Chapter Four: Mr. Tall, Dark & Rude

It felt like an eternity that we stared into each others’ eyes. Every breathe of his fanning across my face but soothing the anger and animosity right out of my body. It felt as if the anger had fizzled out and was replaced by a sense of calmness. My once furiously beating heart had now steadied, being replaced by a gentle thud against my chest. He reached out and grabbed a lock of my long red hair, twirling it between his fingers.

His actions made me forget how to breathe, causing a flurry of butterflies swarming through my stomach all over again. All I wanted was to get off this roller coaster ride of emotions. One second, he was acting like a complete jerk, and now he was standing inches away from me, twirling my hair in between his fingers as if I were the most delicate flower he has ever seen. I raised my hands to his shoulders and try to push him away, to give myself just an inch of space between us before I melt into a puddle of goo, but I am met with resistance.

Pushing him felt as if it was a brick wall. He doesn’t budge, doesn’t even sway from my push. He hesitates for a second, before dropping my hair and takes a step back. Running his hand through his hair revealing a deep scar that runs across the side of his neck, looking like he's been burned by something. I’ve never seen someone with such a deep scar before, but it only adds to the mystery that is this guy.

Coming from suffering of my own, a scar like that can only come from unimaginable pain. While my scars are invisable, I can only imagine what had to have happened for something like that to stay on his skin. Something about it makes me wish that I could take away his pain, wishing that I could make him hurt less. Knowing that he was in pain, made my own call out to him.

He noticed that I was staring at it, and he immediately tensed again, his hands balling into fists at his sides as if I had angered him. He turns his head to hide it from me, as if he was embarrassed.

I reach out to touch the scar on his neck, before I make a conscious decision not to do so, “You don’t need to be embarrassed. It takes a lot of strength to get through whatever it was, you should be proud of it, not ashamed of the mark that it’s left on your skin.”

His eyes look as if a fire had been lit underneath my touch, and I brace for him to swat my hand away. Instead of what I was expecting, he lets me stroke the pad of my finger over the scar repeatedly. Even in our silence, it had felt as if we had come to a silent agreement. 

The electricity running through my fingertips was intoxicating as I stroked the deep scar on his neck. No words have left his lips since I noticed his scar but instead, he closes his eye and turns into my touch as if it calmed him. He lets out a long sigh sinking even deeper into my touch. As if something has caught his attention, he pulls back putting distance between the two of us.

“I don’t understand,” he whispered, as if he were talking to himself and not to me. I had barely heard the words leave his lips.

“The more a thing is dangerous, the more it feels pleasure and pain,” I repeated back to him. He only shook his head, as if trying to shake off the few moments we just shared between us. He takes in a deep breathe before looking back at me.

“Since you won’t leave, you’re going to listen to me very carefully. Keep your head down" He leans in close to me again his voice becoming low and raspy, “And don’t trust anyone.”

“Is that some kind of warning?” I asked, feeling as if I had gotten whiplash from his rollercoaster of emotions.

“Evanora!” a deep voice shouted from the common room behind me. A smile instinctively washed over my face, even though I felt like I couldn’t move. Turning back to confront the mysterious guy, I’m met with an empty alcove and a messed-up end table. The book I had pulled off the shelf was gone too. 

Before I realize what is happening, my body is being lifted off the ground in a huge bear hug from behind. My feet left the floor, and the only thing I could do was dangle and let out a small laugh. Morgan was behind us, laughing her head off at the sight.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t pick you up, Evanora. A couple of kids were causing trouble and I couldn’t leave. I’m glad you found your way okay though,” Uncle Jasper said, once he set me back on my feet, running his hand through my hair on the top of my head like a child.

“Oh, no worries, I’m here now and that’s all that matters,” I say, fixing my hair and following as they lead me back to the main foyer with the high ceilings and tapestries.

“How was the trip? And most importantly, Evanora, how are you?”

“Uncle Jasper, you can call me Evie. The trip was long, but good. It was fine. And I’m okay,” I say. If I were going to be honest, I would say overwhelmed, anxious, and annoyed, but I didn’t want to discourage my uncle or cousin in the first hour of being at Windamere Academy.

“I’m pretty sure by you saying “okay” you’re not really at all. I’m sorry you couldn’t come sooner, especially with everything that’s happened. I wish we could have been at the funeral,” he said, wrapping a comforting hand around my shoulder. His eyes held sympathy, but I didn't want it. I just wanted people to act normally around me again.

“It’s fine, the company you called in basically handled everything. I didn’t have to lift a finger,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“Come on, Dad. Evie is exhausted. Let me take her upstairs!”

“Okay, fine. I’ll leave you to settle in with Morgan. But I only ask that you come see me in the morning. I can give you your class schedule,” Uncle Jasper said, giving me a small smile, “About your room though.”

“We’ll be sharing a room; I hope that’s okay. If you really need it, Dad can try and move people around to get you your own room. I get if you need some space after-” Morgan started, but I cut her off.

“After what?” I asked. Having people walking on eggshells around me all the time was becoming old very quickly. Morgan’s face turned as white as the snow that lined the outdoors, and I instantly felt a pang of guilt run through me. She was only being nice, and here I was getting an attitude with her for no reason. Some cousin I was.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, almost low enough for me not to hear it. I pulled her into a hug and patted her back as if to ease her worry. It’s as close to an apology she’ll be getting out of me right now.

When I let Morgan go, I see Uncle Jasper eyeing me up and down, “Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m doing fine. Not the greatest, but I’m alright,” I say plainly, trying to hide exactly how much this place was already messing with my brain. He grumbles something unintelligible before turning his attention back to Morgan.

“Make sure you get her lots of water, and maybe some Tylenol. I can only imagine the headache she must have from jet lag,” he instructs. Morgan gives him a big thumbs up and a huge smile.

“Will do, Papa Bear!” she says giddily, “I’m glad you’re here Evie, this is going to be so much fun!”

I give her a small smile, but my mind instantly went back to the alcove where Mr. Tall, Dark, and Rude looked when he basically tried to turn me away from Windamere Academy. The way his eyes burned holes in my body when I refused. The way his breathe felt against my face.

But especially how he made me feel.