The driver side clacks shut and it's too little, too late. I'm not waiting a second more for him to put the key in that blasted ignition.
Eyes still tightly shut, a part of me is bellowing 'Stay put!', but it's not enough this time. An involuntary growl hums against my teeth as I get ready to rip that car door from the hinges. I feel bad that all this agonizing effort is going to be for nothing. Well, I *almost* do.
Behind my lids I envision his throat crushing under the pressure of my jaws. My taste buds drowning in splendor as I position myself for the kill. I move to swing around and snatch him from the driver's seat, but both wrists are abruptly cuffed, locking me in place.
Flabbergasted, I instinctively expose my teeth into a snarl, eyes snapping open only to meet a pair equally as fierce. My mind goes blank for half a second like an instant lobotomy from shock.
The car engine purring to life reminds me the taunting, endless heartbeat is still there, pounding away. The heartbeat *I* should be drinking in. I lunge in the direction of the car before he can escape. It's all his fault for not leaving sooner. I'm stopped mid-leap forgetting about the grip on my wrists.
'Ohhh, whoever is holding me back is going to die.'
I snap at the stranger, teeth smacking together a narrow miss from his face, but the man is quick and strong. In a deft motion he pulls my arms farther apart, planting me to the spot then hunching over to snarl back.
Angry looking pale green eyes shine brightly down. The face is comparatively shadowed to those glowing irises as he towers over me.
Though intimated and shaken, I don't cower. I just stare blankly, feeling fundamentally broken beyond repair. The torrent of emotions and an unquenchable hunger are rattling me senseless. The ardent rage dwindles to utter despair.
"Help me," the words slips out in a bleak whisper.
Another tear spills down my cheek. Despite becoming physically stronger, I've never felt so weak. I'm as inadequate as I ever was. I thought I hit rock bottom but my life is still spiraling out of control.
His harsh eyes soften, though that intense green swirls even brighter than before. I feel entranced but not enough to erase the horrid longing as the vehicle zooms away. I peer in the direction of the little blue car before it disappears on the main road, feeling this gaping hole widen in my chest.
I tug again with the urge to chase. His heartbeat, my heartbeat, but the mysterious man doesn't release me.
"Let go of me," I wail, "I need him!"
"Is that really what you want?" the man's voice is rich, a hint sorrowful.
"Yes...No! Arrgh!"
The lovely scent I long for gradually dissipates and the drumming fades into ambient obscurity, blending with all other rhythms of the night. A depression creeps over me like a ghost, settling in to possess. I'm no longer tormented by the near temptation but still haunted by its lingering spirit. I close my eyes as more tears escape. The stranger's grip eases on my wrists as my internal fight subsides.
I begged to be saved, but I didn't ask for this.
I fall into the man's arms, lightly sobbing. The fact that I don't know this guy doesn't seem to matter, I feel defeated.
He tenses, obviously not expecting it, just standing frozen, hands no longer restraining my arms. They kind of hover stiffly like branches on a tree while I cry into his chest. My fingers entwined in his cotton shirt.
I feel him relax through the dampened cloth. Slowly, he wraps his arms around me. I can tell he's strong from the lean muscle but the man's gentle. He places one hand cautiously on my shoulder blade, as the other delicately cradles the back of my head. His feather-like touch makes me feel like a butterfly he's afraid to crush.
Barely an embrace but I feel a much desired comfort from it, like he's shielding me from the world...or maybe shielding the world from me.
His clean scent helps me regain my composure. Lost in his pleasant smell it dawns on me I'm not trying to rip him apart like I was with that other guy.
I blink, something else is off. He doesn't have a heartbeat. I narrow my eyes, listening for the pulse that should be there. Nothing, just stillness.
His arms fall to his sides. I feel the embarrassment flare up, I've been curled against him for an uncomfortable amount of time.
'Awkward...a great first impression.'
I let go, too flustered to look him in the eyes. I wipe quickly at my cheeks then reach for my right bicep, wrapping around in an attempt to shelter myself from judgment.
"Thanks…" I say, keeping my gaze lowered as my foot fidgets in the eroding pavement. He must be as unsure of what to say as I am or maybe I really did weird him out, because I don't get a response right away.
"Sure."
As soon as I build the courage to lift my eyes, my jaw drops from what I see and disdain falls out.
"*You*!"