Playing With Fire

Chapter 5

"Hey, wake up" I heard someone say in the softest deep baritone voice and my eyes immediately flew open to see the green-eyed man sitting in front of me with a frown on his face. It looks like he was unhappy about something but I wasn't going to ask about it.

I do not like to poke my nose into someone else's business unlike him.

I looked around in confusion, "What happened?" I asked, "Are we going to crash?" I started to get panic. Did he wake me up so I could get a full experience of it? But it was too quiet if we're going to crash? Why people are not yelling in chaos?

The frown on his face dissolved and replaced with an amused grin, "No" He shook his head, "We're going to land" He said making me let out a sigh in relief. That meant I can finally get to feel the ground beneath my feet again.

"Good" I stated, rubbing the sleep away from my eyes. I didn't sleep for long, well I didn't plan on sleeping in the first place. I must have been too tired that I had dozed off, "I don't think so I can stay another hour in this gigantic metal box" I muttered under my breath before looking out from the window.

Sure enough, I could see the land after nine hours of flying. This is it. I am going to start my own independent life after this after years of being under the restrictions of the orphanage. I sent a quick prayer internally, grateful to be where I am right now.

I had no one that will be proud of me but I am proud of myself and all the things that I went through alone in my life.

"That's beautiful" I smiled, still looking out.

The green-eyed man made a noise of approval. I looked back at him and grinned excitedly. His eyes softened T the sight of my face and he relaxed his rigid facial muscles, "Do you have a ride to wherever you're going from the airport?" He asked me with a small smile now.

I didn't want to lie but I had to. If he knows that I am planning to take a cab then he would offer me a ride. I have already learned my lesson from how he had forced me to eat earlier and I am pretty sure that he will do the same to make me go with him.

It doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate his kindness but I didn't want to burden anyone. 

I smiled as naturally as I can, "Yes" I nodded my head, "A friend will fetch me from the airport" I lied through my teeth, looking away from his piercing eyes. I felt like if I looked at his beautiful eyes for more than a second then I probably would end up telling him the truth.

He remained quiet at that. From the corners of my eyes, I saw him staring at me with a clenched jaw, "You're lying" He said and my eyes widened, "Do you think that I would do anything bad to you?" He asked me, sounding a little offended.

How did he know that I am lying?

I sighed, looking down in shame and at embarrassment at getting caught, "No" I shook my head, answering his question while feeling like I had committed a crime, "It's just that I didn't want to burden anyone. If I told you that I am taking a cab then you probably would have forced me to go with you" I admitted, looking everywhere else but at him.

God, did he have to make me feel this uncomfortable?

He sighed,"Yeah I would have asked you to drop you" I heard him mutter under his breath and I allowed myself to look at him again. He was staring, his eyes were tight but his posture suggested to me that he wasn't mad. "But if you're planning to take a cab then it should be fine anyway" He added before looking at his expensive watch.

I sighed again, relieved to know that he wasn't mad at me."But how did you know that I was lying?" I asked him curiously.

He glanced up at me again, the furrow between his eyebrows softening, "Your eyes" He said with a knowing smile.

I have heard about people knowing the truth just by looking at someone in the eyes but this is the first time I have experienced it to myself. "You seem to predict people well" I stated, my eyes never leaving him as I crossed my arms against my chest. My mind went back to the time he guessed that this was the first time that I am flying.

The small smile that was playing on his lips widened, "Yet I can't predict you" He shook his head, eyeing me like I am the most interesting thing on this planet.

For some reason, my cheeks heated up at his answer and I averted my eyes away from him before giving him a nod. I leaned back to my seat and at the same time, the captain decided to make an announcement.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain again. We will be landing in Italy shortly. The weather is looking good so far and we hope you enjoyed the journey. Please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts for the landing"

I immediately started to fumble with the seatbelt, my hands were shaking for some reason. It's probably because I am a little nervous about the landing. What if the pilot misses the runaway? How can he be sure about the timing to land? My head reeled around with all these questions playing over and over in it thus I couldn't focus on clasping the seatbelt.

What if I couldn't put my seatbelt on? Am I going to fall off my seat when we are landing?

A pair of hands came into my view and hooked the seatbelt with ease before leaving my sight. I looked up at him and smiled, "Thanks" I said, feeling my heart race against my chest for some reason.

I never talked to an attractive man like him before this. I feel comfortable around him but sometimes my heart jumps at the little things that he does like helping me out with the seatbelt. He could have chosen to ignore me but he didn't.

The flight dipped down, snapping me out from my reveries. I grabbed the sides of my seat and prayed that the pilot would land with ease. I glanced at the window and found the land nearer to us than before.

The flight dipped down again before I felt the tires hit the ground making me relax against the seat. The flight was still moving at high speed and I waited patiently for it to finally stop moving.

"Wow" I grinned at him, "That was a good experience" I mumbled to myself.

Soon, we got off the plane and started to walk towards the immigration sections and the baggage collecting area. I have only one bag with me so I started towards the immigration area but someone grabbed my elbow and restrained me from taking a step forward.

"I guess this is it then," The green-eyed man said, turning me around to face him, "Will we meet again?" He asked, looking a little hopeful or maybe I just imagined that.

I shrugged at him when he released the hold he had on my elbow, "Only our fate knows about that" I smiled.

He smiled at that, "I hope we do, mysterious stranger" He said, his eyes never leaving mine. Something about the way he was looking at me made my heart race against my chest.

With one final smile, he walked away from me. I watched him until he disappeared from the line of my sight and sighed. That was unexpected but it wasn't unpleasant.

There's something in me that says that we would meet again, soon.

Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, I started to walk towards immigration to start my life here in Italy. I cleared off the immigration and walked out of the airport to find a cab. My wandering eyes landed on him again but from where I stood, I assumed that he probably couldn't see me.

He was getting into the posh-looking car along with others who were dressed formally as well. They all looked very serious about something and I noticed that he was sitting in the middle car. There was one car in front of him and two cars behind him as all the four cars rushed out from the airport closely with each other,

Maybe he is a VIP or something.

It doesn't matter who he is. He is not important in my life. I found a cab and hopped on it. It seems like the locals here preferred to talk in their mother tongue. I had difficulties at first but thanks to the technology, I easily translated what I wanted to say using my phone.

I looked out from the window and smiled at the beauty of Sicily. This is the place that I would call my home after this. Its autumn here and the trees were falling down at the ground, a perfect reflection for me to leave everything that happened before this behind me.

I sighed, my mind unconsciously going back to the beautiful stranger that I met. I wondered where he was headed now and what does he do for a living. No matter how much I tried not to think about him, telling myself that he is literally a nobody in my life, somehow he managed to creep back in.

It will be hard for me if I ever wanted to meet him again. I don't have his number. Heck, I don't even know his name for god's sake.