Beyond the Border | ✔

5 | rule 09

RULE 09: SOULMATES ARE AN IDEA CREATED BY THE OUTSIDE IN ORDER TO MANIPULATE THOSE AROUND THEM. THEY DO NOT EXIST 

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Throw up is exactly what I did. I barely managed to make it to the bathroom. The odd stranger would not let me go, his hand clasping around my wrist. Somehow, I squirmed my way through his iron grip, scurrying away. I was too afraid to look back and see what the stranger looked like. If just his touch was so magnetic, I couldn't imagine what his appearance would do to me.

I could sense that he was following me through my drunken stupor — he must not have been that discrete.

Entering the bathroom in a stumble, I didn't have time to marvel at indoor plumbing, as all the contents of my stomach sprayed across the tiled bathroom. Dry heaving, my body began to slump to the floor.

A rusty creak from behind made me gag even more. "Out," a gruff voice said, and I heard someone squeak before shuffling out of the bathroom.

I, too, would have left, but I couldn't pick myself up from the gross, sticky floor. The color drained from my face, as I realized that maybe I had entered the wrong restroom.

"Shh," the same gruff voice soothed, crouching down beside me.

A perk of having short hair meant that I usually did not have to worry about it getting too much in my way. However, as my face was leaning forward the hair not neatly in my top bun was sticking to my face, blocking my vision. I haphazardly tried to swipe it away, but my lack of balance caused me to almost fall over.

At that moment, I wished I was invisible. No one told me getting this drunk would be embarrassing. I wanted to crawl into the tunnel we came from and never leave — no one would be able to see me there.

Strong hands steadied my body, placing my hair neatly behind my ear.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, the taste of my puke fresh on my mouth, "I've never drank before, and I probably never will again."

Bile slithered up my throat again, only this time the stranger was able to guide me to the trash can beside me. My body shook and shivers overtook me, making my body stumble forward.

"Woah, easy there," he advised slight amusement in his voice.

Looking up, I was met with the most mesmerizing green eyes. They shone brightly, my eyes finding it hard to look away. His brunette hair was cut low on the sides, but the top of his hair was longer — allowing for his faint curls to show through.

My hand twitched, wanting to run through his hair. Stop being stupid, I scolded myself, he's a stranger and more importantly, an Outsider. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was drawn to him. My arms itched to engulf him in a hug, but I chalked it down to being an affectionate drunk.

Yes, that was what had to be going on — my thoughts and feelings were all jumbled up because I was drunk. An audible sigh left my tight lips.

"Thanks..."I dragged on, not knowing his name.

"Theo," he smiled at me, and my heart beat in contentment at his name.

He carefully was helping me up when the door to the bathroom screeched open again.

"Sage, there you are. We have to go," Gracie busted in, sounding relieved that she found me. She furrowed her eyebrows when her eyes darted from me to Theo.