Captivated

Dinner and Danger

This is for @-plottwist I see you starting to read my book. I hope you keep reading and voting❤️

I sat in the car in the parking lot feeling anxious. I warned the guards, but they didn't listen. They laughed it off even telling me I worried too much. But I wasn't.

I saw how he easily overpowered everyone that night. He took people down with a glance and he doesn't seem the type to make empty threats. I groaned in my hands, my stress giving me a headache. The forest connected my house to the institution. Even if he didn't know where I lived, he could probably figure it out as the village was so small.

He clearly was different. I would be a fool if I couldn't admit it. I wasn't too sure what kind of difference. He had heightened senses of some sort and was physically very strong. The hardest bit about all of this was I strongly believed in science. I liked the facts and science was facts. Malik, however, went against everything I knew even things I thought I knew about myself.

I picked up my phone to ask Karl for a rain check when he suddenly messaged me.

Can't wait, super excited to see you. - (K)

Shit. I was the type to have a guilty conscience. I knew Karl would be upset if I showed him up after that confession he made.

I sighed, frustrated. Malik was playing with me. Why should I allow him to mess up my date? That's what he wanted, right?

Well, I wasn't going to let him control my life. I texted Karl back with a smiley face and pulled out of the car park. He wasn't my responsibility. The security there could handle him. Not me.

I pulled up outside the inn, smoothed my hair in the mirror and reapplied my lip gloss. I took out my hairband and tousled my hair. Better.

I was a few minutes late and as I strolled in, a few heads turned. Karl was sitting in a small cosy booth for two and shot up when he saw me. He cleaned up well, his light brown styled in that messy look. He wore a tight black shirt and jeans but he traded his usual trainers for a nicer pair. Noticing me once over, he grinned lazily at me and gestured for me to come.

I strode to the booth ignoring the knowing looks from his parents, John and Jada.

"Hey gorgeous", he whispered. "You look so beautiful - I'm tempted to get a job at Holston to see this every day".

I blushed a little under his scrutiny and sat in the booth. He sat opposite me and stared at me.

"Why do you look so stressed?"

"Oh, just a difficult patient at work", I replied vaguely.

He asked me a few more questions and I answered with the same vague tone, my mind on Malik. Would he hurt people? I knew nothing about him and what he could do. He could be a threat to all of these people and here I was on a date. Would he come after me? My breath hitched at that thought. Did I want him to come after me?

"Arya, are you okay?" Karl asked, interrupting my train of thought. "You look flushed - are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine", I quickly answered. "You know what, I am sorry. My mind is elsewhere. Work was really difficult and I'm taking it out on you".

He smiled at my confession and reached over to pick up one of my hands, gently caressing and rubbing it - the same hand Malik held. The soothing feeling made me feel relaxed. Karl seemed different, he was acting more mature than normal. The fact that he was putting in all that effort made me smile.