Page 72 of Rescued By the Beast
"Thank you," he takes a step towards the house, but stops and looks back at me. "I know who you are..."
Heavens, I've been found out!
He'll think I tried to deceive him out of malice, that I'm a threat!
I start to sweat cold, my smile trembles, my eyelids flutter.
This time I really think I'm going to faint...
"I can explain..." I begin to stammer, but he interrupts me.
"From Pandemonium, right?" He bites his lower lip, and for a moment, the gesture is so sexy that I am distracted by it, even on the verge of an imminent heart attack. "Sandra, is that your name?"
Wait...
He's referring to my job. Myoldjob.
And he... remembers my name.
I gasp, my chest vibrating like a parade in the middle of carnival, each heartbeat echoing in unbridled euphoria. The illusion that one day we could talk, that we could be more... seemed like a distant, unattainable daydream.
But now, it's no longer a dream.
It's real.
"Y-yes! It's me, but I don't work there anymore. And you're the hothead, right?" I slip up, because when I get nervous I talk nonsense.
Stars in the sky, why am I like this?
To my surprise, he blushes.
Or he's so angry at my audacity that his blood is boiling, proving that his nickname is not for nothing.
"My name is Mark..."
I want to say I know, but suddenly, I feel a painful tug in my chest and a cold shiver running up my spine.
I writhe in pain and gasp for air, trying to maintain control. However, I know I won't be able to hold on for long.
"I have to go, I'm late!" I blurt out and run down the pavement, leaving a confused Mark behind.
Deep down, I really wanted to tell him the whole truth, but even if I weren't so cowardly and selfish, wanting to continue enjoying the comfort of being by his side, spoiled by his care, I know I don't have enough time right now.
Maybe another time, when I have more control and some time just for us, I'll be able to open up to him. Mark deserves to know the truth, and who knows, might help me. But I can't risk changing in the middle of the conversation and making him seeme as a threat. I can't risk him abandoning me, believing that I've been lying all this time.
As I run along the pavement, I know I won't make it to the cabin in time, and that makes me desperate.
I spot a house with tall bushes. If I hide there, my clothes will be camouflaged and I'll be able to sneak around like a cat, finding Mark along the way. I throw myself into the bushes, scratching myself all over, and in the next second, my body transforms mercilessly.
The pile of clothes swallows me, and I have to wriggle through the fabric to free myself. Then I dash off, jumping over the fences that divide the houses, just in time to see Mark coming out of the yard where I saw the cat go in, looking for me.
I go up to him, putting on my best innocent look.
"Kitten..." He murmurs, picking me up and staring into my eyes, that sexy frown marking his forehead. "What do I do with you?"
I meow and touch his face with a paw. He blinks once and then smiles.
"Since you came into my life, my heart has never been the same, you know? You test its limits."
