“Bro, you can’t do me like that!” Lizzy said then, shoving Pierce away as he laughed.
We had been walking down old town for a while now, all of us holding cups of coco we got from a local chocolate shop and making our way toward a restaurant.
It was cold tonight, as every night this time of year. So cold that my breath blew out in clouds after every exhalation.
I adjusted my beanie more over my head as I clutched onto my coco, desperate for warmth.
“You’re shaking,” Twilight noticed. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” I admitted.
“You can take my jacket,” he offered. “I can handle some snow on skin.”
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
You’re way too nice, and it’s bothering me.
“If you say so,” he said then, glancing around.
To be honest, I was also a little uneasy.
While we were out, we went to a toy shop, and while Twilight and Pierce were fawning over car-toys, I spotted Jase in the next isle, looking at some old-fashioned sock toys.
We then went to a wood-work store, and he was there, again, paying attention to some carved bears.
And then—just now—we were at the chocolate shop, and he was there, as well, drinking his hot coco while sitting at a table.
Right now, I didn’t know where he was, and it was bothering the hell out of me.
Almost minutes later, we entered a large, mountain-themed restaurant, and I gazed up, finding a chandelier made from some antlers of deer and such.
The booths along the walls were lined with chair-lift like chairs, and there was a single broken-down gondola that was scrapped and used as a small little eating space for couples and small families.
“Hi, table for two,” Pierce said as Lizzy giggled and clutched onto his arm.
The hostess smiled and nodded to the right. “This way.”
We all followed her then, and finally ended up at the table we were destined to be at.
Lizzy let go of Pierce and sat down as he followed, and she glanced over at me as I picked up a menu.
“Emma,” she said then.
I gazed up at her, arching my brows.
She pointed behind me. “He’s been everywhere near us and keeps glancing at us in disapproval.”
I blinked and turned around, finding Jase sitting at a table behind us, staring down at his phone as he sipped his water.
I looked back to her to find Pierce and Twilight glancing back, too.
“Is that the guy who caught you?” Twilight said then.
“Yeah,” I responded.
“He’s the guy I was talking about,” Lizzy said then, making me gaze up in shock. “Total stalker! He’s been following us everywhere all night!”
I sent her a look, telling her to stop.
She flashed me another smile.
“Why don’t you let me talk to him?” Twilight said then, starting to stand.
“Bad idea,” Lizzy stated, shaking her head as we all looked at her. “He gets violent. All fists and stuff.”
I glared, sending her a look that said, What are you doing?
You a favor, she mouthed back.
I just gritted my teeth.
“As said before,” Twilight responded, “I’m trained in combat. I can handle him.”
I just set my hand on his arm, making him glance over at me.
He blinked. “What?”
I just sighed, standing. “I can handle him.”
“If we see you die, we’ll make sure to call the pigs in uniforms!” Lizzy called.
I rolled my eyes, knowing she was talking about the police.
Almost five seconds later, I scooted into a booth across from Jase.
He gazed up at me with a smile. “Hello, Emma. Nice to see you.”
“Cut the crap,” I said then, shooting him a look. “I know you’ve been following me.”
His eyes darkened with his grin.
I just rubbed my temples. “What do you want?”
He tipped his head to the side. “You.”
I gave him a look.
He kept the smile. “What’s his name?”
“Twilight,” I said then.
“Weird name,” he responded in a dark tone. “Sounds fishy.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“So what if I am?” he responded, setting his phone aside. “Doesn’t change the fact that someone screams suspicious.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Oh?” he said then, gazing up at me. “However do you mean?”
I watched him tiredly. “Being suspicious seems to be your specialty.”
He just smirked.
“Why have you been following me all day?” I asked him then, lashes lowering. “It’s creepy.”
“You know… I feel like you’re the one following me,” he said then, making me glare. “Everywhere I am, poof!”
“Cut the crap, Jase.”
He gazed down at me. “What are you suggesting?”
“What is your ultimate goal with all this?” I demanded. “What are you hoping to see from me, huh?”
“Do you want me to answer that question?” he responded, hinting it was another sexual innuendo.
I just glared.
“I thought you wanted me to be honest,” he said then.
“You’re never honest,” I growled low. “How do you keep doing this? You speak to my mind,” I stated then, “you run faster than light. None of that is human.”
He just tipped his head to the side. “You think I’m not human?”
I never responded, but felt a bead of sweat slide down my temple.
His smile only widened a touch, and he changed the subject, “You were supposed to go on a date with me tonight.”
“Whoops,” I said sarcastically, “forgot.”
“That’s a hard thing to forget,” he slid me a dark grin, “especially knowing how much I’ve been on your mind lately.”
Cold swelled inside me then, and I swallowed something hard as I spoke low, “I don’t understand how you keep doing that.”
“Doing what?” he said then.
I just started sliding off the booth. “I have to go.”
“You know now that you forgot about our date,” he said before I could leave, making me pause, “it’s not too late. Why don’t you sit here with me for a while?”
I glanced back at him to find the darkness around him swarming like a monsoon. “They can see us.”
“So?” he countered. “Tell them you’re going to hang with me.”
“Twilight will get jealous.”
“You seem fine with making me jealous,” he stated then, giving me a fox smile. “Can’t you handle making someone else feel the pain of your wrath?”
“You don’t feel pain,” I snapped.
He just smiled up at me.
“I’m pretty sure ninety percent of your emotions have been eradicated from your system,” I snapped then.
His eyes hardened a touch, but his expression didn’t let up. “That’s insulting.”
I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, and I swallowed something hard.
“Sit down,” he said then, smile softer. “Unless you want to hang out with mister ‘nice boy’ over there who’s clearly too nice for my liking.”
Out of all things, that was one thing we could agree on.
“Fine,” I said then, setting back in the booth.
He smirked a little. “What do you want to order?”
“I don’t know yet,” I said then, staring at the second menu that was placed here for some reason.
I gazed up at him. “Did you come here with someone?”
He lifted his brows. “You’re suggesting that because….”
“There’s a second menu,” I stated then.
He smiled darkly then. “There is.”
I felt something dark crawl into me. “Who?”
“You.”
I stared then, lips thinning. “That’s insane.”
Was he suggesting that he knew I was going to come over here to confront him? What was with this man?
“I might be insane,” he said then, staring down at his menu, “but at least I have morals.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He gazed up at me with a smirk. “Do I scare you, Emma?”
I silenced then, wondering where he was going with this. “Yes.”
He didn’t look hurt even slightly at my response. “Why?”
“I thought you were going for that response,” I stated then, glaring. “You’re very good at being… intimidating.”
“Do you not trust me?” he said then.
“How can I trust someone who I don’t even relatively know?” I questioned. “You keep your past deep inside and expect no one to know it.”
He looked incredibly more amused now. “It’s better that way.”
“Why?” I questioned.
“Because you aren’t ready to know who I am,” he said then, lashes lowering.
I felt a bead of sweat slide down my temple, and I swallowed something hard. “You aren’t making this trusting thing easy.”
“I’m not trying to.”
I glared then. “Why do you make all these sexual comments about me when you know I’m afraid of you?”
He suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if he didn’t know how to answer the question himself.
I silenced then, something inside me heating and cooling with his expression. As if my body couldn’t decide to take it as suspicious or alluring.
“Why are you so secretive?” I questioned.
“Because you aren’t ready to know the real me,” he responded, but sat up fully. “I’m done talking about me now. Let’s hear about you.”
He set his cheek in his head, waiting.
Done talking about him? He didn’t give me any answers!
“Do my innuendos make you uncomfortable?” he asked me then.
I just spared him a look. “Out of all the things you do, that’s the lesser thing that bothers me.”
And the fact that I could tell by his expression every time he said it that he was joking with me. His tone even lifted as if every time he asked that, he was going to laugh.
“You didn’t answer my question from earlier, do you sleep naked?” he asked me.
I glared at him. “Excuse me?”
“Do you sleep naked?” he responded.
I just shook my head. “No.”
“Are you a shirtless with shorts person? Or a shirt and panties person?”
I gave him a look.
He just kept smiling, waiting.
“I’m not answering that question,” I responded.
His eyes glowed in amusement. “Why?”
“Because it’s none-ya.”
He chuckled then, sitting up straight. “Alright… where are your parents? I never see them.”
“They’re stuck in New York,” I said honestly this time. “It’s just me and my sister right now.”
His eyes gleamed slightly. “Why are they stuck in New York?”
“Their plane keeps canceling… it’s canceled seven times now.”
“You don’t find that… suspicious?” he said then.
“There’s a storm in one of the cities nearby,” I stated then, sighing. “They say it’s a snowstorm—”
I broke off immediately and stared at him. “Hold on… what are you suggesting?”
His smile grew slightly. “What am I suggesting?”
And another voice echoed through my thoughts, whispering menacingly,
Vulnerable.
I felt my heart pound again, and my breaths grew shallow. “Stop it.”
His eyes glowed dangerously. “Stop what?”
“You’re doing it again,” I responded, chills sliding through me. “You keep talking to me… in my head.”
“Speaking to your mind?” he said then, smirking slyly. “Do you know how crazy that sounds?”
“Cut it out,” I said then.
“Cut what out?”
“I know what you’re doing,” I responded shakily.
“What am I doing?”
“Stop it, Jase.”
He just chuckled. “You’re on edge. Why don’t you relax a bit?”
I glared, shaking slightly as I questioned my sanity.
“How about I buy you some dinner,” he suggested, “take you out to get some ice cream… and then take you home.”
“They’re waiting for me,” I stated. “They expect me back over there.”
He smiled. “Cancel.”
“They’re worrying about me.”
“Let them worry. You’re fine with me.”
I stared at him shakily. “You’re scaring me.”
He only smirked.
I just set my hands on my lap and gazed up at him. “What do you want from me?”
He watched me curiously. “Just dinner. Maybe some ice cream. Is that fine with you?”
I felt the familiar fluttery feeling fill me. “Yes… I guess.”
“You sound unsure.”
“I don’t trust you.”
He just chuckled. “I know.”
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