Shadow Kiss

Chapter 17

I woke up to the sound of someone pounding on my door. I blinked open my eyes still groggy from sleep. I reached out my hand to find my phone that was sitting on the nightstand charging. The clock read 4:22.
My eyes widened in alarm. Was it really that late in the afternoon? Granted we had returned to the motel at around nine after staying up all night investigating, but still.
The pounding came again.
“Coming!” I shouted as I threw my legs over the side of the bed. I stretched my arms high over my head, sighing at hearing satisfying crack from my lower back.
I shuffled over to the door and swung it open to reveal a very shocked Zak.
“Uh…” he stuttered. His cheeks turned a light pink as he looked down at what I was wearing.
I followed his gaze. “Agh!” I yelped in surprise before slamming the door in surprise. I forgot that I was only wearing my tank top and boy cut underwear since I usually got really hot at night under the covers.
“Why didn’t you turn around when you saw how I was dressed?” I hissed at him through the door.
“I think I was still too stunned that you had answered the door dressed like that. I’m glad Nick or Aaron weren’t around to see you.”
“You’re supposed to be a gentleman and turn around when you see a woman dressed like that,” I yelled at him through the door as I quickly took a pair of basketball shorts and bra out of my suitcase.
“I figured that since I had already seen you, it was too late to look away and pretend I hadn’t seen anything,” he answered nonchalantly. I could just tell he had shrugged those broad shoulders of his.
I cursed at him under my breath as I managed to put the bra on underneath my tank and then step into my shorts. Finally, I went back to the door and swung it open once more. Only this time I was dressed.
Zak turned around and smiled. “Didn’t change shirts I see.”
I rolled my eyes. “I just put on a bra and shorts to make myself more decent for your virgin eyes.”
Zak burst out laughing. “I’m actually going to miss that smart mouth of yours I think,” he smiled sadly shaking his head.
My eyes widened at the realization of what he just said. He was leaving. Of course he was. He had only come here to investigate the MacMiller house and then leave to continue filming other locations to finish off the season. I had only been able to fight with him, be near to him, figure out what kind of person he was…for only two days. Not to mention I had nearly kissed him. My body grew uncomfortably hot at the memory. My gaze slid over to admire those lips that had just barely brushed along mine before Luke had interrupted.
“That’s right, you’re leaving today,” I murmured hoping he couldn’t pick up the sadness that was laced within my voice.
“Yeah,” he sighed. “So, I just thought I would come and wake you up so you could say goodbye to the guys before we hit the road.”
“Where are you going next?” I asked curiously. Maybe if he wasn’t going too far, we could still meet up and hang out.
“Next stop is Maine,” he answered rubbing the back of his neck almost like he was apologizing for it being so far away from Sunfire Falls.
“Oh,” I said with more disappointment than I had meant to voice. His eyes met mine and I noticed how up close in the light Zak’s eyes had light brown flecks throughout his iris. He really did have some pretty eyes.
“Well, I guess I should go say goodbye to the guys so that don’t whine about not having been able to see me before they left,” I chuckled without feeling.
“Ha, yeah. I’d hate to hear them whine for the next 22 hours while we are on the road,” Zak sighed with a roll of his eyes.
I nodded my head in agreement and headed outside to where the van was parked Nick and Aaron were standing by the back talking amongst themselves. They stopped talking when they saw me approach. I walked up to Aaron first and was immediately pulled to him in a bone crushing hug. I gently patted his back.
“I’ll miss you, too, Aaron,” I answered with difficulty seeing as how my lungs were being crushed.
He released me suddenly making me stumble back into Nick. I turned around and punched him lightly on his shoulder.
“You be good,” I scolded him. I lowered my voice, “And make sure Princess doesn’t get into too much trouble, okay?”
Nick smiled and pulled me into a hug. “We’re gonna miss having you around to keep Zak in line,” he chuckled.
I stepped out of his hug and smiled up at him.
“You’ll do just fine. You’ve kept him in line thus far,” I winked.
“Alright, guys, time to hit the road!” Zak announced from behind me.
“See you, Aero!” Aaron waved.
“Bye!” Nick called out one last time before getting in the van with Aaron.
I took a deep breath and turned around to face Zak.
“Well, this is goodbye then, I guess.”
Zak nodded never meeting my gaze. “You sure you don’t need a ride?”
I shook my head. “Luke will come and get me,” I reassured him. I saw a muscle tic in his jaw at the mention of Luke’s name.
He gave me a curt nod. “Okay. Well, I best be going then.”
Our gazes met then. His eyes burned with a deep, hidden desire that we both knew couldn’t be unleashed. Even so, I once again found the world slowly fading out around me except for him. All I could see were those beautiful bluish-hazel eyes, his perfectly crafted face, and his dark styled hair. Not to mention his torso that widened at the shoulders and narrowed near his hips. Those toned muscles that rippled under the surface of his skin making nearly every girl swoon from the beauty of it all.
For once, I was the one that broke the eye contact. Being beside him during these past two days was bad enough because I wanted what I clearly couldn’t have. So, having to watch him leave after witnessing the desire in his eyes just now, made it even harder to let him go.
Zak took a step towards me and slowly raised his hand towards my face. I waited in anticipation for his warm, slightly calloused fingers to brush along my cheek. But it never happened. His hand stopped halfway to my face, clenched tightly into a fist, and returned back to his side. I couldn’t stop the hurt that struck my heart like a twisted blade.
I heard the crunch of his shoes on the gravel as he walked away from where we were standing. I looked up just in time to see him slide into the driver’s seat and slam the door closed. I took a few steps back as he put the van in reverse and drove out of the parking lot.
A single tear slid down my cheek before dropping off my chin.
Not once had he looked back.