The beginning

I tried to act indifferent but my heart had other ideas — obviously. The second I heard his name it stuttered. "Hmm..." I mumbled, faking my disinterest. "He's the Alpha after all. It's his tribe. His town."
"You probably didn't think anything by it," he said. "Is he like your brother's best friend? I don't like the way he was eyeing you."
Of course, it would make sense to them if they naturally assumed there was an innocent enough reason why someone like Roman — high profile — would willingly be seen in my presence. I grimaced, this at least, hit home. I knew just how different our world's were.
I laughed nervously. I hoped he wouldn't notice the off tone in my voice, almost shaky. "How was that?"
"I personally... think he looked like an animal, territorial... almost as if —" he stopped abruptly, hesitating. "It's as if he would bite my head — I mean anyone's head off, if we came close to you. He looks angry."
I found my Othello copy on the bottom of the pile. "Thanks Kyle," I said retrieving my books from his hand and stuffing them in my locker.
"It's no big deal," he said grimly, embarrassed by my thanks.
He was acting weird. I frowned.
"Roman wouldn't hurt anyone," I said. My voice sounded too defensive, I realized.
He didn't seem convinced.
"Should I continue walking you to the parking lot?"
I was already shaking my head. "No, Thomas, this is fine. I'll just try to tidy my locker up before my ride pitches."
He smiled brightly at me, I returned his smile vaguely and turned back into my locker. When I was sure he was gone I locked up and took a step towards the hallway that would lead me to the parking lot.
Thankfully my friends weren't too far away, I caught up with them and they asked me for a word by word transition of my conversation with Thomas.
In the parking lot, I searched for Roman's shiny black car. When I couldn't spot it, a stiff wave of disappointment crashed into me and I groaned, realizing I might have to take Thomas up on his offer.
"What's wrong with her?" Melissa asked both Chad and Kyle.
"Nuru?" Kyle asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." My tone was sharper than it should have been.
"You're crying?!" This alarmed him.
I was puzzled by his unexpected question. "Sorry. What?"
Kyle reached out to wipe the lone tear on my left cheek.
I stared in disbelief. "Hmm... I... um... I had no idea."
"That's the guy from lunch," Chad said. "Isn't it Nuru?"
It was crazy how instantly relief watched over me, utterly insane how suddenly the feeling of complete joy overrode my senses — even before I saw him — the second I heard that Roman might be here for me just like he'd promised. I practically leaped with joy when my eyes finally settled on him.
"Yeah," I answered breathlessly. Roman simply stole my breath away.
Chad whistled his fascination. "Nice car he's got."
Roman wasn't driving the Porsche from earlier. I knew this one, it was an Audi A5 coupe` and he was leaning against it, his legs crossed and so were his arms across his broad chest.
I waved at my friends, rushing into Roman's car.
"You thought I wasn't coming," he managed to say when I had clumsily, in my haste, strapped myself in.
"I knew you'd come," I whispered. My voice was suddenly weak.
"Jah?" He paused for a second. "Was that why you were crying?"
"I had something in my eye."
He smirked.
"You know, for a guy who knows my most intimate parts, I don't know anything about you," I pointed out to steer the conversation away from me.
"I would like to keep it that way," he said in a tone that left no room for arguments.
"Why?" I pushed, and stared at the setting sun.
"The less you know..." he shook his head. "The much safer you'll be."
"You're speaking in riddles."
"Good."
"I'm confused."
"I know." He flashed me his ultra white perfectly straight teeth. It was just so rare to see a smile on his face that when he did smile, I stopped and stared for a while.
I sighed in defeat. Letting it go. For now.
"Where to from your mother's?" he asked instead, he was still smiling.
"I need to get some food," I said. "There are only snacks at your house."
"You can have anything you want," he said, "any restaurant you want to eat at, just tell them you're ordering for me, they'll deliver in no time."
"No thanks," I said, watching him from the corner of my eye. I was afraid he might turn out to be a dream, a possible figment of my imagination.
We breezed through the streets of downtown Port Edward in a slow pace. The roads were busy with rush hour traffic. People who were coming from worked had zero patience for road rules as they zapped past us.
"There were so many guns at your friend's house," I whispered, automatically my gaze found his frozen features, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
He stared silently into the growing traffic, his jaw tightening.
"Are you like a contract killer or something?"
His phone rang and he cradled the phone between his chin and shoulder, carefully throwing a hesitant look at me.
"Reeves," he answered, his voice careful.
I frowned.
"Just entered one 12th street," he replied in such a serious tone that I threw him a look. His face was a mask of concentration.
"Give me five minutes," he told the muffled voice on the other end of the line.
Roman clicked the phone shut, and pulled the car to a sudden stop and said, "Do you have a driver's license?"
I nodded, puzzled.
"Okay. I'm really sorry, Nuru," he continued, gathering everything that belonged to him. There were pens, sunglasses, packet of chips.
I was confused.
"Drive yourself to your house," he mumbled. And then hesitantly, he leaned forward as though to kiss my cheek but then deliberated for a second before opening the door.
"I'll see you at home," I said hopefully. "Later?"
He hesitated for a second. "No. I don't think I'll be back anytime this week. Now... I really have to go."
"Oh." I couldn't hide my disappointment.
He stop suddenly to look into my eyes.
"Can you do something for me?"
"Yes, anything." I vowed, my voice almost breaking.
"Try not to annoy anyone else, okay?"
I picked up on his panic.
"Especially Bull, I don't trust that oke."
I nodded hopelessly.
"Here," he took a couple of hundred bills and shoved them through the window. "Do buy those groceries. And don't fight me on this, we'll add it to the investment amount."
He looked at me for a long moment.
And with that he was running back the way we had come, I watched him until he disappeared on the next street. My heart sinking into despair with each step he took further away from me.