9. Aurora

Luckily, when I got home from school, neither Mom or Dad were there so I didn't need to break the news of what Derek has been saying. I know Dad will launch a full-fledged investigation into my accusation, but Mom…I honestly have no idea how she's going to react. Derek's mom is her best friend. They've practically been friends since they were in diapers and she's always had this weird attachment to the idea of me and Derek being something.

Not going to ever fucking happen. When I say I want someone who would do anything to have me, I don't mean a fucking rapist. That's the most disgusting behavior in the world.

"Come on, girlie bop," Lisa bounces her way into my bathroom with a big smile across her lips as I finish applying my black lipstick. "We're going to be late for the festival. By the way, you look crazy hot in this." Lisa fans herself as her gaze rakes up and down my body. I know she's just teasing me and the looks are nothing serious. She tries to say she has the mind of a lesbian but the libido of a straight woman. I have no idea what it means to be quite frank. The only thing I can assume is that she likes looking at women"s bodies, but when it comes to the act of sex, she wants a man. However, I will not be asking her to confirm or deny it. It's her private business anyway.

The dress I'm wearing isn't revealing or anything. It's just different. Under it is a plain white t-shirt, but the dress itself is a black and white plaid halter dress that goes down to my knees. It gives very intense Wednesday Adams vibes, which is what sold me on it. It's not quite Halloween so I wasn't going to dress as something out of my norm for this festival, but I wanted something a little different.

"You think so?" I ask as I give her the side eye.

"Hells, yeah! You might even get the attention of that hot emo guy. What was his name?" Then, she snatches my black lipstick and uncaps it, carefully applying it on her own lips.

"I didn't get his name, okay? He didn't talk at all. I think he might be…mute. Either that or I weirded him out."

Lisa snickers as she caps the lipstick once she's finished. "Trust me. You didn't weird him out. I saw the way he was looking at you. You two had that whole insta-lust shit going on. Besides, it's even better if he is mute. You won't have to worry about him saying stupid shit that throws off the vibes. I'm just hoping you at least get your first kiss tonight with Mr. Hottie."

Me, too, bestie. Me, too.

I don't say that though. It's so weird to me. I have this strange connection to that guy, but I have no clue if he fits my standards. Hell, he could, but there's no way I could know that for sure. Yet, I want him and I know that part to be true. I want to touch him and know more about him. I probably lost my mind the moment that I saw him and that's why I thought I recognized him. Maybe it was something completely different happening in my brain and I tried to make it into something that it wasn't.

Like desire.

"Let's go and have some fun," I say before I drag her out of the bathroom, really hoping to avoid both of my parents.

* * *

I wrapmy arms around Alexis and Lisa as Alexis holds out her phone camera to take a picture of all three of us together. Alexis loves Halloween as much as I do, so much so that she wears a different costume every day for five days leading up until the big night and she always wears incredible costumes. Tonight, she is a sexy Plague Doctor, which is something I've never seen as a costume before. This is her year for masked costumes and I'm here for it.

Just wait until they find out I have a mask kink, too. The taunts will never end. I know it's all in good fun, but still. I prefer being the outcast. It makes it easier to hide in the shadows. I've never liked being the main attraction. Having the attention of one person or maybe three is doable, but the panic that comes from a whole group of people watching me has made me pass out multiple times. They call it social anxiety, I think. I wouldn't know for sure since I've never been diagnosed with anything. My dad has the "everything is just fine" motto with everything.

"This is going to be so much fun. I love the festival!" Lisa cheers before a pair of hands are slammed over her eyes and she pulls back from us. My gaze dashes up to the figure behind her, tall and lanky. It's none other than her boyfriend, Kevin, who went off to college at the end of summer.

Lisa freezes before a snarl covers her lips. "It is too fucking close to Halloween for scares. I swear, whoever that is, I will rip off your balls and staple them to your forehead."

She can be pretty vicious when she wants to be.

"Nah. You're too attached to my balls, babe."

Ew. Gross. The last image I need in my head is Kevin's balls.

"Kev!" Lisa gasps before she tears his hands from her face and turns to face him. She throws herself into his arms and they make out like, well, they haven't seen each other in forever.

"Awkward," Alexis whistles and I smile at the truth in her statement. Yeah, awkward for us because we're just standing here with nothing else to do but watch.

I shift my gaze away from the display and my eyes focus toward the hayride parading down the main road, but I don't keep my eyes on the horse-drawn cart, but the figure standing below the tree they pass. Long dark hair and enchanting green eyes pull me in as he presses a lit cigarette to his lips and draws in a breath.

It's him, the guy who has been on my mind sporadically for over twenty four hours. His gaze is attached to the cart of hay and little kids laughing in the cart. He probably hasn't seen me yet and I don't know if he did, if he would even remember me. Our interaction was so brief he might not even remember it happened at all.

I'm definitely crazy because I"ve created this whole fantasy off of a minute long exchange where he never spoke a word. For all I know, he doesn't even meet my standards for what I want in a man, but if he doesn't, then why do I feel this pull to him?

"Aurora," Alexis says my name, but I don't look away from him in case he decides to disappear again. I don't want him to go away.

"That's him," I mutter and I feel her eyes follow mine.

"You mean the guy from yesterday?"

"Yeah, the one outside of the library." His intelligent eyes continue to follow the hay ride until it disappears around the corner.

"What are you waiting for? Go talk to him." She nudges me playfully.

"Should I?" Maybe he doesn't want to see me. Maybe it's all in my head and there wasn't really anything there. The last thing I want is to make a fool of myself.

"Aurora, look at me." Reluctantly, I pull my gaze away from the stranger and look at Alexis who has that determined look on her face that she rarely gets. "You need to woman up. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You are a drop dead gorgeous queen amongst mortals. If he can't see that, it's his loss, not yours. You need to shoot your shot and, if you miss, at least you tried. Nothing compares to the fear of what could've been but never was."

"But–"

"We will be fine, okay? I can handle these two lovebirds. Go find something special for yourself. I've got your back, boo. Be warned though. If he turns you down, I'm slashing his tires and toilet papering his house."

I can't help laughing at her attempts to calm down my rare bout of self-consciousness. It's not often I get like this, but when I do, it's always Alexis who talks me down. She knows just how to help me get my head on straight again.

She's right. If he shoots me down, I'll just move on. It's not a big deal at all.

"Fine." I turn to head in his direction when I see he's gone from the spot he occupied. I can't describe the level of disappointment that runs through my body when I realize I missed my chance…again.

Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder and spin around, coming face to face with him, his enticing green eyes staring down at me with a small smirk across his lips.

"Hi," I nearly shout in surprise, but manage to rein in the automatic response.

He sought me out.

"You're here?" Seriously, I need to take something to stop the stupid word vomit. No duh he's here. Either that or I've progressed to full on hallucinations.

He shrugs before pointing at the tree he was previously standing at, then shoves his hands in his pockets. I immediately pale in embarrassment.

"You saw me watching you." Jesus Christ. He probably thinks I'm a weirdo and came over here to confront me for staring. "God, I'm sorry."

He slowly shakes his head before he shrugs. His eyes are full of understanding and not an ounce of irritation. It's such a relief I can't put it in words.

"I never got to thank you for helping me yesterday," I say, gently touching his arm to show how genuine I am. He didn't do much. He just picked up my bag and handed it to me, but there wasn't even a hint of an ulterior motive. He didn't even try to make polite conversation. It was just a good deed. Nothing more.

He nods slowly.

"You can't talk, can you?" I ask, not trying to be rude, but if it"s a conscious choice on his part not to respond, that's a bit rude on his part. I know it's not nice to ask people about their disabilities and just asking makes me cringe because the last thing I want is to upset him.

He isn't upset though. He just bobs his head once as an answer.

"I guess I can't really ask what your name is, huh?" I joke dryly and he gives me this smoldering look. The look shoots electricity straight through my lady bits. I open my mouth to say something else, but then suddenly music blares from speakers all around the square and I jump in surprise.

It's almost Halloween. Everyone deserves one big scare, right?

Everyone around us starts jumping for joy for the popular cover band, Screwface, that is playing Rapunzel by Emlyn and I end up pressed against my stranger, looking up into his eyes. I'm transfixed. It's like he's saying everything he can't with his tongue and I understand every last word. My heart pounds away in my chest as his finger trails down my jaw before pressing his thumb against my chin.

My stomach tightens yet the rest of me turns into a puddle from the romantic touch. It's…everything.

I know it's stupid because I don't know the first thing about him, including his name, but there is this connection between us. I don't know what it is, but it's more than anything I've ever felt before. I'm addicted to just being in his presence. It's the best thing in the world. Maybe that makes me crazy, but I don't care.

Is he going to kiss me? I hope so.

However, he doesn't move any closer, just stares at my face as if my eyes hold the answers to the meaning of human existence. It's the most intense moment of my life.

"Do you…want to dance?" I ask, feeling super awkward about it, but the embarrassment doesn't hit. Instead, I'm pulled deeper into his eyes.

He smirks and tightens his arm around me as an answer to my question. I'm not much of a dancer, but this is better than standing on the street corner watching everything like the only thing you want is to join in on the fun. Everything around us fades away until we are the only two people who exist. I feel more seen by him than I have ever felt before. No one has ever been able to make me feel like I belong, like I'm not too different for this world.

Only this man holding me and giving me his full, undivided attention.