He had a way of making me chuckle so much that I haven't seen myself laugh that way before, I texted my mom to let her know I was doing okay. This brought her some relief as well.
"May I inquire about something?" I cleared my throat before continuing, "You appear quite young. How did you end up becoming a teacher?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I began to feel uncertain if I should have asked that question. "I apologize, I didn't mean to..." I trailed off, realizing my mistake.
"It's alright, you're not the first one to wonder," he replied, his gaze shifting toward his ice-cream.
"It's a secret, I won't say that you should keep it to yourself because..." He looked at me, his eyes seemed lost, as if he has to say something that he couldn't find words for "I sort of trust you? I guess" He smiled and a strange eye contact took place, which was short-lived but was the most beautiful feeling I've ever experienced, after a brief moment, he broke the eye contact, we both, equally blushing without showing it to each other.
"I was still a student when tragedy struck and my parents passed away in an accident. My grandmother was the only survivor, but she was never the same after that. I had to work hard to afford her treatment while also managing to pay my own fees," he explained, his lips pursed in the end.
"I am not just a teacher, but also a student," he added with a smile, glancing at me before looking down again.
Moved by his story, I reached out and held his hand. "I'm sorry that you had to go through so much," I whispered softly.
He at first looked at my hand holding his hand, then shifted his gaze toward me. Slowly, I withdrew my hand and looked down, a single tear rolling down my cheek.
"I'm not entirely sure why I moved here. Sometimes, I deeply regret it... Since I arrived, I lost my father, and then there was that incident with that boy," I said, my voice trembling as tears continued to flow. I covered my eyes, unable to contain my emotions.
"I thought attending this party would distract me, but I never expected it to turn out like this," I said, wiping away my tears. "You see, I don't drink," I added, my eyes still filled with tears as I looked at him. "I refused to drink, but then this guy entered the kitchen claiming that Willow had sent him with a soft drink. It turned out to be an alcoholic beverage, and I spat it out. When I tried to leave, he grabbed my wrist.
I don't like when anyone touch me without my permission, I couldn't help but to slap him hard across his face, which clearly pissed him off.
As revenge, he forcefully poured an entire cup of beer down my throat, causing me to choke." I became so overwhelmed that tears began to stream down my face.
"If it weren't for Vincent," I managed to say between sobs, "I might have died!" I wiped away my tears.
Curious about the situation, Mr. Darkwood inquired, "Who was that young man?"
"He had black hair slicked back," I replied, admitting that I didn't know his name.
"Harry!" Mr. Darkwood exclaimed, rising from his seat. "I apologize for what happened to you, and I wish I could erase this painful memory from your mind, even though I am not a vampire."
He offered a comforting smile, which made me chuckle as I stood up as well.
"But you know what's remarkable about being human?" he asked, opening the door to the cafe.
"Every experience we go through shapes us into individuals who are capable of facing the challenges of tomorrow."
As we made our way toward the car, he continued, "Have you ever seen a child learning to stand? They stumble and cry, but with each attempt, they cry less and stand a little longer." He smiled warmly.
"What I mean is, based on what you've been through, I can sense that you are destined for great things beyond your imagination. And because of that, I believe you are growing stronger."
His words captured my heart, and I found myself completely lost in him, each word that escaped his lips mesmerized me.
"If it was another girl in your place, she would have either responded to this guy in his own way, if you know what I mean, or may have been scared, but you fought back! Tell me, Ms. Fernandez! What made you so strong to take such a stand?” He smiled.
He opened the car door for me, and I gratefully took a seat inside.
Everything about him slowly began to attract me toward him - his words, as deep as the sea, his smile as bright as the sun after a storm.
I didn't realize when he became my pillar of support; his presence made me feel secure, my gaze fixed on him as we journeyed together, his eyes on the road ahead.
As I exited the car, he called out, "Ms. Fernandez!" I turned to face him. "Thank you for choosing to place your trust in me, out of everyone." His smile was warm.
"Thank you for being there when I needed you," I replied with a smile before heading back home.
That evening, I was filled with happiness. However, like every other night, this one held a jumpscare for me.
My mother was waiting in the living room, and we spent some quality time together watching a movie.
Midway through, my mom dozed off, so I stood up to stretch, feeling tired myself.
I forgot to mention that there was a bathroom in our house that belonged to my late grandmother.
Since her passing, it had remained unused. On my way to my room, I noticed that the light was on in the bathroom.
I cautiously pushed the door open, finding it unlocked. As I reached for the switch from out side the bathroom, my finger brushed against something that felt like human skin, with hair on it.
Startled, I pulled back my hand, gasping in fear. Quickly shutting the door, the light turned off on its own.
Fear took over me. "There's someone in our house!" I exclaimed, but my mother was too exhausted to hear my cries.