Heated Hearts

Holding On~

|| Aster's POV ||

A few days, actually five days to be exact had passed by since that incident. I had to call in sick the following day to clear my mind before I went back.

Surprisingly, Louis didn’t bother me as much as I though he would. Even in the dinner,he was calmer than usual and not that clingy to me.

Something changed between him and Eva, I could see his eyes trailing towards her and he would forcefully pull it back with a guilty expression visible on his face.

Chandler told me I had two options now; letting it go or holding on. And after going through a lot of conflicts in my mind I finally decided on holding on.

Holding on...

As much as it was easy to say, it was quite hard to be done.

We were working on the upcoming town event, everyday after our typical school hours ended.

I would mostly hang out with Zake, Lisa and her sister, leaving Rayven with his fan girls.

I stared at them blankly, thinking what if he were different...

But life wasn’t a fairytale and like he said he was no prince charming riding a white horse, neither was I a damsel in distress with desperate needs to be rescued by a prince.

Hence, here I was staring blankly at him, while his fan girls clinged on his body.

Since I heard Lillian was going to confess to him, it was bothering me so much that I could't explain.

It was a pure tormentation .

"What an i***t!"

Zake sat down beside me, and I sighed.

"Are you calling me an i***t?" I gave him a pointed look as I asked.

"No,not you. The blonde i***t, who doesn’t know what he is missing." He replied looking at Rayven, contemplation visible on his face.

I was shocked,as I looked at him my eyes as round as a saucer.

"You can close your mouth, Aster.Not everyone is as oblivious as that idiot." Zake turned his face towards me and smirked.

Lisa joined us, followed my Misa and she slapped lightly on my shoulder as she said,"Did you follow my footsteps to fall for an asshole ?"

Zake glared at Lisa and I giggled. Recently,Lisa confessed her feelings to Zake and he rejected politely as far as I had heard.

"I can hear you," he glared at Lisa as he spoke.

"Oh, I didn’t know you could hear! Thanks for the info." Lisa snapped back and I couldn’t help giggling.

Misa joined me, while both Lisa and Zake stared at each other with challenging mode on.

"We'll help you if you want." Lisa spoke, sighing and I turned to see both her and Zake's expression turning serious.

"Help me with what?" I asked confused.

"What else? To tame the blonde i***t," Zake scowled.

I remained quiet for a few seconds, as I stared at him; laughing as he pressed a kiss on Lillian's cheek.

He had been extra clingy with those two girls for the past few days, I wonder if it was to shoo me away.

Sighing, I replied the same thing I had said to Chandler when she said about playing the matchmaker, "Thank you. I'm genuinely happy you said that but I think I'll pass."

With that I got up on my feet, a tight smile pressed on my lips as I bade them goodbye and started walking towards my house.

I could always take my parent's car but it would just give me another chance to realize they weren’t here.

It was approximately an hour walk through the main road, to my house from the event management office.

All the offices were settled downtown, which was like another end of the town from where the residences were.

I didn’t mind the walk, it helped me clear my head which has been entangled in many things recently.

So, I guess it was a good thing.

I thought back at how Rayven had suddenly turned a blind eye towards me, like he didn’t know me at all.Or more like I didn’t exist in his world anymore.

I wonder what happened to that guy who was worried about me a few days ago, the guy who carried me into his car so I don't have to walk home, the guy who let go of his stubborn fight because I requested.

Gosh! It felt like all those happened ages ago.

If he were to be mine, he would be. I believed, the one for you would walk into you again and again, untill both of you realize how you fulfill each other.

At least,that's what my mum used to say.

After a good fifteen minute walk, I halted and looked at the sky frowning. Looked like it was going to rain.

The vast blue and white sky had drastically turned into grey when I had looked up.

Rain had always been my favourite, I would even love it if it rained today.

I took a few more steps and the sky drizzled making me smile dryly.

My whole body shivered in enthusiasm and excitement as a gush of cold wind blasted around me, giving sign that it was going to rain any minute now.

Soon, I felt moisture on my body and my heart leaped with a bitter happiness.

After another ten minutes of walk I was drenched like a damp towel. As the starting of the dark forest came in view, I stopped for a few seconds and closed my eyes.

Both my hands rose at my sides as I smelled in my favourite wet soil odour.

Ironically, it didn’t make me happy this time ; it didn’t calm me the way it used to.

Rather, it stirred a turmoil inside me. The vast emptiness, the rejection, the fear of getting my heart broken over and over again was what engulfed me.

Holding on,huh?

My conscience mocked at me while my chest heaved as a hidden sob came out of my mouth and my hands shifted on my knee to help me keep standing.

No, Aster. You can't fall apart just because of some stupid little feelings you feel for him.

I shook my head, as I tried to console myself.

Sighing, I started striding forward ; trying not to think about anything else as I did.

For some reason, I felt like someone was following me. I looked back a few times but there was none.

But the feeling, the gut feeling of being followed kept on pinching me with every step I took.

I kept halting and looking back, but to no avail.

A frown appeared on my face. There was an empty space, void of any residence or shops in a few minutes walk from here.

It was empty for another mythical reason.It was said that was the point where all the battles were halted in the past. The so called battle between humans and demons.

So, the townies respected that space and left it with a monument but no house or shops.

For some reason my heart was hammering against my chest as if trying to throw a warning at me.

So when the small monument came in my view, I again turned my head back, this time abruptly while walking and my breath hitched.

A tall bald man, with tattooed skin and sinister gaze was a few steps away from me. He had a glass bottle in one hand, that he sipped once in a while.

He gave off an aura that screamed danger and the way he gazed at me like a predator didn’t help the cause at all...

A different kind of chill penetrated through my skin as my throat went dry at the sight.

I quickly turned my head to the front.

There was only one thing one my mind that particular moment and that was the same thing my inner consciousness screamed at me inwardly.

Run...