Ocean of Secrets

My feet stopped moving and Malachai bounced back to me like a boomerang once he realized that I wasn’t moving. I wanted to know why he brought me here, and if this was one of his many hotspots but, just like my feet, my mouth was stiff. He must have realized that I couldn’t move any further, and we were far enough from the middle of the walkway that it didn’t seem strange to be standing here because he stopped and turned to face me head on. He didn’t release my hand though.

Malachai’s thumb kneaded the back of my palm while my eyes lingered on his. I tried not to take in my surroundings and just look into his gorgeous, blue orbs, but my senses overwhelmed me with sounds and smells from our surroundings.

“We can leave whenever you want,” he suddenly didn’t seem so sure of himself. He didn’t seem to like my reaction. I tried to read his expression but he composed himself before I could even try to decipher his face.

I didn’t want to ruin our night, even if it wasn’t a date, so I tried to calm myself down. “No, let’s stay. Just give me a few minutes to get used to this.” I looked around and tried to make myself as invisible as possible just like Malachai had suggested. His earlier warning only now made sense to me.

My gaze lingered on the penned in ring and the bloodied men inside it. I didn’t understand – no matter how good the money was – how someone could let them self, or even enjoy, getting beaten up. Seeing the blood and hearing the noises was enough to make me want to vomit, but the pain is probably unbearable. I looked over Malachai’s shoulder into the dark recesses of the warehouse to try and clear my mind of the fighters.

“Are you sure?” I wanted to tell him the truth and leave faster than we had come, but I didn’t want him to think I was a baby. “I won’t think you’re childish or anything. We could go get something to eat or see a late movie instead.” I smiled at the thought of Malachai sitting next to me in a dark theater with his arm around my shoulders.

“No,” my reply seemed to surprise him. “I’m alright.” I decided to change the subject, “why did you bring me here?”

This question seemed to make him uncomfortable – I couldn’t read him perfectly, but this theory seemed accurate. He looked over at the fighters and swallowed. At first he didn’t say anything and I was beginning to think that he would just ignore the inquiry all together, but at last he opened his mouth. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.” His voice was so quiet that I had to lean in to hear him. “I brought you here because-“

“Mal, you’re here!” A dark haired guy who looked about Malachai’s age walked over to us with open arms. “I didn’t think you’d make it.” At first he didn’t seem to notice me, but then as Malachai stood there in silence he looked over at me, “and who is this?”

I opened my mouth to speak but Malachai sent me a look that made me shut it again. “A friend,” was his only reply, “and wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Trying not to feel offended by his lack of acknowledgment I turned once again to face the fighters. If he didn’t want his friends to know who I was then why did he ask me out in the first place? Was I that embarrassing?

“I hoped you wouldn’t. I didn’t want to fight without you watching.” My eyes widened as the boy confessed his feelings. He was going to fight? He couldn’t have weighed twenty pounds more than me and he was going to go up there and try to beat up a man who would most likely be two hundred pounds at least? Excuse me for not believing this in the slightest.

Turning back around I tried to sneak some better glances at him. The guy was lanky and tall with dark hair that stood up in the front. His eyes were a dark shade of brown and his cheeks were rosy with what I assumed to be excitement. He wore dark athletic shorts that hung loosely on his slim hips, and the white wife-beater drooped around his shoulders. He was probably the tiniest man I had ever seen, and I bet ten to one that he was going to get the crap beat out of him as soon as he steeped behind that rope.

I tried to convey this message to Malachai but he was either ignoring me, or he wanted to see this happen. The guy turned to me while Malachai was distracted by some other guy with a mop of curly blonde hair on his head and what I could only imagine to be a blunt hanging from his lips.

“I’m Brandon,” a smile played out on his lips and I realized that he was good-looking in a cute, boy-next-door sort of way. “Sorry that Malachai is so rude and yes he is always like that. I hope that his feigned disinterest didn’t offend you; he hasn’t brought a girl around here yet so you must be pretty special.”

My cheeks heated and I had to lick my lips before speaking, “I’m Lucy.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say and was saved by Malachai turning his attention back to us.

“When are you up?” A loud laugh resonated from across the room and blocked my ears from Brandon’s answer. Malachai seemed to have heard it well enough though, “okay,” and then Brandon walked off to some unknown destination, and Malachai and I were left alone once again.

I wasn’t sure that I wanted to stay and see this Brandon kid get beaten up, but Malachai seemed intent on not moving. I just hoped that he was capable of something spectacular that would help him not get completely mutilated.