the scarlet painting

𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜

It was funny don't you think a few months ago I had been living up the same routine over and over and now I am stuck in some odd romance comic thriller I swear life seems to be surprising me each day.

At that moment I didn't know how to act do I take the flowers, or do I try running away in fear of being maybe abducted and getting my memory wiped, you know the casual struggles of life...

" we need to go !" I heard someone say they grabbed my arm and we quickly we fled the scene I had no chance to actually look at who this was but had a feeling it was the one and only Reed Foster from his voice "alright alright you can stop the dragging"

I had spoken once we were at the parking lot.
" wow gee I am sorry is maybe saving your life there a problem."

he looked towards me with a questioning look .
"no it's just you were walking  really fast when you draged me ok" i said winded

"you are ok right, nothing happened to you?"

I couldn't help but feel happy ...look Reed was not the only one who cared for me I'll give you that it just.. it was different with him everything he said seemed to have pulled on the chords in my heart, I just gave him a hug to show my gratitude "thanks."

I quickly turned towards the car and we drove off too this mini café around school.

" ok so I am guessing you've met Blair."

I played with the mini butter containers that laid on the table.

"oh yeah the one trying to harm me yeah her" I spoke focusing on building my mini-tower of butter .

" hey guys I am Amalia what will we be having" I looked up at our server she was absolutely stunning she had these beautiful pink curls that fell to frame her face, smooth skin freckles that kissed  her nose and cheeks and dimples whenever she smiled but one of her features truly stood out to me her eyes they were the purple, blue and green colour I seemed to see a lot of those these days with the realization I shivered a bit.

"Leo... you ok" Reed stared at my face filled with concern.

"yeah I am good"

the waitress had left

" I ordered you some brownies" Reed smiled gosh his smile I hated how it made me want to just lose myself he was absolutely adorable when he smiled I cupped my cheeks with my cold hands as they were probably really warm.

Reed seemed to smile even wider

"hey why are you smiling so much"

"your pretty cute when your embarrassed" he started playing with the sugar packets .

"how did you know?" he shrugged his shoulders.

I looked at the door leading to the kitchen.
"look I know somethings not right, you can tell me".

"it's just ... that waitress I don't think she was you know ... like me ... why am I only noticing now,you know this town has been nothing but normal but Now it's just really out of the ordinary I don't know how to explain it gahhh"

Reed said nothing for a moment processing the words that I had said.

" I get it your overwhelmed "he spoke softer and gentler than normal he sat up in his seat and cleared his throat he was about to speak when the waitress was back "here you go, guys, please enjoy"

I looked at my brownies unsure whether to eat them or not without hesitation Reed put his fork in the brownie eating a chunk of it .

" she would be stupid to pull anything while I am here, its fine nothings in it".

with that I began eating the chocolaty dessert while we ate Reed began telling me more about the Azreed.

"Blair, Blair is the most fierce and highly trained of all us since she was born .

she's been training ever since we were kids she made everything a competition nonetheless I can't say she isn't the greatest of all of us she has the most captures and kills I guess"

I chocked on one of the brownie pieces .

" I am sorry kills?"

Reed could see the absolute terror in my eyes

" no-no like animals"

"I mean she hasn't done that yet"
"yet...?".

Reed seemed to zoom past my questioning

" anyway nonetheless the "tattoos" you saw are actually markings the more achievements you get the more markings you got and before you ask I do have some but let's just say they're not as complete as the others he spoke.

I held the fork in between  my teeth thinking of how to phrase my next sentence.

"so ... my mom has this painting ... the one you were staring at, did she break one of the rules to see the Azreed .

"the painting that your mom painted was of us and yes your mom did break the rule so she was taken to the camp they made her drink the tea but it seems that when she was leaving the camp she had caught some kids coming back from the training, of course, they were curious of her but once she saw them they tried running away from the fire"

" the fire?"

" you know-how on the path towards your house there a huge patch of land in the forest that's burnt that was a warning from the Azreed to your mom that if she were to talk about the Azreed  it would be a big problem."

that's why mom acted the way she did when I asked about them.

" the missing people, does that have to do with.."

"yes ... the more people move in the more were at risk or whatever they claim as the way they put it new eyes tend to wonder"

it all started to make sense this town really was something out of a movie and I don't think it was that cute romcom type.

"I took a long pause trying to gather my thoughts while Reed was paying for the desserts we had, we were back in the car and I still had said nothing

Reed grabbed my hands and made me look at him

" you have nothing to worry about ok, I won't ever have anything happen to you and would protect you no matter what because that's what you do when your so helplessly in love with someone".

did reed just confess his feelings hold on .. before I could question him he leaned in and kissed me although I was surprised I didn't push him away I was in complete Zen in that moment I had finally come to a conclusion no matter what I couldn't deny my feelings for Reed any longer.