Chapter Eleven

We walked all the way to the beach. It wasn't very far and the walk turned out to be great as we talked about any and everything.

We took a couple of turns towards the light woods, behind the street. It was a reserved area, safe for trespassing.

As expected, as we approached the corner where the beach was, we started to hear pounding music in a tender tone, shouldn't be too loud or we'd be kicked out. Lights shone from this side and and as we got closer, we began to hear the soft chatters of the other people from school.

I turned a look at Harden, gave him a small smile which he returned. With my hands tucked into my sweatshirt pockets to shield them from the harsh cold, we walked towards the beach where everyone stood around.

There's a little fire made in the middle of some fallen tree trunks, where I saw Tephanie seated. She has a red alcohol cup in one hand, talking and laughing with some of the other kids seated beside her. I saw Jeremy standing over a high table and pouring something into red party cups for some students lined up in front of him. 

The cool air brushes my face tenderly as I waved at a few students who called out to me. As we reached the front, we stopped, just before the water. 

"This place looks fun" Harden said, looking into the waters.

"I know right?"

"So where's your friend?" He turns around to face me now.

"Oh she couldn't make it. Ashley's not a very...... extrovert person"

"So you are?" he said questioningly, his eyebrows rose high at me.

"Yeah," I chuckled "I mean I guess...."

"Ah, I see...."

"Wanna get something to drink?" I asked him.

"Sure" he replied.

We walked over to Jeremy's table side by side and asked for alcohol. We got a cup each before standing around and drinking it silently, our eyes fixed on the shimmering valley under the bright moonlight.

"So you come here very often" Hardin breaks the silence.

Turning to face him, I replied "yeah. We do this once every month. Sometimes we skip a month, usually the exam period. But I'm not always allowed to come though. Most of those times, Ashley's over at my place and we just watch stupid old movies together. Our life's pretty the boring one"

"I think it's fun"

"You think?"

"Mhm" he nods with a liplined smile.

"You have never met my family" I replied, not really knowing why I said that a split second later.

"What? You don't think they'll like me?"

I laughed at his statement, laughing again the moment I saw his face. "You have no idea" I replied, sipping my drink.

"What? You don't think I'm good looking?"

"Of course you're totally handsome, Hardin" I replied truthfully, gulping down the burning contents in my throat.

"Really?" He grins, turning to fully face me now. 

I nodded, turning away to face the water.

"Would be really great to swim here huh?" I said.

"You wanna swim?"

"What? No. Not with all these people here"

"So you'd go swimming with me at a different and more private place if I asked? Just you and me" He rose a brow questioningly at me.

I laughed and replied "why don't you try asking first?"

"Okay. Would you, Alessia Winters, go swimming with me on Saturday?"

I felt his words, watched his lips, watched its effortless movement, saw the glint in his eyes, felt his breath somehow reach my face. I watched his eyes, saw the blackness in them, how beautiful they were. They were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.

Breaking out of my trance, I shook my head and replied "yes I would, Hardin"

He chuckles and looks away, like something amused him. I laughed too, feeling my heart pondering in my chest. He turns back to look at me, his eyes boring into mine, making me uncomfortable in a good way. He smiles sweetly, causing my heart to flutter and then just like that, I started to question myself what it is I was feeling inside me. Why I couldn't get my eyes of this guy and why....why....I feel so drawn to him.

"You look beautiful tonight" he said so quietly, I almost missed the sound of his voice.

A smile rippled through my face and I felt my cheeks hit up, blushing hard. I looked down and tried to sip my drink but his hand caught mine on the way, pulling it towards him. I stared into his eyes as he pulled my hand closer to his, my chest heaving rapidly. 

"That's enough for you, it's too strong" he said.

I gave him a smile and replied "maybe I wanna get drunk tonight. You'd be right here right?"

I started to move in closer to him but was pushed back by another strong hand, crushing my arm in the process. The next thing I knew, Patrick was in between us, grabbing Hardin by the collar and going face to face with him. Hardin was a bit taller and wider than him, so he's looking him up, glaring hard at Hardin.

"What are you doing?" I asked, even though it was obvious enough.

"What the hell is your problem you piece of shit" he barked at Hardin.

"Let him go, Patrick!" I called out again.

"Why won't you fucking leave her alone?!" He screamed, causing everyone to stop, silence breaking in. Even the quiet music stopped.

"Let go Patrick" Hardin spoke, his voice coming off unbelievably raspy and sexy at the same time. I blinked the thought away and tried to focus on the problem at hand.

"What did you say?" Patrick asked.

"Get your fucking hands off me" Hardin said calmly, a lot of anger in his voice.

Patrick lifts his hand up to punch him but Jeremy caught it on the way, saying "chill man, not here"

Patrick angrily cuts his hand away from his and let go off Hardin's collar, pushing him back with a sneer. He turns around to face me, his eyes full of anger as he watched me. He watches me for a long while before leaving, his friends following him out of the gathering.

I hurried over to Hardin and reached for his shirt to help him fix it.

"I'm really sorry! Are you okay?"

"It's not your fault, Leesha" he said but still I felt responsible. Patrick gets into these fights with him because of me.

I put down the cup on Jeremy's table and searched for a place to sit. I saw the empty seat around the fireplace and called him. We walked up and sat around the fire which was almost burnt out.

We sat silently next to each other, watching the rest of the kids. My eyes caught sight of Amanda, Betty and Jordan involved in a long conversation. They seemed to be having so much fun. I was too until Patrick showed up. Looking to the right side, I saw a group of boys involved in a trickery game and up ahead of them stood Anne and Jeff, tongues deep inside each other's throats in a heated make out session. I gulped hard, the idea of being in that position with Hardin crossing my mind. The thought causes my heart to skip a beat and I slowly turned to look at him, only to find his eyes perched on me. I felt my cheek heat up instantly.

He blinks and continues to watch me. I grew nervous and asked "what?"

"I think you're really beautiful"

I felt my heart do a summersault.

"Thanks," I managed to say "you've said that before"

"Really?" He asked, pretending to be clueless.

"Mhm. I can say the same about you"

He smiles, looks forward and said "you know when I first saw you at the quarter, I felt something inside me.... Like I knew you from somewhere before"

"Really? Perhaps you saw someone who looked alot like me where you came from?"

He chuckles lightly and turned to see me. Those eyes and lips. I fought to keep my eyes from staring at his lips.

"Maybe" he replied "or maybe, I might've seen you in my dreams before. And maybe constantly"

I smiled, wondering if he was actually flirting with me. No, we're just friends! He's just being a sweet talker.

"Well," I tried to change the topic "when I first saw you that night, I thought you looked really strange"

"In a bad or good way?"

"Mmmm, in a bad way. With all the dark hoodie and the attitude you walked with. But when you walked past me and I saw your face......I just couldn't decide anymore"

"I take it that you didn't hate me initially then?"

"Nope" I chuckled lightly " I didn't think you were gonna come to my school too"

"Do you wanna know something?" He leans closer to me. I nodded curiously. "I started going to your school so I could see you again"

I tried to see the joke in that but all I saw in his serious eyes were pure sincerity. Somehow, I knew he meant every word he just said. He joined my school just to see me again? Do I call that romantic or....? How did he even know where to find me? Social media, you idiot, I told myself. It was easy finding my social media handle after I told him my name. Was that really why he came to the school? I tried to find other reasons why he'd be lying about that, why he'd actual come to my school but there was none.

"I know this place," he said "we should go there on Saturday"

I snapped out of my thoughts and tried to comprehend what he just said. He's asking me to go out with him...... Fuck, I wouldn't make it.

"I don't know Hardin," I said painfully " I'm busy this Saturday"

"Really? But you just said you'd go swimming with me on Sat....."

"I know, I thought we were just joking. I'm really sorry Hardin, my family has this thing we're doing on Saturday"

"Okay?.... That's totally cool. Would've been nice if you invited me to this thing but be rest assured I wouldn't come if you don't want me to, so don't be scared and ask me"

I laughed at his silly joke before replying "it's not a regular thing here.....my ....you wouldn't get it"

"Try me"

Looking him straight up, I decided to tell him about this wired Saturday trainings my family always holds at an old house int the woods. "my family owns this house in the woods, down South where we.....go for training"

"Training?"

"Yeah.....you see, my family, the Winters are known for their hunting thing......" I didn't know how to make him understand "we're hunters, Hardin"

"Yeah," he scoffs "hunters, big deal. People still do that these days, why wouldn't I understand that?"

"We hunt vampires, Hardin"

He just stairs at me, his face unchanged. I'd expected for him to seem surprised and probably think I'm a freak for saying that but instead he's calm.

"You're not surprised?" I asked him.

"Not at all. Why would I be.... surprised?"

"I don't know......many people who didn't know about my family finds it really odd and frightening when they know about it. They freak out and think it's a big joke. Many didn't believe vampires exist. Do you believe they exist?"

"You haven't seen one before?"

"No,"

"Would you like to see one?"

I tried to reply but stopped, short of words. What would I do if I saw a vampire? I'd probably kill it before it killed me. I wanted to say that but stopped when I felt him inching closer to me. His face came closer to mine, catching my breath in my throat. I watched his eyes, watched them fall on my lips as I moved closer to him.

He's gonna kis....

"Alessia!" I heard the call of my mom calling me.

I pulled away immediately and looked out to see my mom standing far away, Joxer standing with arms folded across his chest behind her in line with my other uncle,Walter, Allen's father, watching me.

I felt my heart ponder painfully in my chest.