Chapter 52

INTENTIONAL

CASSIE

I returned to Eric’s home. Matt had told him to take me back until he has sorted the issue of the three hunters, and he’d come back to meet us. The lair wasn’t safe, and he’d find a way to inform others and keep them safe. For the time being, Eric stayed in a densely secured environment and it was unlikely River Valley might want to attack. However, it is not something unusual. The Royals can be unpredictable and act as rashly as can be.

I paced the breadth of his room, angrily. Eric was trying to get me to calm down, but I couldn't stay calm. Not after what had just happened. I still had glass cuts and bruises on my arms, reminding me of the craziness we just survived. What if the bullet had caught us in the heart and we dropped to our death?

I looked at Eric with worry in my eyes - he had gotten hurt because of me. What if he had died while the hunters were chasing us? I wouldn't be able to handle it. Eric didn't seem to bother though; it is also as if he had prepared himself for situations like this. I wonder what his real intentions were, if he was doing this because of power, or if he was doing this because my people had done some damage to him, and he just wanted to get even. What if I was an enemy to him as well? He could be using me so he could do all of this, kill my family - but wouldn't he be justified? After all, I was using him to carry out my plan as well. My thoughts became increasingly frantic and paranoid as more scenarios began to unfold. I was just a threat to him.

I stopped pacing and let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through my hair. Eric gave me a sympathetic look.

"Don't stress yourself over that right now. They won't attack you on purpose here, except they are declaring an open war with the community." He sounded sincere and concerned. It made me feel a bit guilty. I nodded my head slowly.

"Yes," I responded quietly, not meeting his eyes. "Of course. But what will happen once they find out where we are?" I knew that Eric's parents were very influential figures, and my entire existence was no less important.

The question was: would Advania survive if war was declared? Would my family be tossed out because we have brought nothing but worry and problems ever since we arrived?

Eric smiled kindly at me. He moved closer to me, letting out a small sigh. "Darling, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were worried about me right now." He said in a lighthearted drawl. I stiffened a little, looking into his eyes as I pulled away from him slightly.

Eric held up a hand reassuringly. "They aren't planning anything right now; no one even knows that you are here. If you are careful, your presence will remain unnoticed until nightfall." I took a deep breath, releasing it.

"This doesn't sound like you shelving our initial plans, yeah?" I asked, looking into his eyes again, searching for any signs of deceit.

He nodded solemnly. "I'm positive." he raised his phone to my face. "I have sent Jameson and Colton a text. They are keeping guard at the hospital just in case something happens. I felt a bit relieved. It felt nice to know that I wasn't alone in this. "You are not alone, darling," Eric said, announcing softly. I felt tears pricking at my eyes but I did not let them fall down, knowing full well why I was crying.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked. I shook my head. I didn't really know how to explain, and honestly, I hadn't really had time to process everything that was happening. There were so many things going on simultaneously, and I didn't want to give any of the information away. This whole thing needed time, and Eric didn't need to hear the details. So instead, subconsciously, I wrapped my arms around him tightly. His arms automatically wrapped around my waist and he pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head.

We stood there for a moment, silently embracing each other and listening to the sounds outside of the window. The birds seemed to sing a happy song in the background, along with the quiet rustling of leaves in the wind.

There weren't any voices, but it was obvious that a lot of activity was taking place outside. Cars drove down the roads, pedestrians walked the sidewalks, and people laughed joyfully. The world seemed so much livelier yet, there was a heavy strain on my heart.

Eric was probably thinking the same as I was.

He looked down at me, and he cupped my cheek with one of his hands and brushed his lips against mine softly. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to enjoy the moment, enjoying the feeling of his skin against mine.

When I opened them, I saw something that made my whole body go rigid. Eric seemed to notice my discomfort and backed off quickly. He ran his fingers nervously through his messy brown hair.

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Nothing," I answered automatically.

A few minutes passed before either of us spoke again.

"I guess we should call it quits for tonight. You'll probably want to rest up for tomorrow." He stood and started heading towards the door.

However, I couldn't deny it. Something happened between us. While the other night, I had been delirious, right now, I needed to be intentional. I grabbed him by the wrist and he turned to me.

"You know what this means...' his eyes trailed over me. I nodded.

Without hesitating, he closed the space between us and pressed his mouth against mine.

His lips parted gently, giving my tongue free reign. I kissed him back, my hand moving up to caress his chest. We broke apart briefly, and I could see the lust written on both of our faces. His eyes flicked down to my mouth and he bent over slightly and took a step forward into me. His hips nudged against mine and his lips moved downwards towards my neck, leaving hot and wet kisses as he went. My legs buckled, and when he reached my waist, I lifted my leg and hooked it behind his hip. Eric smirked against my pulse point, and I felt goosebumps run up and down my spine at the sight.

We spent the next couple of hours making out like teenagers, not paying attention to a single thing around us. It was hard to focus with the feeling of being completely enveloped by this beautiful man who kept kissing and touching me in ways that left no doubt that he would keep doing so all night long, unless I decided otherwise. That thought made me smile softly. If it was possible, I hoped that it was the only reason he would leave tomorrow morning. However, the reality was clear as day; I needed someone I could rely upon when I needed it the most.