The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Fifteen · · · Tapalla (.2)

Tapalla watched Monta stop in his tracks when he heard the faint click. He looked up at her and she found a smirk smiling back at her. He then eyed her suspiciously as he asked, "Are you okay? You seem a bit shaken."

Blushing, Tapalla shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine, Charmer. I'm fine."

Monta frowned and crossed his arms as he turned to her. "You don't look fine." He stood there thinking for a moment before he stepped forward and took her into his arms.

Tapalla melted into his hug and she suddenly felt relaxed. All the weight and stress put on to her shoulders was gone. She wanted to sigh but tried to do it as silently as she could so it wouldn't be obvious. Monat noticed anyway and squeezed her even tighter.

"I thought you looked like you needed it," Monta soothed.

"Truthfully," Tapalla started to say, "I did need it."

I needed you, she thought to finish her sentence.

After Monta pulled away he bowed his head as he said, "I think I needed it too." He looked back at her and spotted the knew formed worry written across her face. Monta cocked an eyebrow as he held on to her forearms keeping her in place.

"What?" Tapalla asked wanting to take a step back. She had missed him, but his closeness was making her nervous. Her heart was beating times as fast and she was pretty sure that beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. If Monta noticed, he didn't care. He only stared intentionally into Tapalla's eyes trying to figure out was wrong.

Monta smiled again and let go of her arms. "Nothing," he said putting his hands into his pant's pockets.

"It's not nothing," Tapalla whined wanting to know what he was going on about.

"I said it was nothing, Tapa. Your reaction just changes every time we hug lately, or if we get close to each other. Have you noticed?"

Tapalla gulped. She had noticed and didn't like how Monta was pointing it out. Tapalla desperately wanted it to stay secret, but Monta was too smart for that to happen, so she only nodded her head and started to walk down the hallway with Monta following.

"Where did everyone go?" Tapalla asked.

Walking closely behind her, Monta answered, "Jastka and Chanta left to do some solid planning and others went to the kitchen. Jastka said there was food so that's where most people went off to."

"You said most people," Tapalla pointed out. "Whos most people."

Monta pursed his lips together before he said, "Chaka, Ray, Cass, I think."

"What about Janna?"

"She went up to her room, I'm sure," Monta answered. "She told us she wasn't hungry. I decided to wait for you so you wouldn't feel alone when left the room."

Tapalla smiled shyly, blushing. "Thanks."

"No problem. I won't ask about it," he sated out of the blue.

Tapalla knew he was talking about the conversation she had with May and she was glad he didn't want to ask. It made her less tempted to tell him about his future too early. She had to wait till they were off Gazar, out of its atmosphere, and on their way to Ablatin.

"Thanks again," Tapalla said. Then she started to pick up the pace making Monta do the same thing so he could keep up with her.

Through short breaths, Monta asked, "Why are we walking so fast?"

Just as they were about to pass a left turn, Monta quickly grabbed her shoulders and moved her in the right direction. Tapalla didn't say anything and only blushed. She wanted to hit herself in the forward but she knew she would feel like an even bigger fool if she that with Monta right next to her.

Monta cleared his throat getting her attention. "My question?"

"Oh, yes!" Tapalla fake smiled, her face still orange with embarrassment. "May said she needed to talk to Chaka for reason that she didn't tell. She sent me to fetch her."

Tapalla stopped when the next turn had the hallway split right and left.

"Which way?" she asked Monta gesturing to the empty hallway.

"Left again," he said confidently.

Going in the direction of left, Tapalla asked Monta, "How do you know where we're supposed to go? This is your first time here."

"Chaka told me the directions to the kitchen right before they left. Straight, second left, another left, third right, straight, and it's at the end of the hallway," Monta smiled, seeming proud of himself that he was able to remember the directions he was given.

"That was smart. Is this the right?"

"Yup," he answered. "Did I do something to unnerve you?" he asked out of the blue.

Tapalla shook her head, almost confused by his question. "Why would you say that?"

"Well," he started to say, his dark red hair falling over his ice blue eyes, "every since the cabin and....and the mognog tunnels and...."

Tapalla knew what he was getting at. He was talking about their kiss. Tapalla thought they were done with this conversation on the way to the Payfil's house but seems like it was never over in Monta's mind.

He seemed to notice what she was thinking said, "I'm not talking about our conversation earlier. It's just ever since you know, our kiss, you seemed a bit distant at a few moments. Other times you seem to need me or both at the same time. I can't read you Tapa and it frustrates me sometimes. Right now, I don't know what you want and it's kinda making me mad."

"Friends," Tapalla said bluntly. "Just friends for now. I've just always appreciated you being there for me."

Monta's face turned sour. "I can't be your puppet, Tapa! Correction, I'm not your puppet. You can't just use me when your hurt or sad. I'm not going to be around forever, so you can't just depend on me all the time."

Tapalla looked away. Just as he predicted, Tapalla was hurt and she wanted his warmth to make her feel better, but she couldn't have it. She felt ashamed of how bad she craved it warmth, his warmth to comfort her. Only his comfort would be against his own words. What a crazy world she lived in.

"I'm sorry, Charmer," Tapalla said, almost in a whisper.

Monta only looked away at one of the hallways vast windows and said softly, "I'm not a slave, Tapa, so please don't treat me like one. I don't like being depended on all the time."

Tapalla could feel her eyes getting misty, her eyelids threatening to let loose a tear. She wanted to beg Monta to understand, but he knew the real reason why she had clung to him so much in the past few days. It was the death of her parents. Without her parents, Tapalla felt like he was the only who could save her and her whole life she had clung to her father, the person that Monta took the place of. Tapalla knew she didn't have to say it aloud. She didn't have the willpower even if she wanted too.

"Ready for food?" Tapalla asked changing the subject. It made her stomach growl, realizing just how hungry she really was.

Next to her, she heard Monta's stomach growl too. He only nodded his head, still angry at Tapalla though it didn't show on his face. What his face wore were sadness and regret. Monta most likely regretted getting angry at Tapalla and was depressed that she let him down, making him feel like a slave.

Tapalla picked up the pace again. She couldn't wait to eat.