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She looks up at me with those big, beautiful brown eyes and nods. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
I can tell she’s lying, but I don’t press the issue. Instead, I start the car and begin to drive, the silence between us feeling heavy and suffocating.
Unable to bear it, I switch on the stereo and the car’s inbuilt entertainment system automatically connects with my phone and continues playing my playlist where it last left off. Monsters by Ruelle begins to fill the silence and Malia relaxes back into the soft leather of the seat.
“I love this artist,” she murmurs, closing her eyes and getting lost in the music for a second.
I know,I almost say. I only started listening to the damn woman because Malia liked her, but then I could see why she liked her music so much and I became a fan myself.
As we drive towards Two Harbours, I can’t help but steal glances at her. The way the streetlights illuminate her face, the way her hair falls in soft waves around her shoulders. She’s beautiful. And that’s not the prophecy talking.
This was dangerous and foolish. I shouldn’t have brought her out. Not because I doubt my ability to keep her safe on my own, but because I doubt my ability to keep my hands to myself. Even in public.
“Where are we going?”
“I know a place in Two Harbours. It’s quiet. Only the locals go there. There won’t be any students who recognise us.”
Why did I say it like that? Now it sounds like she’s my dirty little secret. A teacher sneaking around with his student, dating her in the dark.
“Okay,” is all she says, turning to stare out of the window at the passing scenery.
“I’m sorry you’ve been cooped up for so long, Malia,” I tell her earnestly.
“It’s okay,” she lies.
“Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Lie to me.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You are. You do it all the time. Not big, dangerous lies, but small, innocent ones. The ones that slip from your lips without you even noticing. You always downplay yourself to the others, putting their needs and feelings above your own.”
“I don—” she pauses, looking at me and then grimaces. “I do. Sorry. It’s just easier to say I’m fine, it’s okay, it doesn’t matter, than to get into those difficult conversations that make people uncomfortable.”
“Fuck making people uncomfortable. If anything you have to say makes Cove, Reef or Bhodi feel uncomfortable, they don’t deserve you.”
Shit. Why did I say that?
“Sorry.”
“Quit apologising.”
“Sor—” She cringes. “Shit.”
That makes me laugh. I wasn’t expecting her to swear. It’s not that she never cusses, it’s just rare, unless she’s really mad at me.
“Don’t worry about it. So, do you want to tell me what’s upset you now, or when we get there?”
“Now. It’ll be better to just get it out of the way so I can enjoy myself, but you’ll think it’s stupid.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“I asked Cove to distribute some flyers that I made around campus. I asked him to take me with him and he said he couldn’t.”
“I can see why that would upset you, but you must understand that there’s not a thing I won’t do, a line I won’t cross, to keep you safe. Even if it means stealing you away from them when they’re assholes.”
