Chapter Two—The Mysterious Lurker

Chapter Two—The Mysterious Lurker

“You need to leave.”

I stared deeply, intensely, almost manic as I couldn’t understand how a man’s eyes looked so captivating, like a moth to a flame with I being the moth. I paid no heed to his words, just his beautiful eyes.

Who was this man? Why haven’t I seen him before? And most of all…How did he get so close to me without me noticing him sooner? Surely I would’ve caught him running down the high ground.

He frowned, “I said you need to leave,” his voice sounding more gruff, “A woman like you shouldn’t be in these woods….alone, and naked.”

There it was, the final realization snapped hard inside of me as my eyes trailed down to my naked body. I let out a sharp shriek, lunging towards my clothes sprawled on the rocks and covered myself with them. My eyes widened, almost popping out of its sockets.

“You creep!” I cried out, “You’re the one in the trees watching, looking at me naked!!”

He rolled his eyes and turned around, “Get dressed and get out of here.”

My frown creased even deeper at his stern command, for a man who took pleasure in watching me naked from the woods , i wondered why he suddenly chose to give me privacy.

I studied his frame—tall and well built, tanned,I could make much of his face I knew he had beautiful golden eyes, a peculiar trait I planned on asking him about later on. He was in need of a haircut, I also noticed, the length skimmed over the nape of his neck. Overall he was a strikingly handsome man.

In a matter of minutes I was fully clothed now, droplets of water falling onto my shirt as my hair was still damp from my laze in the creek. I let out a breath, a signal which he took and turned around.

“Now leave.”

“Who are you?”

“It’s not safe in these woods,” he muttered, blatantly ignoring my question, “You need to leave.”

I scoffed loudly, “You don’t own this property. I come down here all the time and it’s pretty safe, as I recall the only one posing as a threat right now is you sir!”

He rubbed his temple, looking frustrated almost, “You need to—

“Who are you?” I cut him off abruptly, “Midnight Bay isn’t a big town so I pretty much know everyone. You mister, you’re new here. Who are you? And why were you watching me like a creep?”

“Creep??” He snapped back, his demeanor from command to clear irritation, “You’re the crazy woman bathing during a full—

“A full what?”

There was something off about him, I couldn’t quite place my finger on it but his insistence on making me leave just made me hunger for more answers. He was clearly new in town, someone I’d never seen before and working at the diner gives me the opportunity of knowing everyone who comes into Midnight Bay.

“Fine,” he relented, “If you’re not going to leave then I might as well stay.”

“Stay?!” My eyes widened in shock, “First you watched me from the shadows like a creep and now you plan on watching me??”

He rolled his eyes again, treating like some sort of petulant child making a fuss, it annoyed me greatly, “You might as well leave now. Since I’m a creep and whatnot.”

I groaned subtly, he was clearly goading me to leave and I didn’t plan on giving him that satisfaction. I’ll be damned before a random handsome man, with captivating eyes push me away from my favorite place.

I smiled at him, sheepishly, then I strode over to my easel and painting waiting patiently to be finished, I picked up the palette on the floor and flicked the ends of my brush to resume. The moon had moved from a beautiful iridescent to a more milky white, it was no bother as the perfect picture of earlier still made a mark in my memory.

The stranger was watching intently, I gulped hard, feeling nervous a little but I wasn’t ready to budge just yet. Slowly but steadily, I brushed strokes onto the canvas, perfectly capturing the essence of moonlight when the sudden vision of golden eyes flashed through my mind.

Damn it.

Shaking the eerie feeling off, I moved on but the feeling of his watchful eyes sent weary chills down my spine. I gulped hard, unable to take it anymore and turned around sharply.

“Why are you still here?!”

“You should leave.”

“I’m not gonna. You can’t make me.”

“Fine,” he shrugged, “Then I’ll stay too.”

“Why?!” I raised my voice.

“It’s not safe.” He answered, a vague reason at that and went mute for a moment before his eyes moved to my painting, “Are you an artist?”

I frowned, “Yes, not that it’s any of your business.”

“It’s a good painting.”

I opened my mouth to say thanks even though his compliment barely meant anything to me, after all he was nothing but a creep, when the night suddenly grew darker. The moon was now out of sight, and the creek more eerie.

Goosebumps rattled all over my skin, the sudden chill of the night was starting to get to me. I looked at his eyes and they no longer had the beautiful glow which drew me like a magnet.

“I’ll take my leave now.” He suddenly announced.

I blinked in confusion, “What??”

“I’m a creep remember?” He responded, “I’m leaving now.”

My mouth, taken by surprise, fell open as I watched his tall figure make it’s way up the rocks and towards the high ground. Like an impulse, I dashed after him, almost tripping on one of the stones before I caught the hem of his shirt.

He turned around, I felt a hard lump in my throat as I asked, “Who are you??”

“A creep, according to you.” He answered.

I shook my head vigorously, “No, not that. Who really are you??”

He didn’t answer for a moment, then I heard him sigh, “Asher. The name’s Asher Blackwood.”