Light in Your Eyes

18 | in his arms

L A Y L A

While I'm walking toward the kitchen to refill the jug of water for Kellan, my mind goes back to what happened with him yesterday. I feel like I almost got through him. He's slowly letting me in, and I want nothing else but to see the real caring, unselfish man within him.

The intensity I felt when we danced keeps coming back into my mind too.

I might have tried to hide it with my cheerful attitude, but my heart was actually beating really fast every time I was close to him.

Behind that cold exterior, I can see the person he really is.

The man with such protective traits for the people dear to him.

The man who was willing to sacrifice himself to protect his little sister, so much so that his sight was taken away from him when he was trying to save her.

The man who is consistently angry because he can't do anything to help his brother.

After I fill the jug with water in the kitchen, I turn around the corner and bump into some guy's chest.

I almost scream as he covers my mouth in his hand. The jug of water falls from my hands, the glass shattering into pieces on the ground. He drags me towards another hallway, a deserted one, and corners me against the wall.

My eyes widen as I see Marco staring down at me. He signals with his finger over his mouth to keep me quiet. I don't know what he's going to do, but the only thing I can do is nod so that he can release me. His eyes soften, and slowly, he lets go of his hand.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

Nobody would do something like that to me again after knowing my tattoo, but on the other hand, I know that Marco is a nice guy. I don't think that he's going to hurt me.

"I left for weeks because they gave me a very lame job, and now that I'm back, all I can hear is everyone talking about you and Kellan," he says, sounding pissed. "Is that true?"

"Do you know about my tattoo?" I ask him back.

He nods. "I know. That's ridiculous."

I frown. That's not the reaction I expected. The other members fear it.

"Did he think he could just claim you with a tattoo? With that kind of bullshit?" he raises his voice, his anger becoming more visible in his expression.

"I don't think he did," I say. "He was only trying to protect me."

Disbelief skates on Marco's face. His eyes widen in shock. "What has he done to you? Did you even hear yourself? Don't you remember what kind of person he is? He's a horrible person."

I'm surprised by how offended I am after hearing that statement from Marco.

"I've been living with him, and I think I've gotten to know him better," I say. "He's been through a lot. We can't judge his feelings unless we have gone through a similar experience. I'm trying to help him heal."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Marcos snaps, and I'm surprised to hear him speaking in such anger. He literally looks like he's about to explode.

"Look, Layla." He grabs my shoulders, startling me. "I know you. I see myself when I see you. You're not supposed to be here, Layla. And we're not supposed to turn ourselves into those kinds of people. We're better than them."

I remember Marco's story that he was only trying to find his brother, which made him stuck in this world. I still have my respect for him because he didn't let his brother and Luca bully me.