Thirty-Two

I glanced up at his gorgeous face. “I thought I heard the word beautiful.”

His eyes narrowed on me. “That’s not a word I use often.”

My humour was dry, “Right.”

“Don’t take yourself for granted.” He said, the anger returning to his voice. “I’ve been around for a while, travelled all around the world but I have never seen someone so beautiful.”

He ran the back of his now gloved hand over my left cheek.

I tried to breathe normally as he continued to caress my cheek – I failed.

“Believe me I’ve seen a lot of people.” He said.

I frowned. “I guess you’re not exactly sixteen are you?”

He smiled.

I took that as confirmation.

“Are you a couple of years older than that?”

He laughed.

I would’ve been angry if his laugh wasn’t so enticing.

“Demons age quickly for the first eight years of their lives.”

I was intrigued, “How fast?”

“We double that age.”

I sucked in a breath and stared at him with uncertainty.

“Beth, I’m not sixteen.” He said, “After the eight years we age a year for every century.”

“I don’t think I want to know how old you are.” I said.

“Indeed.”

He smiled. “So it’s my turn tomorrow.”

“What?”

“I also have a list of probing questions myself.”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure there’s anything you’d like to know.”

“There’s plenty.” He winked and in one agile movement he was on his feet.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“To my history class,” He said. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes.” My answer came too fast, my eagerness too obvious.

People stared at us as we walked together to the table at the back at Wimpy. we were walking too closely together that our arms were touching. Each time his hand brushed into mine my heart would skip a beat. And my blood would boil making my skin crawl.

We sat next to each other facing the crowd of people who kept throwing gazes Bradley’s way. I wasn’t surprised – his flawlessly perfect face demanded everybody’s attention.

The waiter came just then, he stared at Bradley in amazement – the poor guy, he couldn’t believe something so surreal existed – his eyes were the size of saucers as he gulped. And then a minute later his eyes turned bitter. He most definitely must've been jealous.

The waiter had a nametag wedged into his red apron – Albert Livingston.

“Good evening.” He said. His voice was shaking.

“Hello Albert.” I said, feeling sorry for him.

He was quiet, still staring at Bradley.

“We’d like to order please.” I said, trying to snap him out of his trance.

“Err…” he blinked. “Yes.”

“I’d like some cream soda and a double cheese burger.” I said.

He gulped. “And for you sir?” his voice was still shaky.

Bradley scowled up at him. “No, nothing for me thanks.”

I thought I heard Albert sigh.

Poor guy – I think that’s how I reacted the first time I saw Bradley. He was simply breath-taking. I wished I had his beauty too.

“I’ll be right back with your order.” He whispered.

I nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at me.

As Albert walked away Bradley turned his overwhelming gaze at me. “That was interesting don’t you think?”

I blinked momentary dazzled. “Yes.”

He smiled.

“Excuse me for a second.” I said standing to my full height.

He nodded.

As I walked up to the aisle leading to the bathroom two girls blocked my way.

“Excuse us.” The blond with spiked hair said. “Are you an actress?”

I shook my head frowning.

“Is that your boyfriend?” her index finger was pointing in the same direction I’d come from.

“What?” confused I followed her gaze to see Bradley staring at something on his phone. He was smiling. Of course he was listening.

“I think I saw him in the front cover of People magazine last Thursday.” The girl who wore only pink said. Her clothes were too small for her body. I tried not to cringe.

“We want to ask him for an autograph.” She continued. “But he looks intimidating.”

“It wasn’t in the magazine.” The blond protested. “We saw him in Fortes richest teens.”

“Oh.” I was still tongue-tied.

“So can we go talk to your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” The disappointment in my voice was evident even in my own ears. I groaned.

“We weren’t going to say anything to the media.” The shy girl said with a blush.

“I… um,” I was confused. “The media?”

“Yes.” The girl in pink said. “I’m Andy, that’s Flora.” She pointed to the blond

I couldn’t find my voice yet.

Andy smiled. “We know how cruel the paparazzi can be.”

“Your movie is coming out next week.” Flora said.

“It is?” I was surprised, shocked.

“Oh.” Flora exaggerated. “I remember now, she’s the lead girl in Valentino.”

“I am?”

A dark chuckle came behind us. Bradley’s body shook as he laughed. Ugh.

“O.M.G,” Andy said. “I think I just died and went to heaven.”

I blinked. “Heaven you say.”

“I can hardly keep my eyes off him.” Flora whispered in an admiring tone.

“He’s a cool guy.” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to use the bathroom.”

I was worried that when I came out of the bathroom Bradley would be gone. I groaned as I opened the door, ready to face disappointment. But outside the white door to the bathroom, leaning against the wall opposite the door – looking more like an angel in all his glorious perfection than anyone had a right to – Bradley was waiting for me with a smile that had butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.

His eyes were almost glowing in the dim lights. I gulped.

“Stop staring.” He said, clearing his throat. “You’re making me nervous.”

I scowled at his beautiful face, “As if.”

“You underestimate yourself.”

I sighed. “Look at us. We’re from two different worlds. I’m absolutely ordinary. You’re beautiful and perfect, you…”

“Stop,” He interrupted me. “You think I’m beautiful? Then you haven’t looked in the mirror, I’m far from perfect.”

“What are you doing here anyway?” I whispered.

“I was scared you’d run off on me.”

I wanted so badly to believe him. “I think you’d do the running and I’d do the chasing when it came down to it.”

“I wouldn’t leave.” He said but then stopped, his eyes darkened. “Except if it was for your own safety.”

“I thought my happiness mattered.”

“But your safety matters more.”

I met his gaze; I was surprised by the electric-current that passed between us. I wanted to reach over and caress his perfect face. The feeling was overwhelming. I balled my hands into fists. I noticed he shoved his clenched hands into his pockets and peered at me under his long lash lashes. I lost my will to breathe. I looked away before I did something he might not want me to.

The walk back to our table felt very long. I wasn’t watching where I was going – instead I was concentrating on remembering how to breathe – when I tripped and almost fell, he caught my arm and set me back on my feet. I was suddenly more aware that he was an inch away from me; heat that radiated from somewhere in his body tickled my skin and made a shiver run down my spine.

I peered up at him and he groaned, biting his bottom lip. I suppressed a moan. He had never looked more alluring. It was enormously ridiculous that my fingers tingled with the need to run them over his lips, to trace the outline of his face, trace over his nose, his eyes, his perfection – to memorise it in my head.

I was overly relived when we reached our table. I was almost sweating from his body heat. I sat down cautiously and tried to relax as he slid next to me. I was unsuccessful. His presence was impossible to overlook.

I sighed, now I knew what the girl from earlier had meant when she said he was intimidating. His demeanour demanded attention.

He chuckled nervously and stood to his full height. I glanced at him sideways. He cleared his throat.

“I think it’ll be best for everyone concerned if I sit here.” He sat sliding opposite me.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Albert brought my order. I thanked him. He gave Bradley a meaningful look before he walked away.

"Umm, what an effect you have on people.” I wasn’t just talking about the girls and Albert and possibly everyone that was in the room with us. I was actually talking about myself. I was absolutely engaged by him.

"I’m not the one they mistook for an actor.”

“That’s because you can’t exactly compare a Greek god to anyone on TV.” I groaned, regretting the words the second they escaped my lips.

“Oh.”

I absentmindedly played with my hands on my lap. It was a long silent moment.

I looked up, I wanted to see his expression, his face dazed me – his dark eyes were cautious, his lips parted, he was so painfully beautiful that I was too late to stop myself from inhaling sharply. He took my breath away.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever know how it would feel to hold him close. My eyes watered. I looked down.

I felt a tingling sensation on my left cheek and looked up to see his hand – he’d taken off the gloves – as he ran his hand leisurely over the outline of my face, tracing my eyes, my nose, my lips. It was as though he was committing each part of me he touched to memory. I didn’t feel the expected pain, I didn’t care that my face would be filled with blisters – his touch was magical.

I was still. I couldn’t move.

“Breathe.” He instructed.

I couldn’t. I didn’t want his scent embedded in my head more than it already was.

When he dropped his hand, his eyes were hesitant, his expression twisted in conflict, indecision and pain.

I finally remembered how to breathe.

“What are you thinking?” He mumbled, eyes smouldering

“The pain...” I mumbled, hesitant. “You can’t possibly imagine how good that felt.”

My argument stuck in my throat. I was silent; terrified my sense of speech might have been affected by the bizarre Chemistry between us.

I was vaguely aware that there were other people in the room. It felt as though it was just the two of us, shielded away from the rest of the room in our electrifying bubble.

Strangely my skin still felt terrifyingly warm were he’d touched me. I felt lightheaded. Reality seemed miles away from where I was. I wasn’t sure if it all wasn’t some shocking dream.