CHAPTER 299: A ’SORT OF’ DATE

(Author’s POV)

Myra walked towards the driver’s side and then knocked on the window. Fabian was puzzled by her abrupt actions. He lowered the glass window and was about to ask her, but before he could, she said, "I don’t want to go home right now, Fabian," her voice came out a little husky. "I want to relax."

"I~ .... understand. I get it. But why did you get out of the car? Get inside, otherwise you will catch a cold. I will take you somewhere peaceful and relaxing, umm~ .... " he suggested as he kept gazing at her profile, mesmerized by it. The street light made her look ethereal and divine.

"I want to take on the wheels. If it is alright with you?" she asked. Her mind was clogged with thoughts, bombarded by Alaric’s words, so she wanted to divert her attention, and driving was the only way right now.

’I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to drive, right now.’ Fabian wanted to say this to her, but when he saw her face, he couldn’t say no to her; he just couldn’t. Instead, he uttered, "Alright, but you can’t drive rashly, okay? And if you get tired, tell me, hmmm?"

Myra nodded in understanding. He got out of the vehicle, couldn’t help but ruffle her hair out of pure urge and then walked towards the passenger door to exchange seats. Fabian punched in a location in the GPS, and Myra ignited the engine, following the system. Halfway through their destination, Fabian, who had been constantly staring at Myra, mumbled, "I am sorry." His voice came out in a whisper.

Without looking at him, she questioned, "For what?" Her attention was on the road and elsewhere.

"For leaving you alone. I shouldn’t have taken that call. I am really sorry. I~ ... shouldn’t have left you when the Everests were nearby," Fabian muttered in a defeated tone. He had been blaming himself. If he hadn’t taken the call from Jacob, Alaric wouldn’t have been able to come close to her. He would have hidden her well, just like how he did in front of Brave. The anxiety within him was cropping up. He knew very well that out of all the brothers, Alaric wasn’t the one who would be convinced by his lies. He was thorough, and there were obvious loopholes in his words.

"It’s not your fault, Fabian. You don’t need to feel guilty about anything. Whatever happened, it was kind of, inevitable. And~ ... it is not like I am that important a person to him or to the Everests’ family. Yes, if it were Nora in his place, that would be a different matter. But Alaric Everests~ ....... he is someone who doesn’t like me at all. He never has. And~ .... I can vouch for that," Myra assured him. She knew how much Alaric hated the fact that she was a human girl who came from a humble background. He even called her a weakling once. And they were always at each other’s necks.

Fabian couldn’t agree with Myra’s words. The look on Alaric’s face, when he had Myra locked in his embrace, was that of something other than hatred, something much more raw, much more personal. Maybe it was longing, or maybe it was something else. Fabian couldn’t point it out clearly. But he didn’t say any of this to Myra.

Soon, the car came to a halt as they reached their destination. Myra was so focused on driving and her own jumbled thoughts about the past that she didn’t realize where they were until Fabian said, "We are here."

She snapped back to reality and looked from the front glass. They were at a beach with barely anyone around. Fabian understood her predicament and said, "It is one of my acquaintances’ private places. So, no one will disturb your peace here."

Myra felt awkward and said, "We can go to some normal place. I mean~ .... to use a private beach for myself is a bit~ ......" She was reluctant.

Fabian sighed and uttered, "Myraaaa~ ... Myra. At least, for once, forget about everything else and think of yourself only, umm. Let go of all your worries and doubts, just enjoy your time here. And~ ...... as for this place, that acquaintance of mine, he won’t mind it at all. Actually, he doesn’t even care much about this stuff. He had promised me that I could use it whenever I want. So, I sometimes come here to declutter my messed up thoughts. You see, we had a bet and he lost it, so~ .... now, let’s get out of the car and do some really fun stuff out there," saying this, he got out and strode towards the driver’s seat.

He unlatched the door for Myra and bent forward to unbuckle the seatbelt. Myra was a bit taken aback by his actions as her breath was caught in her throat. In the middle of unbuckling, he shifted his gaze to Myra, who was stumped by their sudden closeness. Actually, his action wasn’t intentional. He just got a little excited to show her his go to place.

Butterflies started dancing around in his stomach, and his heart rate~ ... it was racing a mile a minute. The only sound inside the car was that of his breathing. The urge to close the distance between them was cropping up inside his mind and heart. But before he could do anything, with a click sound, the belt unfastened. Realizing their position, he stood erect and mumbled, "I was just~ ...... helping with your belt."

Myra just responded with a, "umhmm~ ...."

To diffuse the awkwardness, Fabian changed the topic, "Come out and tell me, whether you like this place or not."

Myra stepped out of the vehicle and was instantly captivated by the breathtaking scene in front of her. The vast, endless water and the waxing gibbous moon in the background, illuminating the warm light, accompanied by some clouds, was jaw dropping scenery. The rain had stopped for quite a while now, but the sand was still wet because of it. When she tried to take a step forward, her heels dug in and she stumbled forward.

Fabian caught her in time, securing her in his arms tightly, "Careful, there."

Their bodies were pressed tightly, heating radiating from them. Fabian’s fingers brushed Myra’s bareback as she shuddered in response. This snapped both of them back to reality. Myra tried to pull away, but Fabian stopped her, "Wait~ .... Otherwise, your ankle will twist."

Myra realized the meaning behind the words and said, "I can just take off my heels."

"No would do. The sand is wet, and it is still cloudy out here. I have a pair of slippers in my car," saying this, he helped her to settle down once again and went to get the slippers from the trunk.

Myra touched her face and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed, her ears turning crimson.

Fabian brought the slippers and then, without any warning, knelt down in front of her. Myra immediately said, "You don’t have to. I can wear it myself." But even after that, Fabian didn’t listen to her and removed her heels one by one, "Let me do it. It will be easier that way." His actions were careful and extremely gentle, as if her feet were made of glass. "Done~."

She stood up and they walked towards the shore in peaceful silence. After a while of no talking, Myra turned to Fabian and asked, "Does this place have some booze?" She bit her lips and waited for his answer.

"Yes, there is, but you can’t have any right now. You already drank at the seminar, remember," Fabian was quick to respond.

Her voice came out low, almost in a whisper, "Can’t I have some more? I am really craving it," she said, while fidgeting with her fingers.

Fabian ruffled his hair and couldn’t see her like that. He released a sigh and muttered, "Maybe, a can won’t hurt."

Myra’s face instantly lit up. She wasn’t a drinker at all, but because of how the day went by, she wanted to shut out these memories invading her thoughts. Fabian led her to a bench. As she settled down, he pulled off his suit jacket and put it on Myra, "It will keep you warm. Stay here~ .... I will just be back with your order, ma’am." She smiled and gave him a nod as he walked off towards a private house, more of a villa.

Myra stared at the beautiful sea, but her mind kept drifting off to Alaric. His words kept replaying in her head, his deep, dark, magnetic voice echoing in her mind, "Why did you disappear like that? ~ ..... Why are you denying that you are Myra Miracle? ~ ..... Don’t lie to me~ ..... ~ I Finally Found You~ .... Do you know how miserable Nora has been?’ A dull ache settled in her heart, making her feel uncomfortable.

Fabian returned with some drinks. When he saw her expression, he knew she was immersed in some deep thought. He settled down beside her and said, "You are here to relax, Myra. Not to overthink."

To Be Continued . . . . . . . .