Ch. 3 "The Proposal"

Something in his eyes struck a chord with the feelings I currently had about myself. He looked like he was ready to cry, or fight until his knuckles bled. I sympathized. I sat back down.

"So, what are you? A stalker? Are you the man from the crosswalk? So what was the point of bringing me here, if you didn't steal my phone, didn't steal my money, if you don't want anything from me?", I asked. He tightened his hand on mine, the tendons in the back of his hand looked like they wanted to push through his skin that I realized was horribly scarred. I felt another jolt of pain in my chest. I looked back up to his face and he was looking down at our hands.

"Would you believe me if I said I just wanted love? Or that I was lonely? That I don't feel deserving? Or maybe that I'm bored?", he brushed his thumb over the top of my knuckles as he raised my hand to touch his lips. It startled me and I started to pull my hand away, but he tightened his grip and as our eyes met I felt unable to move again. What a dirty trick.

"I definitely believe the last option above all the others, you devilishly handsome boy", I said, ready to play his game he was so obsessed with. If this boy wanted to play with my emotions, I'd be damned if I wasn't going to get him right back. His eyes lit up, as if there was some hope for him. He released me again from the lock of his gaze. I raised an eyebrow and gave him a crooked smile while cocking my head to the right, letting my hair cascade over my shoulder. He pulled my hand away from his lips maintaining his grip, and as they parted I could have sworn I saw... a swirl of green glitter? That's not possible. While I was busy studying his lips, he moved closer to me, his face now inches from mine. His eyes fluttered closed. He had the longest white eyelashes I'd ever seen on a male before. I looked back down... I couldn't look away from those lips. A slightly peachy pink, they looked so velvet and soft... I started to close my eyes... and they shot right back open.

"I'm supposed to be proving a point! You stupid, useless, hormone driven brain!", I screamed at myself internally. Thank god his eyes were still closed. I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back into the grass. The skin there was also visibly scarred and healed, bumpy to the touch. He let out a very slight, but still audible moan. God, he's precious, I thought to myself. It's a shame he's just like every other man in my life, ever. I applied more pressure to his chest as I stood up. He closed his eyes harder, and I saw it again. He exhaled some sort of green glittery aura. Alas, it was not to be my problem anymore. Goodbye, you beautiful man. I won't be had by you tonight or any night for that matter. I lifted my hand off his chest entirely, making sure to drag my fingernails gently across his exposed skin, turned, and walked towards the front door of my apartment. I made it barely ten steps.

"HEY! Where are you going? You're a tease!", I heard shouted at my back. I stopped dead in my tracks. He sounded genuinely hurt that I was leaving.

"I won't turn around. I won't turn around. If I turn around, he'll take it as an invitation", I told myself repeatedly in my head. I put my right foot forward and made it the last few steps to the door. As I put my hand on the handle and began opening the door, his hand flew so fast from behind me and slammed the door closed again so hard that I gasped.

"Where do you think you're going?", he growled at me. Something was off about his sultry, buttery voice from before. I dared not turn around. Not for fear of what I'd see, but out of fear that he wouldn't let me leave if I DID see. I remained level headed and collected, despite the heavy body and aura behind me.

"Well, seeing as this is a dream, I figured it's time to wake up. This isn't even real. You're not even real. Everything here is too good to be true. Maybe I want to return to my mundane, sad existence because that's what I feel like I deserve. Since we're talking about that", I said without much emotion. I kept my hand on the handle. I felt a head gently land on the back of my head and his warm breath through my hair and down the back of my neck. It sent a chill down my spine.

"Holy crows, is he really that tall, that he has to bend over to make his head touch mine?", I thought to myself. I quickly dismissed my thought. None of that. No matter how attractive he may appear to be, no matter how desperate either of us is, this isn't even real. I'll wake up soon anyways, why get my hopes up?

"Please turn around. Look at me", he said. He lifted his head off mine, and took his hand off the door and placed it gently on my shoulder. I wanted to turn around so badly, but I refused to give in to myself, and more importantly I refused to give in to him.

"I'm perfectly fine talking like this, thank you very much. What do you want from me? What was the point of bringing me here? Be truthful with me. I'm telling you now, I'm more receptive to that than to any type of immature highschool grade seduction", I said bluntly, and I prayed he fell for it. He let out a drained sigh, and squeezed my shoulder before letting it go.

"I'll be honest with you. I brought you here in hopes that you wouldn't be as strong willed as you are. I was honestly just seeking some companionship. Innocently enough. But the look in your eyes... your hair, your smell... your lips....", he trailed off.

"Everything about you entices me and I couldn't help myself. I do apologize for that", he finished.

"You honestly expect me to believe that?", I said, again praying he'd take the bait. I felt my heart start pounding again.

"No, I suppose you're too smart for that even. Boy, did I have you pinned wrong. I really hope you don't hate me for saying this, as we WILL be in contact in the very near future, but I was honestly hoping you'd be naive enough... dumb enough to lay with me. By this time, most girls I bring here are busy... with other things, rather than a conversation", he said. He sounded almost ashamed. Other girls, huh? I'm not stupid. I knew, somewhere deep down, that this was all fake. It's an attempt to disorient or enchant us females.

"So, what then? What are you going to do to me?", I asked, trying to sound fearless.

"How about we make a deal, huh?", he said, returning a hand to my shoulder. He spun me around before I could get a word in edgewise. My eyes were met with the same boy in the grass. His voice was no longer harsh either. His eyes had a gleam I didn't care for, as if he had another trick up his sleeve. I kept a stern, straight face, and crossed my arms. I hoped he could take a hint. He lowered his eyes to my chest, my legs, and back up to my face. My eyes didn't wander anywhere but from his face.

"I was the man from the crosswalk. It's easier to traipse through the human world if you look human, you know", he said brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"You look human enough to me right now. Why the old businessman?", I asked pointedly.

"I felt like maybe you'd be less put off by someone who genuinely appeared mundane. I did follow you home though. I admit to that too. I put you to sleep, but I didn't steal your phone and I most certainly was not the one to initially break in. I came in after I saw the door was open", he said, shrugging. I guess I could buy that story.

"And this.... deal, what about that? What could I possibly offer you? Assuming it's something that you haven't bragged you have?", I genuinely wanted to know.

"I want to be your friend! It's as simple as that. What would you like from me?", he asked with a cheeky grin. His sharp teeth still put me on edge. There was something very wrong about them.

"I want your help to find who broke in to my apartment", I said as matter-of-factly as I could. He removed his hand from my shoulder and held out his right hand.

"I'm Chase. That's my human name", he said. He smiled warmly, no teeth. I think he caught on to my discomfort with his needle teeth. I took his hand, but did not shake yet.

"It's none of your business what my name is yet. Do we have a deal?", I squeezed his hand tighter.

"We have a deal, my little tigress", he said. When he smiled again, his teeth were flat. I shook his hand twice, and dropped my hand to my side. I turned and opened the door to my apartment.