Dabria

Chapter Three

I don't wake until well into the afternoon the next day. I was thankful that it was the weekend and I didn't have to see Malakai yet. When I finally got up, I assessed the damage to my cheek, noting the dark purple all around my eye and down my cheek. I let out a long sigh. It didn't hurt much, but I really hoped I made a permanent dent in his nose.

I take a long shower again, trying to wash away last night's memories. I brush my hair and throw it in a messy bun on top of my head. I debate on putting any makeup on my face to cover the bruise, but where I'm going I shouldn't need it. With a confident huff, I grab my keys and climb the stairs, careful to only peep through the door at first, to make sure the coast is clear. I see Megan in the kitchen and I effortlessly sneak past her and out the front door. I doubt she will even know I'm gone.

I navigate to 3rd street which ends up being a small side road with, of course, one building on it that looks abandoned. I pull in and park in the small parking lot to the side. I step out and get a good look at the building. It looked like it was two stories and possibly used to be some sort of business. I look around the outside, but don't see anyone or even a car. Finally, I reach the door and before I can second guess myself, I knock.

My pulse races and everything is telling me to turn around and go home, but I had to prove to myself that it was all in my head. After waiting a moment, I knock again, this time harder making sure if there was someone in there they heard me.

I let out a long sigh and feel my anxiety levels coming back down when nobody answers. See? All in my head. I head back to my car and sit, staring at the building. Of course there was always the possibility they just weren't here at the moment, but for now I choose to believe it's just my subconscious playing tricks on me.

I feel the hunger pains begin to grow in my stomach and realize I haven't eaten today and it was already four o'clock. There was a small Chinese buffet on my way home that I could stop in to grab something to eat.

When I reach the parking lot, I pull my sunglasses on my face and assess myself in the mirror. The glasses were big enough to cover most of the bruise and I let my hair down allowing it to conceal the rest of it. Once I'm satisfied, I make my way inside.

The lady at the desk carries on her conversation with the man in the kitchen in mandarin as she quickly rings me up. I thank her, even though she ignores me, then go to make my plate. I look around the empty restaurant and pick a table in the far corner and sit with my back towards the front of the restaurant. I remove my sunglasses as soon as I'm confident no one can see the mark on my face. When I finally take a bite of food, the doorbell jingles as someone enters. I turn my head enough to see black clothes and shaggy hair.

Oh no.

I quickly pull my sunglasses back on as I hear him greet the front cashier in Mandarin. You have got to be kidding. I don't need to speak their language to know she was completely flirting with him. I roll my eyes and take another bite. Surely he wouldn't recognize me with my hair down. I almost always wore it up in a bun.

My luck runs out when I hear his boots on the floor as he draws closer. My heart beats hard against my chest and I take another bite acting as if I didn't notice him.

"Fancy meeting you here." Malakai says.

"Are you stalking me?" I retort. I glance up at him and see a small smile playing on his lips. He looked so different outside of school not in his uniform. His grey shirt clings to his body, showing off muscle I didn't notice before. A black flannel covers the rest of him, leaving my mind to wonder where it shouldn't.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Yes, I do." But of course he sits anyway. I rest my head on my hand as if I'm bored but only to cover the bruise. I really wish I would have taken the time to cover it up.

He doesn't say anything for a moment and I sneak a look only to see him staring at me, his expression curious. "Why the sunglasses?"

I stuff a bite in my mouth buying me some time, but I can't think of a good excuse so instead I shrug. "Sunglasses are cool."

His lips press into a thin line and his long fingers reach out to my face. My body tenses and I can't react as he pulls the sunglasses off, seeing the totality of the bruise. The silence engulfs us as we just stare at one another.

Finally I recover and take another bite. "So you know Mandarin?"

"What happened?" He asks, ignoring my question.

I choose to ignore his question as well. "You must come here often, that girl up front was totally flirting with you."

"Sapphire." His voice is soft and when I look up at him, I see his face covered with emotion. Sadness, concern, and perhaps even anger.

"It's nothing. An accident." I take another quick bite. "I should go. My parents are expecting me." I stand but his hand wraps around my wrist. The feeling stopping me in my tracks.

A memory. It was dancing just out of reach in my mind. I still had this overwhelming feeling that I've met Malakai before, but I just can't figure it out. Was this just a case of déjà vu? Why couldn't I just remember?

"Don't go. I'm sorry. I won't mention it again." He still doesn't release my wrist and I contemplate leaving, but it was as if my body was on autopilot. I sit back down in my seat and he finally releases me, letting his hand linger on top of mine for a second. He lets out a satisfied sigh and a half smile that made my stomach flip. How did this boy have so much control over me?

"So," he says, gathering a bite of food, "you think the girl up front likes me, huh?" He pops the food in his mouth with a cocky smile.

"Please," I say, giving him a look, "you could clearly tell she was flirting."

"Sounds like you're jealous."

I scoff. "Oh yes, definitely jealous." Sarcasm layers my voice, but a part of me felt like it could be true. Maybe I was a touch jealous. But why? All he did was get under my skin. Not to mention he could be my parent's killer for all I know.

"Admit it, you like me." He leans back in his chair like he has already won.

"Are you always this cocky?"

He chuckles, "You haven't seen anything yet."

I roll my eyes for the second time since he's been here. "I'll take that as a yes." I take another bite and use the silence to finally sort my thoughts. "Do you live around here?" I say casually. He's quick to catch on, as I've never been remotely interested in anything that has to do with him.

"I do actually. Do you?" He says carefully.

"Yeah, over in the Forest Terrace subdivision. Where did you move from?" I ignore the growing suspicion on his face and the way his eyes are narrowed. He leans closer to me, resting his elbows on the table and I take the last bite of my meal.

"I was home schooled before. So I've always lived here." Something about his tone was off, but I continue to push.

"What part of town are you from?"

He begins to gather his things. "I hate to cut this short, but I am actually late."

"So you can pry, but I can't?" I say standing as well.

He flashes the grin that has grown on me. "Precisely." He grabs the bag he always seems to have with him and slings it on his shoulder. "Until Monday, Sapphire." The smile never leaves his face as he takes one last look back before walking out the door.

Without a second thought I grab the few things I have with me and rush out the door. I look all around, thinking surely he couldn't have gone far, but he's gone and my car is the only one in the parking lot.

***

By the time I reach home, I notice both Megan and John were gone and relief washes over me. I really didn't want to confront either one yet and was thankful I have yet to hear what my punishment was going to be. I quickly do the little bit of chores I had before hiding out in my bedroom. Its already late but I flip on the TV and fumble through channels. As I watched the movie I settled on, my eyes become heavy and before long I was asleep.

I stand at the gates of the castle, already realizing this was a dream. This was always as far as I went before the dream would reset. I never could find a way into the castle.

I don't say anything when I feel him walk up next to me. All I wanted was one dreamless sleep. Just one.

"I saw you today." He says and leans his back on the gate. "At the building on third street." He elaborates.

"Then why didn't you answer the door?" I fold my arms around my chest.

He shrugs. "I chickened out." His smile reminded me so much of Malakai that it had to be my subconscious manifesting them both into the same person.

"Nope. It's because this is all in my head. You're not real, and you're not Malakai." I say matter of fact but I can't tell if I was telling him or myself.

"You're still skeptical though. That's why you questioned him today." He pauses a moment before adding. "Questioned me." His voice was soft and as smooth as velvet, just like Malakai's. Have I never noticed before?

I rub my hands over my face trying to get myself to wake up. "You don't even look like him."

"Don't I?" I look over to him and see him suddenly start to morph. His hair grows longer and darker and the blue in his eyes melts away. His features stay the same apart from him looking a little older. I'm left speechless at the realization that I was dreaming of Malakai.

Or he was invading my dreams.

"Until Monday," he says as the dream fades away. "Sapphire."

I snap awake, taking only a moment to rub my eyes and then throwing on some jeans. This was completely insane, I know, but I had to try one more time. I grab my keys and quietly slip through the door.

With new determination, I speed through the streets until I come to the little parking lot, where I leave the car running and the lights pointed at the door. I had to know. I had to know if it was him. I had to know what he wanted.

I bang on the door and as the seconds went by with no answer, I bang again. Still nothing and the adrenaline that coursed through my body seconds earlier slowly dissipated. I walk back to my car but as I approach I hear the door screech open behind me. My heart pounds hard in my chest and slowly I turn.

There he stood, in only pajama pants and no shirt, a large tattoo decorated his right shoulder. He pulls a hand up to his eyes and squints in an effort to see me. My headlights hid my identity.

"It is you." My voice was small and it was all I could say. I couldn't react. My greatest fear was now manifesting in front of me.

"Sapphire?" The urgency in his voice is evident and I see his eyes grow wide. I suddenly turn to open my door but he's faster and holds my door shut. "Please talk to me." His breath comes out fast and urgent but he waits patiently for my answer.

I kept my head down, knowing the tears had started to fall. My voice was barely a whisper when I spoke again. "Please." I squeeze my eyes shut in an effort to make the tears stop. My voice shakes with my next words. "Don't make me do this right now."

He hesitates, clearly torn on what to do before finally moving away. I immediately open my door and climb in. I throw it in drive, and as I look in front of me, we make eye contact one last time before my tires squeal away.