A Chosen Fate

by Amelia Wilson

  She just came back from her part-time job in an ice cream store by the park where parents usually brought their children. There was also a public school nearby, so the store could get a bit crowded after classes ended.

  Her eyelids were drooping, the warmth of the water aiding her sleepiness. Dragging a hand down her neck, she felt the two small bumps.

  It had been two weeks since that dream. The images of the wounds and dried blood were still fresh in her mind, but she concluded that something might have happened while she was sleeping. A large bug, perhaps, had bitten her, and her mind concocted an explanation of its own.

  It sounded absurd even to her, but believing that there was someone who bit her was beyond outrageous. She was sure that if she relayed what happened to her Aunt Courtney, she would either laugh her head off and call her crazy or straight out call for mental help.

  Sometimes, that night still crossed her mind. If not for the faint marks on her neck, then there would have been no trace of her illusions.

  A sharp pain in her neck made her knees jerk, and she decided that pressing on healing wounds repeatedly was probably a bad idea.

  ***

  The glass doors to the library were heavy, and she had to pause to push more forcibly for the doors to nudge. The chilling air from the air conditioning hit her, and she plopped down at a computer and started to type down the book titles she needed to borrow.

  Most of her courses had required readings, particularly History 1, wherein Lilia enthusiastically listed off all the books they should check out. There was a reason Madison favored numbers over letters.

  Jotting down the location, she made her way through the shelves and surveyed the reference numbers, checking her notebook from time to time. It was lunch time and most students probably preferred whiling away in the cafeteria rather than the library. But it was Madison’s only vacant time before her next class. Afterward, she needed to go straight to her job for her shift.

  She tapped spine after spine, tilting her head to easily read the titles, smiling in glee once she found the first book in her list. The cover was a little tattered, and the edges were browning. But maybe that was a little expected from a book published in the early 1900’s.

  She went on to find the other books and dropped them on a table. It was at the corner and barely any sunlight was there to light up the area. In the morning, the library relied on natural lighting that filtered through the large glass windows, but there were no windows nearby, rendering the spot dim-lighted than the rest.

  Reading through the table of contents, she drew her brows together when it got dimmer. Looking up, her eyes widened at the sight of the newcomer guy.

  In the past days, the guy kept a good distance from her, and for that she was grateful. She was not expecting that he would try to talk to her again after how she reacted the last time.

  But there he was again. He laid his palms flat on the table and looked intently at Madison while he remained standing up. Madison’s throat dried. From up close, she could see how long his lashes were and the way they fluttered elegantly when he blinked.

  She composed herself before talking. “Do you need something?” Her tone was clipped. She didn’t mean to sound mean, but he was blocking the minimal lighting she could have. Madison thought she had every right to sound the least bit welcoming.

  “Go out with me.”

  Madison squawked. Her mouth was agape while her eyes blinked repetitively. She realized she must have looked unattractive with her mouth hanging open, so she closed it. “Pardon?”

  “Go out with me, Madison.”

  “I don’t even know you.” She began to pile the books together, feeling the bubbling panic.

  The guy blocked her way. She tried to duck to his side, but he shot an arm up to stop her.

  “My name is Easton.” Madison felt a shiver shoot up her spine. Easton said it directly to her ear, and she felt her cheeks heating up.

  “Nice meeting you, Easton. But that wasn’t what I was talking about when I said I don’t know you.” She kept a straight face though inside, she was intimidated. The man was taller than she thought and he was almost twice her build.

  He looked thoughtful for a while, and he pursed his lips. Madison’s stomach lurched, unable to keep her eyes off the pink flesh.

  “What did you mean then?”

  She watched as his mouth formed the words and it took a moment before she comprehended his question.

  She took a step back when he leaned closer, then turned her face away.

  “I meant, I don’t know you. It’s the first time I’ve seen you--”

  “We’re classmates in two courses,” Easton interrupted, but she ignored him.

  “And I only knew your name now. I don’t know anything about you for me to agree going out with you.” Easton’s eyes widened before he breathed loudly. The air that hit Madison’s nape almost made her gasp. He was way too close.

  He took a step back, and she figured it was her cue to dash away, and so she did, hugging her books to her chest and striding toward the counter to check them out. She did not look back until she was safely out, heart drumming fast.

  ***

  Madison spilled the vanilla ice cream on the counter, and the child was on the verge of crying. The little girl only stopped pouting when she promised a replacement with bigger servings.

  The afternoon was slow and dreary. It was the perfect time for napping and Madison, more than ever, wanted to go home and lie on her bed.

  A guy interrupted her thoughts, and she stood dumbfounded when she saw dark eyes, which were immediately gone when she blinked.

  “Hey.” The guy waved a hand in front of her face, and she apologized for drifting off.

  “Can I have two cones of the strawberry with candy sprinkles please?” He handed her the bill, and she punched it in the machine before preparing the orders and handing them out.

  She leaned against the counter and drowned in the noise of bantering children. Easton was distracting her. Sure, he may not be there, but Madison continued to think of him unconsciously. Just now, she thought she saw Easton’s eyes only to return into reality. What happened earlier in the library was testing her sanity.

  ***

  She was staring at her ceiling then blinked and the next second, there was someone hovering above her. Just like the first instance, there was an invisible clutch holding her limbs down, and she laid there peacefully, taking in the orbs that made her freeze.

  The eyes disappeared, and as if expecting it, there was a nudge against her cheeks, and then it traced her jaw. It rested on her neck, near the marks. She was still dazed and unresponsive.

  A strip of wetness against her neck made her hairs stand on end.

  Another strip and she groaned.

  The eyes returned, staring down at her intently. She blinked. The eyes drew farther and this time, it had a face.

  “Easton,” she had whispered before she drifted into a deep slumber. The morning after, she woke up to the strong winds coming from her wide open windows.

  ***

  Lilia’s voice was chirpy. Everyone was struggling to keep their eyes open. Madison herself was doodling at the back of her notebook just so she had something to do.

  In favor of ignoring the man who had been looking at her from behind, she wrote down all the words Lilia was saying, though she was aware that everything was already in their resource books. It was a useless effort, but it was something to keep her distracted.

  Someone cleared their throat behind her, but she ignored it. Easton had been clearing his throat repeatedly for the past hour, and she was sure he did not have coughs.

  When the bell rang, she sighed in relief, glad that she would be able to escape the boring class she was holed in.

  “Are you free today?”

  A few students glanced their way. Easton’s presence alone was enough to warrant attention, but seeing him talking to anybody was a sight to behold for their classmates. The guy was usu
ally alone and barely talked unless asked.

  Madison’s movements were sluggish, and she still felt sleepy. Maybe she should take a nap in the library before working.

  “Madison?”

  She glanced up and gulped. Easton looked at her expectantly that she almost said yes to his question.

  “I have work.”

  “I’ll drive you there. It’s by the park, right?”

  She stopped dropping her books inside her backpack.

  “How did you know?” She narrowed her eyes at him and watched him fidget. “Were you following me?”

  “No!” She took a step back at the outburst. “I just saw you once while I passed by. I wasn’t following you.”

  “Okay, okay. Geez, no need to be defensive.” She slung her bag to her shoulder and went out.

  “Do you have time tomorrow then? Your last class is by 3 right?” Madison closed her eyes. A headache was beginning; she could feel the throbbing of her temples.

  “I have work five days a week, Easton. I don’t have any free time.”

  She did not wait for an answer and almost jogged away, leaving the dejected guy looking at her back longingly.

  ***

  Easton was gorgeous. That was a known fact.

  That was why it boggled Madison as to why he was so fixated on her. Madison was by no means drop dead gorgeous like him, nor does she wear flattering clothes. Things just did not add up.

  Madison could not deny that there was something about him that attracted her. The other day, she almost said yes to his offer, and it took a lot of self-control and logic not to latch on to him and agree to go with him. Being around him brought her constantly on edge. Whenever he was near, there was a clawing want in her to be near him, to draw him in. It was always a battle against her rational side.

  It did not help that he was adamant to be with her, for reasons she could not fathom. He talked about the most mundane things just so they had something to converse about, but she always answered shortly, thinking on how to escape his presence. She did not want to scare him away because she was near to pulling him close.

  It was a scary feeling she could not explain.

  ***

  She returned the books to the counter and retrieved her ID and library card after it was scanned. Trudging to the tall shelves back to the history section, she scanned the titles, looking for the other books she needed for their paper.

  The red thick book taunted her, and she reached upwards, her finger tapping the edge but it was not enough to pull it out.

  A large hand from behind her shot up and pulled the book out. Madison turned around and met a broad chest. Easton handed her the book which she gratefully accepted.

  She ducked to step away, but Easton was faster, lowering his arms and locking her in. Madison felt the shelf digging against her back and from her periphery, she could see his arms moving and caging her in.

  She tilted her chin up in defiance. “What do you want?” She hugged the book to her chest to increase the distance between their bodies.

  Easton brought a hand to her face and traced a finger across her cheek. She looked down, not being able to take the fierceness of his gaze. She should pull away, or maybe she should push him back. It would take a monumental effort to budge him, but she should try.

  She pounded his chest with a fist but instead of doing it again, she clenched his shirt in her hand. Her breathing became labored, and suddenly, the air became suffocating.

  She took a deep breath, and the scent was intoxicating.

  Is that his perfume?

  It smelled heavenly. Clean, reverent, like the fresh sea breeze. Unconsciously, she leaned closer, drawn in by his scent.

  “Madison.” His voice was raspy. Madison curled her hand on his shirt tighter, not minding that she was wrinkling it in the process.

  He lifted her chin with a finger and gazed at her eyes. She felt her breath taken away at the sight. Her pupils dilated, and her head lolled backward, resting on the books.

  Easton’s stared at the bared stretch of her neck, eyeing the two fading marks.

  Bringing his head down, he brushed his thumb over them and felt the pulse running through the veins. He gulped visibly.

  Madison’s view was full of books. The history books were dusty, and most of them were thick. They stand along the shelves in different colors and sizes.

  She felt the pressure of a finger against her neck, but she could not move to check what Easton was doing. It felt like a déjà vu.

  The marks throbbed, and she felt like scratching them, but her hand stayed still.

  Easton drew nearer and nearer until he rested on the crook of her neck. He stayed there for a moment, savoring the way she was pliant against his touch.

  Not being able to resist anymore, he flicked his tongue against the marks. When she remained unresponsive, he did it again, with more pressure.

  Madison woke up from her trance with a jolt and pushed Easton away with all her might. Her hands were shaking, and her eyes were wide, petrified.

  Easton met her shocked eyes, mirroring her horrified expression.

  When Madison pushed him away again, this time locking her knees strong enough, she walked away.

  Easton is a freak. A gorgeous freak who fancies licking other people’s necks, but a freak nonetheless.

  Chapter-3

  Madison was resolved on evading Easton for the rest of the semester. If she had a choice, she would drop the courses they were classmates in or change professors. But the deadline was up, and regular classes have been going on for a month now; it was too late for any changes.

  Lilia rattled off the pairs, which she randomly picked. Earlier, she discussed their first paper, which was due in two weeks. They would work on the paper in pairs, which was off-putting for Madison at first since it would mean that she could not work on her own pace. For someone who was juggling university and work, it was a pain.

  Her name was called along with Easton’s and their eyes met. Of all people in the classroom, with them being almost a hundred, she was not expecting to be paired with the freak.

  Easton himself looked stupefied beyond disbelief. Since what happened a week ago, it was the first time that he went to class again after being absent for the past two meetings.

  “Okay, get up and start working on it. I’ll give you the rest of the class.” Madison glanced at her wristwatch. They still had half an hour to discuss the task with their partners.

  Hesitantly, she stood up but stopped when Easton sat at the seat beside hers. She did not see him coming, which was weird, but she shrugged it off. So far, everything about Easton seemed weird.

  No one started the conversation. It was still awkward between them, which was to be expected, given what happened.

  When the silence started to eat her away, she gave in.

  “Uhm. Do you have any topic you want to write on?” They could write about civil wars, and they were given the freedom to choose a topic.

  “North and South Korea feud?” He rubbed his neck. Madison followed his hand, and she remembered what happened in the library. Easton probably realized the same thing and dropped his hand warily.

  “That sounds great.” Her throat was drying. Something akin to desire was building, but she had no inkling why.

  “Should we meet about this later? It’s your off today right?”

  Madison nodded, and did not bother to ask how the heck he knew about her day off.

  ***

  Madison decided to meet in the café across the library. Her first choice was the library, but remembering what happened the last time they were there, she opted for a public place where a lot of people passed by.

  The café was crowded, but Easton saved them a seat. There was a cup of coffee in front of him, but it looked cold, untouched.

  Madison brought out her notebook and began jotting down ideas. Easton watched her without saying anything.

  “Are we going with my idea?” He skimmed through the words
she wrote down, which were all related to Korea.

  She smiled sheepishly. “I honestly have no idea. History is my weakest subject.”

  His brow lifted. “We’ve been discussing about wars for the past month.”

  Madison was affronted. She was trying her best for this course, but she always drifted after reading a paragraph or a minute into the class. History and her just never jived together well.

  “Okay. I do have ideas, but I think they’re stupid.”