Her Shadows

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

JAYCE POV

I cannot actually believe she said yes. I am ACTUALLY going on a date with the chick who I'm almost positive stalks me from a rooftop. Damn.

There I sit in a small café off-campus, waiting for Mystery Girl to arrive and no doubt take my breath away once more.

She had been absolutely gorgeous when I saw her yesterday, even when she was spilling a boiling latte down the front of my friend's shirt.

She had looked so different to how I usually glimpsed her. The black bad-ass look replaced with simple college girl. But I'm positive my newest muse was her. I could spot those scorching curls from a mile away, the colour so vivid it reminded me of a phoenix born from the ash.

I can't seem to decide whether I should be morbidly disturbed and freaked out by the knowledge of her stalking or simply intrigued. Against my better judgement I chose intrigued.

Surely if she were a murderer she wouldn't be eating lunch with me. Murderers don't do that right?

Right?

In the midst of my internal battle, I feel a slight tap on the shoulder. Jumping from the movement with a shrieked "SHIT!" I managed to look like a madman in front of the entire cafeteria, including the gorgeous red-head now watching me with interest.

She doesn't even react to my completely irrational reaction, not even flinching when I shriek and jump away.

The same cannot be said for myself, my heart pumping so fast it's as if I just finished the 10km.

"Sorry, you scared me! Damn, it's like your feet don't even make noise!"

All that comment receives is the slightest twitch of her lips before they fall back into an imperturbable mask. She simply slides into the booth across from him, bag placed next to her, and settles her hands evenly in her lap, watching him expectantly.

Christ, who is this girl?

"Uh, thanks for meeting me" A nervous chuckle escapes, "I know I was a bit forward yesterday"

"You were fine."

I blush.

"So, what looks good?" gesturing to the menu in her hand. Her eyes wander to the options, the slightest purse in her lips.

Gosh she was so beautiful. Her eyes were a dark shade of forest green, the light bounces off the orbs in the blazing sun. They were absolutely magnificent, and I swear I could spend hours upon hours desperately trying to mix paints and would never quite reach the colour.

"I'm getting the Caesar salad and waffle fries, you?" Her words shock me out of my perusal. It takes a moment to regain myself.

"Oh um, I-I um" Jayce what the fuck are you doing. Get your shit together. "I'm getting the uh double bacon cheeseburger"

"Great, let's order"

Finally regaining some form of self-control after completely embarrassing myself for the last 20 minutes, I take it upon myself to place our orders with the waitress.

Mystery Girl collects both our menus and hands them into the waitresses' awaiting hands. As she reaches up, her grey sweater drifts up and exposes her rib cage, also bringing to view a horrid mixture of violent purples, manic reds and browning yellows painted furiously across all available skin.

"Jesus Christ! How'd that happen?!"

Obviously not feeling the same urgency as I, Mystery Girl calmly looks at me, follows my eyeline to her abused upper abdomen then readjusts her sweater and looks back at me. Her voice devoid of all emotion, she recites, "Kick boxing class gone wrong"

Not quite believing her, but also not wanting to face the reality of where else bruises like that could have come from, I decide to believe her. For now.

"Damn. Well they really don't mess around at your class!"

A cock of her head, a few rebellious red strands falling across those curious forest green eyes, "No, they don't"

I begin to fiddle, nerves kicking in once more under the intensity of that gaze. My knee bounces up and down beneath the table, jostling the table with the tiniest aftershocks.

Mystery Girl however, does not seem to suffer the same nerves. Content to just look at me with that insufferably blank expression, seeming completely uncaring about the rising awkwardness in the air.

Thankfully, only a few seconds pass before the angel waitress returns with their food.

I absorb myself in my burger, immediately taking the largest bite possible. The wrong decision apparently, since Mystery Girl decides to begin 20 questions.

"So, Jayce, right?" A simple wide-eyed nod from me, "you major in business and economics, why is that? Forgive me if I'm wrong but you don't seem like the business type."

Chewing quickly and swallowing I quickly reply, surprised at the question, "No, you're right, business isn't really my thing. To be honest, I took those courses cause of my dad."

"Is he a business man?"

"Yeah big business man. I guess he wants to follow in his golden footsteps"

Her gaze only grows more curious whilst she grabs her straw and takes a sip of her water, "what kind of business does he have?'

I scratch behind my right ear, "he manages a bunch of companies. Trades and sales, that kinda thing."

All I get in reply is a "Hmm"

"What about you?" gesturing in her direction, "why economics?"

I swear I see a hint of mischief alight those forest orbs, "I'm not sure, guess the whole field just fascinates me."

Before I can hope to question further, the interrogation bandwagon is geared back to my direction, "So do you think you will?"

Looking up from his burger in hand, "will what?"

She gently picks at her salad, choosing her next words "follow in your dad's 'golden footsteps'? You don't seem interested to be honest." Grabbing a handful of waffle fries from the bowl and eating them from her hand one by one she awaits my answer.

"Not sure. You never quite know what the future holds right?"

She tilts that gorgeous head again. Everything about her screamed contained and tranquil. As though she held a bubbling volcano within her soul, eager to burst at any moment whilst she worked to constantly keep it at bay.

Having only met her once, I could still sense that barely confined power. And it is with that barely confined power that she exudes now as she whispers, "exactly."

---

Jayce really is head over heels for our dear, emotionless Amelia.

It's all beginning, Jayce and Amelia are going to be seeing A LOT more of each other in the coming chapters, so your prayers are finally answered!

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