Lasting Effects (Sequel To After Effects)

Chapter 08 ~ Long Time Coming

What on earth was going on-

I quickly moved down the corridor until I was next to the front door in the entrance hall. All my attention was now on the call log of the phone in my hand and hurriedly, I tried to return my dad's call first. Before I could even put the phone to my ear though, a,

"Ms. Harrington?" rang out into the air.

I spun on instinct towards the voice that I could never mistake for anyone else now.  It was Riddian in the hall as well, walking towards me as the door back to the party shut behind him to drown out most of the sounds from the party.

Automatically, my finger pressed the 'end call' button as my hand fell to my side and I forgot what I was about to do. Instead, I frowned at him as I noticed the unusual expression of uncertainty across his face.

I quickly shook away my observations.

"Sorry, was I needed?" I wondered, ready to head back in if that was the case.

"No," Riddian shook his head, stopping with his hands in his pockets. "I just needed some air."

I glanced him over with a bit of uncertainty myself but soon nodded and looked away from him as he shifted a bit, eyes moving away from me and to the wall behind me. Yes he was still wearing the mulling expression I had noticed before, but while I was tempted once again to ask whether he was okay or not, I refrained, for some reason thinking that it was inappropriate.

Apparently that was not the case for Riddian.

"You look beautiful in that dress."

I paused moving for a good few seconds, eyes widened at his words, mouth also slightly opened as my cheeks lit up in flames. I quickly cleared my throat.

"Thank you," I responded a bit shakily, feeling completely different emotions from when Lincoln had told me the same thing in the room just a minute ago. However, the reason was obviously clear as to why. I didn't feel anything for Lincoln while I was more than feeling something for Riddian, and this was a thought which suddenly had me unconsciously taking a step closer to the latter.

Riddian stared down at me with unsure eyes and furrowed eyebrows, similar to those he had when he was always about to sign a business deals he wasn't a hundred percent sure about. It was weird though, because even with this appearance, at the same time he seemed to have made up his mind about whatever was rolling about in his head.

"Riddian, did you get the chance to-" I began to say, only to be grasped gently around the waist by an arm and pulled over and into the darkest corner of the room, between the staircase and couches next to the right wall, just as the door to the dinner hall busted open and someone entered the corridor and exited through the very front door we were just standing beside. 

I suddenly realized how much of a dangerously intimate space I had just created between us and maybe should have thought of something like that happening before I made it... but I wasn't going to complain about being the late thinker since now that Riddian had pulled me away in a rush, I had ended up pressed beside the staircase with Riddian only separated from me by a thin strip of air while his hands laid on the wall behind me by my head. My hands were not in a better position honestly as I had managed to grab onto his upper arms and held on as the slight adrenaline rushed through me.

Well this seemed really familiar...

I didn't think he had realised what had happened as he was still staring over his shoulder at the door which had just been shut by the woman who left, but he was about to as my hands unconsciously tightened for a second on the cloth over his arm and I felt him freeze under my touch. Slowly, his head turned downwards towards where my hands were, causing a few strands of hair from his head to fall onto his forehead. He slowly looked up until he was looking down at me, eyes focused, causing a chill to pass over my body.