Apricots - Ruel Van Dijk

Chapter 9 - Sweaty skin, puffy lips.

Teliah's POV

Same old patterns, same old standards, different chapters

Do you feel alive now?

You feel alright now?

*

I took him everywhere. Every place that had meaning to me. To parks, to alleyways, past shops, hiding places, everywhere. I don't know why I felt comfortable taking this guy I had literally known for 18 hours to everywhere I had loved in London, but it felt right. I'd never felt more sure about anything in my life. I was sure he was someone I wanted in my life.

Now it was about 3am, and I wanted to take Ruel to one more place before we went home. This place possibly had the most meaning to me out of everywhere I'd taken him. We walked, tripping and laughing, conversed in the somewhat stupid conversation we were having. I loved his personality. He talked about serious topics, but threw in occasional jokes and snarky comments, so it didn't get too heavy or hard to follow. I felt like I was talking to someone who understood me for once.

One thing I did notice is that he never spoke of where he came from, his family or his friends from before. It was almost like whatever that story was, was dead to him. Like he didn't want to remember it. And I'm not one to get up in people's business, so I didn't question him about it.

"Where are we going now?" he asked as we turned down an alleyway. I didn't like the path to where we were going, it was dark and unsettling. I can vividly remember seeing people doing drugs in this alleyway. I usually just try to keep out of people's way out here. It's the easiest way to make sure you stay safe. Luckily for us, there was nobody around at this hour.

"It's a surprise," I grinned cheekily, watching him huff out a breath of air in frustration. His face returned to it's resting state as we continued to walk down the alleyway. We walked, the darkness almost encasing us. I was beginning to feel slightly uneasy, which I suppose was usual. It was 3:30 in the morning and I was walking down a creepy alley.

I instinctively reached for Ruel's hand, and before I could even realise what I was doing, my fingers were threaded with his. His skin was warm, smooth. The cool metal of his rings tingled against my skin, making me shiver. It did make me feel a lot better to hold his hand for some reason. To my surprise, he didn't say anything, or take his hand away. He just tightened his fingers around mine, probably trying to give me a sense of comfort in some way. Which it did, but it also made me nervous as fuck. There were so many butterflies in my stomach I felt like I was going to throw up.

What the fuck was happening? I had known this guy for a literal day and he was already making me feel things I hadn't in a long time. Shit. I knew this was going to happen. I was falling for him. Already? I shouldn't have said yes to talking to him, I shouldn't have agreed to show him around London, I shouldn't have agreed to let him stay at my house. I was going to get my heart broken again. But the thing that frustrated me the most was that I didn't care. I couldn't even let myself let go of his hand. What hole had I dug myself into?

I forced my gaze ahead of me, making myself think about anything but the boy next to me. I knew if I looked at him, I wouldn't be able to get him out of my head. I wouldn't be able to let go of his slightly rosy cheeks, that slight peppermint smell he had all over him, his cute little button nose painted with freckles, his messy brown hair that somehow suited him...aaand I did it again. This boy was going to drive me insane, I knew it.