Chương 4: Exotic sentiments.

Someone needs to break this trance.

So I swallow around the lump in my throat and open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I saw his eyes training down to my mouth and then he turns away. Staring at the steady waves.

"Are you going to ask me to leave?" He asks me. His eyes won't meet mine.

"Am I allowed to?" I scoff, the words weren't my intention. Yet it falls out before I can lock it behind my teeth. I want to say yes. That I need him to leave. He looks like someone who belongs to a high folk and that kind of people despite Grays. They won't even look at one of us.

Even though this boy looks like he couldn't care less about that, I need to care. If someone saw us together, they would only accuse me. How dare a Gray even stand in front of a pure-blood?

"Yes, You are not allowed." a wicked smile curves the corner of his lips. He strolls back to the balcony and sits down, legs dangling down in the air. "I want to spend some more time here." He says as he watches the ocean with what I think is fascination, the glint in his eyes reminds me a lot of myself.

I won't leave either. So I stand there, staring at him staring at the ocean sprawled across.

His eyes find mine again, he pats the space beside him and says: "Why don't you take a seat before your little legs get cramped?"

I squint my eyes at him. Is he all just in my imagination? Or is he insane?

People barely talk to Grays unless it's an insult. They don't care about us. We are left out and would never really be a part of this world.

It's hard to believe that he's inviting me to sit with him even though I don't belong anywhere near him. As much as I want to turn him down, a part of me screams not to. Because in these fifteen years of my life, I have made no friends. I've got no one at all. And if anything, I would also like to have a taste of spending some time with someone else too.

I step toward the space and sit down, fingers readjusting the hem of my yellow dress which reached down my knees. The stranger and I have no space between us since the balcony is too small to hold both of us in it. Each time I breathe, the scent of lavender will fill my lungs and cloud my senses.

I feel his arms brushing mine ever so lightly when he squirms a little, it would have gone unnoticed if I wasn't paying attention to every movement of his.

"What's your name?" His voice startles me. When I looked up, I saw his eyes watching me.

"What is your name?" I throw his question right back at him, cocking an eyebrow. He grins but said nothing.

A gentle silence settles between us, wrapping us in its embrace.

It feels weird to sit with a person I don't even know. Not knowing what to say since I am unfamiliar with people.

"Are you from the mountains?" I wonder. He nods his head, offering me no words.

"Which mountain?" I ask.

"Do you have something to do with it?" he lifts one of his thick eyebrows at me. Even though he had white blonde hair, his eyebrows are a darker shade. Perfect for his strong yet young face.

I rolled my eyes. Said nothing.

The silence comes again. And I am not the one to break it this time.

"Do you live here?" He asks, eyes not taking off the ocean as he fidgets with a very expensive-looking ring on his forefinger. It has a sparkling blue stone on top of it that I don't know the name of.

"I don't," I say.

He frowns, "Didn't you just say this is your place?"

"I did. But that doesn't mean I stay here. not that I could ever stay here." I tell him. This tree house is very old and small. we could never really stay here unless we are homeless and have no other choice left for us to make.

"Oh, then where do you live?"

"Do you have anything to do with that?"

A chuckle flees past his lips, and I'm afraid that it has become my favorite melody. "Maybe I do."

"And what is it?"

"Because I forgot my way back home, I thought I could stay with you for this night." He says, making my eyes go wide comically. He laughs like it isn't the weirdest thing someone has ever said to me.

"Ha ha," I say mockingly. Even though I can feel myself turning into a living tomato, I try not to show how much his words had stunned me.

The silence came again.

He shattered it again.

"Are your parents Grays too?" He asks hesitantly. Eyes searching mine.

"They are not." I sigh, "It's just me." Each of the words come out quieter than the other as I tried to cover up the ache.

He went silent.

"Why aren't you swooshing me away as the others do?" I heard myself asking after some moments of silence, a gentle breeze drifting through my hair strands.

"I simply don't believe in such things," He said, his shoulders brushing mine as he turns a little to look me in the eye. "How does a mere eye color define a person's personality? I never understand that and never will." It is a whisper and It is enough, enough for my heart to break out of my chest from the way it thump against my ribcage. There is no space between us.

I felt the corner of my lips curl into a smile as I watch him. His beautiful lavender orbs hold no grudge and his smile is as warm as a ray of sunlight. Everything about him is new to me.

An unfamiliar feeling that I want to keep in me forever.

The birds fly back to their nests. The sun is readying to wither under the water level. Beautiful streaks of pink and orange painted the sky alluringly. Yet what captivates me the most is the reflection of this in his sparkling lavender orbs.

He stood up, the smile on his face is a goodbye to me. We both got down from the tree house and walked to the seashore.

"I'll get going." He says, holding my gaze for a few breaths, and walking away. But then he halts on his track far enough, turning back to me. Even though he is a little far away, I still caught a glimpse of the smile dancing on the corner of his lips, "Arlo!" He shouted.

A chuckle flees past my lips and the wind carries it to him. "Zera!" I shouted back.

"I see you, Zera!" The way he said it made me stop breathing. Something from the way my name swivels out of his tongue break goosebumps into my skin. I have never liked the sound of my name like this before and I don't think I would ever.

"I see you, Arlo!" My lips curl around the shape of his name pleasantly.

He gave me a final grin and walked away.

I watch him. I watch until he disappears from my vision. A strange tug in my chest as he was no longer in my sight.

I stand there alone but then a cool breeze arise and kisses my cheeks. And It smells like salt, lavender, and ecstasy…something I had never had a taste of before.