Blue like his eyes. It suits him, not only because of the color but he gives out a calm and unshakable vibe. As he said earlier; it’s befitting of its owner. He keeps a cheerful expression on, buthe strikes me as a sad person. Eyes don’t lie after all, and his shout loneliness with each look.
It’s hard to look away from the depth of his irises, but I have to or else I’ll be staring.
“How old are you, Visha?” he asks composedly as he starts driving. His eyes are focused on the road ahead, but he occasionally sneaks glances at me.
“How old do I look?” I shoot back, finding his expression amusing. He looks as though he doesn’t want to guess the wrong age and upset me.
“Mhm, not sure. You do look pretty young, but your demeanor sure doesn’t.” He laughs faintly. “Maybe eleven?”
He isn’t far off to be honest. “Twelve,” I correct as I stare out the window.
It’s still snowing but less than earlier. I notice the slight tremble of my hands and the shallow breaths escaping me. Maybe I’m making a mistake by following a total stranger home and I might end up regretting this decision, but I can’t bring myself to care about the consequences anymore. Which makes me wonder if my foster parents are looking for me. They’re probably more worried about getting in trouble with the authorities than me being in any sort of danger. Good riddance either way.
“Close enough,” he shrugs.
“I guess so.”
I gape at the way his fingers curl around the leather steering wheel. His hands resemble fine silk and appear especially delicate. They’re really pretty.
“Why are you helping me?” I blurt and almost face palm myself.
Ugh, why did I askthat? Out of the millions of conversational subjects, I had to pick the most uncomfortable one. Good job, Visha. You should get an award for dumbest person on earth. I really don’t want to know. What if it’s a disgustingly selfish answer? What if he’s going to admit to being a dangerous psycho cannibal?
His grip on the steering wheel tightens for a faint second, then immediately loosens. He lets out a pensive hum and simply says, “Because I can.”
Because he can? What the hell does that even mean? Is he some rich dude that has money to waste so he made me his charity case? He doesn’t look rich, yet heisdriving a luxurious car, so maybe he is. I examine the vehicle, and it surely strikes me as brand new.
Meanwhile, Aoi reaches for the glove box and pulls out a remote to open a garage. The drive went by faster than I expected. He drives in and parks the car on the second floor down. It looks like some kind of shared underground parking lot for an apartment building. He turns off the engine and steps out of the car, so I follow.
It’s rather chilly in the parking lot, but it can’t compare to the glacial air of the outside world. A metallic scent lingers in the air, and I start thinking about those movies where the naïve character gets kidnapped by an innocent looking person just to be never found again. That’s not going to happen to me, right?
“I live on the eleventh floor,” he points out as he guides us towards the elevator.
He presses the button indicating the number eleven and the doors close behind us. I stare at the screen denoting the shifting numbers as we climb the floors. The closer we get to his apartment, the more nervous I become but I keep quiet until we reach the front door, and he unlocks it swiftly. Aoi pushes the oak door open and hangs the keys on a key holder on the wall right next to the entrance while I stay still, watching him walk inside his home.
This ishishome, and he is welcomingmeinside. Do I even deserve it? I peek down at my clothes and feel shame heat my cheeks. I look like a beggar, maybe he takes me for one too.
I stay motionless in the entry hall. Am I allowed to be here? Is this really fine? My hands are moist with sweat, forcing me to wipe them on my pants. Aoi takes off his jacket and hangs it in a cloak room next to the front door. He glances at me and smiles sweetly.
My throat constricts and it aches. His kindnesshurtsbecause I don’t deserve a drop of it, but I don’t want to relinquish it so soon because it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
My extremities are frozen, my nose is running, and my hair is drenched. Yet, the discomfort evaporates the moment his lips curl into a gentle smile.Heis spilling with tempting generosity and such warmth despite the cold blue of his eyes.
“What’s wrong? Come in.”
I can’t. I want to but my legs won’t move. I shouldn’t be here. This is wrong. I don’t deserve any of this. I’m not worthy of such generosity, and he shouldn’t be so nice to someone as useless as me.
“Visha? Are you okay?” he asks, worry palpable in those jewels.
What do I do? Can I really take his chance of erasing the past and starting anew?
4
Aoi
Things didn’t go as planned that’s for sure. Tonight is supposed to be the night I end it all, and here I am taking in a random kid I found on the sidewalk. I don’t even know if I’m the strange one or that boy.
I mean, he just followed me without thinking twice. That’s insanely dangerous! No, at this point it’s even suspicious. Maybehe’s a serial killer? Yeah, right. There’s no way. I’m clearly dramatizing, of course he’s not a serial killer.
