Bound to You

Chapter 14: Crystals

Ileana was awestruck by the deco of the house as she followed Jace up the stairs. This...definitely reflected a luxurious lifestyle. The senseless abstract art paintings fixed to the wall. She even slowed down as she saw a wall-fixed glass shelf displaying hundreds of small collector cars. It looked so nice that she wanted to touch...and as she was about to reach towards a small red R8 Audi model, Jace warned, "I won't do that if I were you. My dad doesn't like people meddling with his things...especially that." 

"Sorry!" She retrieved her hand quickly and ran the few steps to join him. He opened a door and said, "Here's your room." "Thanks." 

She stared inside. It was so huge, so spacious. She already felt uncomfortable. There was nothing reassuring about staying in a stranger's house and in a room this enormous, she was already feeling loss. 

He read her face expression and chuckled as he pushed her inside, "You'll be fine, kitten." 

"Ugh, if you say. Where will you be?" 

He smirked, "In the backyard, waiting for you." 

"What? No!" 

"I have something to show you. Meet me there in ten minutes." "...nuh-uh." 

He eyed the shark plush which now rested on the edge of the bed beside her bag and in two quick strides, he caught it in his arms and teased, "If you want Sharkie alive, you know what you have to do!" 

She yelled angrily as he didn't give her a chance to react and ran off, "Jace! You jerk!" She poked her head quickly out of the door and he was...already gone. She hated him!

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After a few minutes, she walked back to the main door. She went outside, recalling how she saw a small door at the side of the house. She shivered as she felt the chilly air, wondering why the hell she was even bothering to find that degenerate... 

There was nothing reassuring in walking under the dark around a stranger's house. Ugh. She was going to do it for her Sharkie. The small door was now opened. She crossed it, surprised to find a long pool, "Oooh..." She felt like she was in a luxurious flat. 

She saw Jace at the far end as he gestured to her. He mockingly placed a finger below Sharkie's neck as if warning her that he'd kill it and he disappeared behind another door. She was starting to feel annoyed at this stupid game he was playing. She would give him a piece of her mind when she'd find him. Her poor plush... 

That second door was covered with long creeps where white flowers were dangling. It was mesmerizing. She pushed the natural deco sideways and when she crossed to the other side, she saw him sitting on a bench, waiting for her. She glared at him but her eyes wandered further and she saw blossoming trees, flowers and could even spot a few trees dangling from the branches. There was even a swing there. This was such a magnificent garden. She exclaimed, spinning once on herself to take a good look, "It's so beautiful!" 

Jace grinned, "Right? But that's not why we're here." He pointed behind her and she turned to find daunting hedge walls. She gulped, walked towards the entrance and stopped right there. The paths were alighted by beautiful lanterns and it didn't look that scary when she looked at it on this side. But, she didn't like the idea of going in there. She nervously chuckled and walked back to Jace, "Nice but can we go back now?" 

He mischievously said as he entered the maze, "No. Come on, Ileana or I'll squeeze the life out of Sharkie." She then heard him running! She quickly chased after him, taking a random direction and then she gulped and was frozen on the spot as she didn't find him there. She yelled, hoping he would hear her, "I'm not getting in there, Jace. Forget it!" 

He answered a few seconds later, "Don't be a coward, princess. Find me!" 

"You're an i***t! I don't want to get lost!" 

"I promise you, you won't." She walked a little more. Her feet were refusing to hurry. All those walls looked the same. Fear struck her all of a sudden. What if she got lost? She quickly turned on her heels and tried to find her way back and she felt confronted with paths she didn't even know were there. What the hell?! She panicked even more when she heard quick footsteps. Oh God, she could hear the pounding of her heart amidst the rustle of the wind. She was tempted to scream for Sierra. 

She began to run now. She looked back to see if anyone was behind her. She roughly turned around a corner and shrieked as she collided with someone. She was about to stumble when strong arms caught her and pulled her back up. She pounded her fist on his chest and yelled as she refused to meet his eyes, "I hate you so much!" 

He smiled dazzlingly and released her, "Just a last corner." 

She tucked strands of her disheveled hair behind her ears as she reluctantly followed him. She slowed down when the space became more open and she saw a large gorgeous water-fountain in the middle. It glistened under the moonlight and she felt drawn to it. To her pleasant surprise, she found bright orange koi fishes swimming in the water and she sat on the edge and leaned over to get a better view. 

She said, mesmerized to see them so close, "This is.. Oh wow, that one's so big." A twelve inches fish lazily swam among its comrades. Jace approached her and said, "Haha. That's Ramon. He's thirty-four years old." "Really?!" 

He gave her back her plush and she squeezed it tight as if she really missed it. She glared at him, "This is a gift from my dad. Don't ever take it again." 

He sat beside her, "Why are you staying with your aunt and not your parents? I mean, it's not even holidays." 

Ileana looked back at the fishes, "They...are busy. I go see them on weekends though..." 

"Is it because of the work they do?" "It's because...yes, work." She sighed. 

"So, didn't you forget something, Ileana?" She tore her eyes away from the water to look at him, "Hmm, not to my knowledge...what is it?" 

He dived his hand in his coat's pocket and took out the prize they won at the video games arcade. She gasped, taking it from him, "It's with you! I thought we forgot it there!" 

She examined the necklaces. Two little crystals were dangling from thin black cords. She grinned, "I'm taking the red one!" She handed to him the blue crystal and he grimaced, holding it up to scrutinize it, "I'm not going to wear something like that!" 

She eagerly tied hers around her neck, grabbed the crystal and lifted it to touch Jace's one. Nothing happened. She frowned a little, changing its position as she slid it around his. They lighted instantly in a blue and red spark and he was surprised. 

She smiled, "It's pretty cool, right?" She leaned back and shrugged, "But...It's fine if you don't want to wear it. I just wanted a souvenir and it's clear that you don't need one." 

"How's that?" 

She held her breath and stood, "You're a playboy. You don't need souvenirs with girls. You just use em and leave em." 

He stared at her for a long second and then burst in a laugh, "So naive...but you're not completely wrong. Shall we head back, princess or you want to stay with the fishes?" She took a long last look at the fountain, nodded and followed him closely as they made their way back.

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