CHAPTER 9

Aurora?

The endearment sounds oddly familiar but only my dad gives me nicknames and I doubt he's ever called me Aurora.

"Aurora? Why did you call me that?" I ask.

Instead of replying me, my mysterious rescuer simply helps me to my feet. The pain from my knees distracts me and I hold onto his arm.

"Can you walk?" He asks.

"It's a little difficult." I admit, still holding on to him. To my complete astonishment, he lifts me into his arms.

"I will take you home." He announces as if our situation right now is the most natural thing.

"Ummm okay." I say because there's nothing more to say. I still haven't seen his face but I now know for a fact that his hair is quite long. My hands felt it when I hooked my hands around his neck as I was holding on to him. It's soft and for some reason I can't stop playing with it. He doesn't notice or he does and just doesn't mind.

"Why are you helping me?" I ask because I'm really curious and I'm also trying to make conversation because between the awkward silence and the unusual darkness in the streets tonight, I'm very uncomfortable.

"It's not safe for you to be out here all by yourself." Is all he tells me. He sounds like a father scolding his daughter but I doubt his feelings for me are paternal if there are any.

For the remainder of the walk to the penthouse building I keep quiet and even lean closer to my rescuer. I feel oddly safe with him even though I have no idea who he is. I don't know how to explain it but I feel as though I know him, like there's a connection between us.

We are in the garage on our way to the elevator which leads to the apartment and I can't say I'm surprised when the lights start going on and off. I swear I'm going to have the building manager change them. They were acting the same way the night of the party and it's completely irritating my eyesight.

Again the silence continues even in the elevator. The only time I talk is when I tell him I have to input a code for the penthouse.

But now I can see his face. I was right about his hair, it's quite long, hanging above his shoulders. I'm not going to lie, he's very magnificent with his dark hair and equally dark eyes. Come to think of it, I have never seen eyes that dark before. His handsome face has me starring and a part of me wonders if he is as appealing as his demeanor presents him to be.

"Who are you?" I ask, serous this time.

"James." He replies looking straight into my eyes and I can't look away.

His hold on me has tightened and he's leaning into me like he wants to kiss me. For a moment I'm completely stunned and I don't want to stop him. I want to know how it will feel to have him kiss me but then I remember something very important. Sky!

"No." I say quickly and push at his chest. "Please put me down." For a second I think he won't do it but I'm wrong because this gentleman puts me down immediately.

I'm breathing hard now. What the hell just happened? Did I almost kiss another guy, I mean did I almost kiss James?

I look and I see that he has his head in his hands, like he's ashamed or something. Well he should be, how dare he try to kiss me!

"What was that?" I ask, still in shock.

James just shrugs in his defense. I'm about to ask again but the elevator stops and the doors open. Both Alice and Ronnie rush towards me.

"Darling where were you?" Alice asks before pulling me into her arms.

"I'm here." I say to assure her because I can see she's frantic with worry.

"What happened to your leg?" Ronnie asks and I explain how I fell.

"We were so worried. I was about to call your father but thank God you are back."

"Thank you." I say sincerely, appreciating how she didn't rush to my father.

"I'm going to go." I had almost forgotten about my rescuer.

James is still around, watching as my mini family rejoice my return. He's avoiding my eyes, well everyone's eyes. He's probably still ashamed of what he almost did.

"Okay." I say to him because I really want him to go.

Ronnie and Alice are looking at me, their eyes questioning who the hell James is. I will tell them later, probably after he's gone.

After explaining once again why I was late I decide to go to my room but only after eating the dinner Alice made. I was not hungry but I didn't want to offend her and I owe her for not tattling to my father about me getting home late.

I'm not completely surprised when Ronnie offers to clean my wound. I'm still in a state of shock from the earlier events so I accept her generous offer.

I'm sitting on the edge of the bed whilest she's kneeling before me and cleaning my knee.

"Does it hurt?" She asks and I shake my head. "Good because it's only water. What were you running from?" She asks.

I'm alarmed by her question but I still manage to answer. "I felt as though I was being chased and so I started to run." I give her a mild explanation.

She puts a small bandage on my knee and smiles at me. "All better." She says sounding proud of her work.

"Thanks." I say.

"Anytime." She starts to leave but then stops and looks at me. "Hey Evie, why did that man call you Aurora?" She asks.

"What?" I'm confused. I don't remember James calling me that in the presence of my family, or did he?

"Umm yeah, he said something like 'goodbye Aurora' before he left. It was more like a whisper but I heard him. Is it a nickname or something?"

I'm completely astounded by the information given to me by Ronnie. "Umm no, I only just met him. He called me that earlier as well." I admit.

Ronnie giggles a bit. "Hmmm so your rescuer decided to give you a little pet name, how cute." She giggles again and I smack her.

"Oh shut up."

"What? He's hot and God that accent." Ronnie gushes over him and I stay quiet because I don't comfortable talking about James.

"Enough I have a boyfriend so I don't...."

Before I know it Ronnie is screaming, what is wrong with this child? "You have a boyfriend?" She's completely stunned.

"Yes, now get out of my room. Out!" She's still laughing when she leaves and I have to admit I enjoy our little talks.

Lilies are my favorite flowers. I just love them and how they smell but right now they are second best. I'm in a field full of them and I'm in Sky's arms. He smells amazing and I can't stop touching him. I bite his neck once or twice and he returns the favor and it feels magical. What have I been doing with my life? Why hadn't I looked for Sky earlier? The answer to those questions is I don't know but I know I'm never letting Sky go, ever.

I push him on to the flowers so he's on his back and I place myself on top of him. "I love you." I say and kiss him on the mouth. "I love you so much." I repeat hoping he will say the words back. He grins and is about to say the words back but then suddenly his whole demeanor changes and he pushes me off of him. "What?" I ask breathlessly very confused.

"Why do you have red hair?" He asks.

Red hair? "What?" I ask then examine my hair only to see that I do have red hair. "I don't know how...." I try to explain but Sky is no longer before me, he's been replaced by non other than James! "I love you too Aurora." James says and kisses me on the mouth.

My eyes open immediately and my heart is beating furiously. It was all a dream, just a dream. But deep down I know it wasn't just a dream. What the hell is going on with me?

Aurora?

The endearment sounds oddly familiar but only my dad gives me nicknames and I doubt he's ever called me Aurora.

"Aurora? Why did you call me that?" I ask.

Instead of replying me, my mysterious rescuer simply helps me to my feet. The pain from my knees distracts me and I hold onto his arm.

"Can you walk?" He asks.

"It's a little difficult." I admit, still holding on to him. To my complete astonishment, he lifts me into his arms.

"I will take you home." He announces as if our situation right now is the most natural thing.

"Ummm okay." I say because there's nothing more to say. I still haven't seen his face but I now know for a fact that his hair is quite long. My hands felt it when I hooked my hands around his neck as I was holding on to him. It's soft and for some reason I can't stop playing with it. He doesn't notice or he does and just doesn't mind.

"Why are you helping me?" I ask because I'm really curious and I'm also trying to make conversation because between the awkward silence and the unusual darkness in the streets tonight, I'm very uncomfortable.

"It's not safe for you to be out here all by yourself." Is all he tells me. He sounds like a father scolding his daughter but I doubt his feelings for me are paternal if there are any.

For the remainder of the walk to the penthouse building I keep quiet and even lean closer to my rescuer. I feel oddly safe with him even though I have no idea who he is. I don't know how to explain it but I feel as though I know him, like there's a connection between us.

We are in the garage on our way to the elevator which leads to the apartment and I can't say I'm surprised when the lights start going on and off. I swear I'm going to have the building manager change them. They were acting the same way the night of the party and it's completely irritating my eyesight.

Again the silence continues even in the elevator. The only time I talk is when I tell him I have to input a code for the penthouse.

But now I can see his face. I was right about his hair, it's quite long, hanging above his shoulders. I'm not going to lie, he's very magnificent with his dark hair and equally dark eyes. Come to think of it, I have never seen eyes that dark before. His handsome face has me starring and a part of me wonders if he is as appealing as his demeanor presents him to be.

"Who are you?" I ask, serous this time.

"James." He replies looking straight into my eyes and I can't look away.

His hold on me has tightened and he's leaning into me like he wants to kiss me. For a moment I'm completely stunned and I don't want to stop him. I want to know how it will feel to have him kiss me but then I remember something very important. Sky!

"No." I say quickly and push at his chest. "Please put me down." For a second I think he won't do it but I'm wrong because this gentleman puts me down immediately.

I'm breathing hard now. What the hell just happened? Did I almost kiss another guy, I mean did I almost kiss James?

I look and I see that he has his head in his hands, like he's ashamed or something. Well he should be, how dare he try to kiss me!

"What was that?" I ask, still in shock.

James just shrugs in his defense. I'm about to ask again but the elevator stops and the doors open. Both Alice and Ronnie rush towards me.

"Darling where were you?" Alice asks before pulling me into her arms.

"I'm here." I say to assure her because I can see she's frantic with worry.

"What happened to your leg?" Ronnie asks and I explain how I fell.

"We were so worried. I was about to call your father but thank God you are back."

"Thank you." I say sincerely, appreciating how she didn't rush to my father.

"I'm going to go." I had almost forgotten about my rescuer.

James is still around, watching as my mini family rejoice my return. He's avoiding my eyes, well everyone's eyes. He's probably still ashamed of what he almost did.

"Okay." I say to him because I really want him to go.

Ronnie and Alice are looking at me, their eyes questioning who the hell James is. I will tell them later, probably after he's gone.

After explaining once again why I was late I decide to go to my room but only after eating the dinner Alice made. I was not hungry but I didn't want to offend her and I owe her for not tattling to my father about me getting home late.

I'm not completely surprised when Ronnie offers to clean my wound. I'm still in a state of shock from the earlier events so I accept her generous offer.

I'm sitting on the edge of the bed whilest she's kneeling before me and cleaning my knee.

"Does it hurt?" She asks and I shake my head. "Good because it's only water. What were you running from?" She asks.

I'm alarmed by her question but I still manage to answer. "I felt as though I was being chased and so I started to run." I give her a mild explanation.

She puts a small bandage on my knee and smiles at me. "All better." She says sounding proud of her work.

"Thanks." I say.

"Anytime." She starts to leave but then stops and looks at me. "Hey Evie, why did that man call you Aurora?" She asks.

"What?" I'm confused. I don't remember James calling me that in the presence of my family, or did he?

"Umm yeah, he said something like 'goodbye Aurora' before he left. It was more like a whisper but I heard him. Is it a nickname or something?"

I'm completely astounded by the information given to me by Ronnie. "Umm no, I only just met him. He called me that earlier as well." I admit.

Ronnie giggles a bit. "Hmmm so your rescuer decided to give you a little pet name, how cute." She giggles again and I smack her.

"Oh shut up."

"What? He's hot and God that accent." Ronnie gushes over him and I stay quiet because I don't comfortable talking about James.

"Enough I have a boyfriend so I don't...."

Before I know it Ronnie is screaming, what is wrong with this child? "You have a boyfriend?" She's completely stunned.

"Yes, now get out of my room. Out!" She's still laughing when she leaves and I have to admit I enjoy our little talks.

Lilies are my favorite flowers. I just love them and how they smell but right now they are second best. I'm in a field full of them and I'm in Sky's arms. He smells amazing and I can't stop touching him. I bite his neck once or twice and he returns the favor and it feels magical. What have I been doing with my life? Why hadn't I looked for Sky earlier? The answer to those questions is I don't know but I know I'm never letting Sky go, ever.

I push him on to the flowers so he's on his back and I place myself on top of him. "I love you." I say and kiss him on the mouth. "I love you so much." I repeat hoping he will say the words back. He grins and is about to say the words back but then suddenly his whole demeanor changes and he pushes me off of him. "What?" I ask breathlessly very confused.

"Why do you have red hair?" He asks.

Red hair? "What?" I ask then examine my hair only to see that I do have red hair. "I don't know how...." I try to explain but Sky is no longer before me, he's been replaced by non other than James! "I love you too Aurora." James says and kisses me on the mouth.

My eyes open immediately and my heart is beating furiously. It was all a dream, just a dream. But deep down I know it wasn't just a dream. What the hell is going on with me?