Chapter Seven - Fantasy come True

Elias had just gotten back to her tiny off apartment, exhaustion deep in her bones. She tossed her bag aside and flopped on her bed, resting. 

Her mind reeled back to today's events, especially her encounter with Kaelen in the garden. Her mind replayed how good he had looked up close without his Leather jacket, and a blush crept up her face. 

Then, her phone buzzed. 

An unknown number said, "Meet me tomorrow in the evening at the Engineering field. Your first Dare,"

Her stomach dropped. Elias knew exactly who it was. 

"...Kaelen?" She sent back. 

"Good girl. Thought you'd pretend not to know me," He replied. 

"How did you get my number?" She sat up on her bed after sending it, watching as three dots blinked as he texted her back.

"That's not important. Come to practice tomorrow and sit where I can see you,"

"What? No!"

"Why not? It's your first Dare, and you've imagined me fuckin you right there in the middle of the Field according to your book," 

Elias's eyes widened, and her stomach flipped. "Stop it!" She snapped in the text, "I'm not coming!"

"That's cute. But here's the deal, either you start coming or I'll start reading my favourite lines from your masterpiece to the guys, before I make my team act out everything. Your choice,"

"You're blackmailing me!"

"Blackmail's such an ugly word. I prefer motivation,"

Elias almost screamed, ready to throw her phone across the room, but another text came in, "4PM. Engineering field, and don't be late,"

.

.

.

Elias arrived at the engineering soccer field five minutes before practice started and Her stomach kept flipping the entire walk there.

The football field was buzzing with players already. The this of their cleat against the grass, the sharp whistle of the coach, and the laughter and curses thrown between the players. 

Clutching her sketchbook, she scanned the bleachers. It was almost empty, and there were a few girls seated around giggling amongst themselves while gossiping about something. One saw her and frowned. 

Elias quickly walked away before she drew any more attention to herself. She chose a seat that was almost at the back, half-hidden in the shadows of the overhang. 

It was perfect for watching without being seen.

Or so she thought. 

The second she sat down, she felt the weight of his gaze. Elias' heart began to race as she looked around the field, and soon found him staring at her. 

He was wearing the black training jersey with a backwards cap, standing near the sidelines with his friends and teammates. 

The moment they locked eyes, a knowing and wicked smirk formed on his lips. 

Elias snapped her gaze down to her sketchbook, flipping through the pages. She was going to ignore him as much as she could, even though she already knew her heart would betray her and yearn to look at him again, but she had already made up her mind that she would be leaving in an hour. 

As she already knew, Kaelen was impossible to ignore. Every run, drill, and grunt pulled her attention and her eyes sucked in his every movement. 

He looked insanely hot dribbling the ball around, commanding the field like he was born to play. Most importantly, he looked like he was having fun. 

With a swift strike, the ball curled past the goalkeeper and into the net. The field erupted in whoops, but Kaelen didn't bask in their praise. 

Instead, he looked at her again. 

Elias, who looked like she was in a trance, snapped out of it and dove back to stare at an open blank page of her sketchbook, a small blush on her cheek. 

Kaelen smirked again, and he ran over and began jogging up. Her eyes remained glued to the book, heart thudding wildly as he reached her side of the bleachers, and she heard him chuckle as he did, "Enjoying this?" She heard him whisper as he passed by. 

Heat burned her face, and she bit her lips. 

Damn yes, she was enjoying it so much. 

As he returned to the field, she could still feel his gaze and soon understood what this dare was all about. It wasn't just to watch, it was to see all of him, and know that he saw her too. 

Elias had told herself she would be leaving in an hour, but soon got caught up admiring him as practice stretched on. She smiled without knowing, laughed whenever he did and noticed how he winked at the girls sitting up front and they would blush and giggle. 

That part didn't sit well with her. 

The game wrapped up, and players began leaving the field. Elias gasped, finally recalling she was supposed to have left an hour ago. 

Quickly, she grabbed her sketchbook and was about to slip away quietly when...

"Hey, author," 

Oh no. She looked up slowly and saw him climbing up toward her. 

His hair was damp, now tied back with a small band, although a few strands fell over and clung to his face, and his shirt was also sticking to his body due to sweat, outlining those chest muscles. 

He had that lazy, knowing smirk still and this time, he was holding a book. 

He stopped next to her, now flipping through the book, "You know, Elias, I never realised someone could notice so much about me,"

The girls seated up front turned to look back, along with a few guys, curious. Kaelen's tone was smooth, and he spoke casually as if it was nothing. 

"What are you talking about?" She asked. 

"Page seventy," He said, his smirk becoming more apparent, and that was when it hit Elias. 

Someone had made many copies of the leaked book, and he was holding one of the copies!

His eyes skimmed a bit, and when he spoke he didn't stare at the book that long like he already knew every word by heart, "He runs his hands through his hair anytime he's about to make a goal, like he already knows the stadium belongs to him," he quoted. 

His gaze met her flushed ones, amused, "I didn't know you paid so much attention to me,"

That line has been word-for-word in the book. Her private words. 

"I see him sprawled on me in the middle of that same stadium, breathing his name as...," 

"Stop!" 

Kaelen's smirk deepened, "What else about me have you been watching... thinking?"

If she could bury herself right now, she would. 

A couple of the guys down there chuckled, "Yo, Kaelen. Isn't that XXX rated?"

Kaelen turned to them, snapping the book shut with a small shrug, "Call it a fan commentary," Then his voice dropped and he turned back to her, "A detailed fan commentary,"

Elias stood up and walked past him without saying a word. The dare was over so there was no reason to stay any longer, but Kaelen wasn't letting her walk away so easily. 

They walked across the field together, heading out. 

"Second dare," He said, "Walk me to my Bike,"

"Already?!" She looked at him. 

"What? Complaining again? It's not like you haven't written about me fuckin you on it-"

"I'll walk you!" She snapped, a little loudly with a red face. 

As they walked together around campus toward his bike, eyes followed them curiously. One of those eyes was Bethany, and her gaze transformed to that of intense jealousy as she watched them walk together. 

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Tiffany sneered, disbelief colouring her eyes. 

“Would you look at that? Princess Writer thinks she can steal my leftovers,” Bethany said, crossing her arms as she watched

 them. 

Emily snickered, while Tiffany leaned in with mock pity.

"She probably thinks walking next to him is some kind of date. Cute,” Emily chipped in. 

Bethany tilted her chin, eyes narrowing like a cat stalking prey, “No, not cute. Pathetic. Let’s fix that,”

She strode forward, heels clicking against the pavement.

Right before they intercepted them, Elias caught them approaching and almost cursed under her breath. Walking alone on campus already drew so much attention to her, and it was so much worse with Kaelen. 

With the person she wrote about!

“Well, well… if it isn’t Kaelen and his new little project,” Bethany's sickly sweet voice said as she blocked their path, her eyes raking over Elias like she was something stuck to her shoe.

Elias stiffened a bit, but Kaelen’s smirk didn't waver, “Beth. Still haunting this side of campus?” Kaelen asked in a lazy drawl. 

Emily and Tiffany snorted at the dig, but Bethany recovered quickly, "And how is that any of your business?"

"Oops!"

Bethany faced Elias next, “Careful, sweetheart. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into. Guys like Kaelen… they chew girls like you up and spit them out,” She said mockingly.

Elias clenched her jaw, ready to snap back but Kaelen cut in quickly, “That’s funny. Thought I already spat you out, Beth,”

Bethany’s smile cracked, but only for a second. Tiffany and Emily exchanged wide-eyed looks, trying not to laugh. 

Elias’s lips twitched, though she didn't dare smile.

Then Bethany, desperate not to be talked down upon, leaned closer, her perfume thick and suffocating. She lowered her voice just for Elias, "Don’t get too comfortable, scholarship girl. College has a way of teaching lessons to people who don’t belong. I personally will teach you that lesson!”

With that, she spun on her heel with Emily and Tiffany hurrying after her, their whispers sharp as knives.

Kaelen watched them go with the smirk still in place. He looked oddly satisfied by what just happened, right before he leaned down and teased, “Lesson one: you made her jealous already,”

And that was when Elias realised. This dare had been a trap; Kaelen wanted people to see them walking around together. 

The Parking lot was quieter, tucked behind the engineering wing. It had gotten dark, and a few lamps buzzed overhead, casting shadows along the row of vehicles lined up. 

Kaelen's Black motorbike stood out, sleek, black and predatory. 

Elias was right behind him, her pulse in her ears. She watched the way his back moved under the cloth, and the sharp, careless way he walked. 

Kaelen stopped at his bike and turned to face her. They hadn't spoken much since Bethany left, and his eyes caught hers in the dim light, dark and unreadable. 

She was the first to speak, "Goodnight, Kaelen," She had to leave now, afraid she might actually drool right in front of him. Plus, she wasn't sure how much her heart could take standingg right next to him. 

Before she could turn, he grabbed her arm, "Not so fast, McIntyre,"

An electric feeling coursed through her, and she swallowed as she met his grey eyes again, "What is it this time?"

He paused, studying her, "I want to talk," 

"About what?" She breathed. 

"About what you said the other night, in front of your apartment,"

Her heart skipped a beat, "Oh, which part?"

"The part you said I was the only thing in your life you didn't have to explain,"

Oh God. That was the most intimate thing she had ever told anyone. She thought he would have forgotten about that by now. 

Forcing herself to put on a brave face, she asked, "What about it?"

"I can't decide if it makes me dangerous or essential," His deep voice had dropped, like velvet being dragged across skin. 

Heat spread through her chest and her red face betrayed her, displaying her feeling right there for him to see. 

Kaelen smiled. 

"You're enjoying this way too much," She said. 

"I'm being serious, McIntyre," He replied in a whisper, "I'm genuinely curious. You put words on me like no one else did, and noticed things no one else dared to,"

Her lips parted, but nothing came out. 

"You not only imagined me, you studied and craved me beyond measure,"

Her breath hitched, "That's not-"

"Oh, it is," His hand gripped the handle of his bike but his eyes never left hers, "You could have written about anyone, but you wrote about me,"

"Cuz you're popular and everything. I thought we already talked about this," She mumbled the last part. 

"I told you I ain't letting you off the hook that easily, McIntyre, so now you have another two options," 

"Kaelen-"

He grinned, "You keep pretending it's all fiction, or...," He stepped closer till she had to look up to see his face, his tall figure now looming over her. She could now feel the heat of him, and his voice was a smooth rasp, "I make those fantasies come true. Every naughty, crazy thing you dreamt of, you wrote down. I could really have you underneath me, screaming my name...if you let me,"

Her knees almost gave in. That was the most raw thing a man had ever said to her, and it was Kaelen Nightshade saying it. 

"And I'm not gonna lie to you," He continued, his eyes darker than she remembered now, right before they dropped to her lips, "I will make you say yes to that, because I don't want to just read your fantasies, I want to live in it, too,"

Elias's knees really gave out this time, but he reached out and wrapped his strong arms around her small waist, pulling her toward him. 

Elias's eyes widened as her body pressed against him, her heart going into a frenzy. She wasn't imagining or writing it down this time...this was actually happening. 

"The world goes quiet. He pulls her close and his hand tilts her chin, the air smells of heat and leather, and her heart trips because she knows it’ll ruin her for every kiss after,” Another quote he just stated 

The specific one about...their first kiss in the book.

Elias's heart was about to explode, "I...I...,"

"Admit it, McIntyre, you were waiting for me to make it real,"

He said, tilting her chin as she had written in the book, "And I could give you exactly what you asked for,"

And then, he leaned in and Elias held her breath in disbelief as his lips softly pressed against hers. 

Oh my.