, her voice filled with excitement. “I’m calling to let you know that the date went so well! You were right! Jimmy was the absolute best. Oh my gosh!”

“I’m glad to hear it.” I smile, heading out of the dress shop and onto the street. “Does that mean that you plan on going on a second date with him then?”

“Absolutely!” She responds. “Hell, if I could just go ahead and ask him to marry me, I would. Where has such a perfect man been hiding all my life? It’s like the gods above made him just for me.”

“Then do everything you can to make sure that you keep him beside you.” I tell her and then feel a twinge of jealousy. “Otherwise, you may regret it for the rest of your life.”

Like you will if you ignore these feelings that are blossoming. The small voice in the back of my head says, causing me to freeze. If you keep it up, someone’s going to sweep her off her feet, and you’ll live with knowing that you possibly let your once-in-a-lifetime get away.

That’s fine. I tell it, knowing that that once in a lifetime just wasn’t for me. If I so much as reached out a hand and touched Violet, I was certain that I would ruin her completely.