Banksia

🌸 Evolet 🌸

Clya wanders into the bathroom with a bowl of buttery popcorn which makes my tummy rumble with hunger. She shoves a handful of popcorn into her mouth and leans on the door frame. I apply the finishing touches of makeup before stealing some popcorn.

"Can't you bail and hang out with me? We can make waffles and eat ice cream."

I wander into the bedroom and shake my head.

"I actually really like him, more than I thought I would at this stage."

She rolls her eyes and groans.

"Can you quickly sleep with the dude so you can move on with your life?"

"Clya." I gasp.

She shoves another handful of popcorn in her mouth and shrugs her shoulders.

"Caelum isn't a rebound." I frown.

"So you're in love with the man?" She raises a slender eyebrow.

"I'm not in love with him, we've only been on a couple of dates, but I like him more than a friend and more than a rebound."

Clya sprawls across the bed with a thoughtful look.

"Are you over Adam?"

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture," I warn.

"I just mean, there's no point starting something with somebody if there's some feelings for your ex."

"Caelum and I have already discussed this, he knows how I feel about Adam."

"How does Caelum feel about the Adam situation."

"He's fine with it."

"That's good." She nods.

Clya shuffles to the end of the bed and swirls her hair into a bun.

"Are you seriously going to wear flats on this date?"

"Yeah?" I frown.

"What about those cute wedges?" She smiles.

"Isn't that a bit much, I don't even know where we're going."

"Wear the cute shoes!"

I toss the sandals back into the wardrobe and find the cute strappy wedges. Clya smiles with approval and I sigh with relief.

"What's Caelum like anyways?"

"He's charming and somehow listens to my rambling, thoughtful and very knowledgeable about plants. I don't know how but he makes me feel alive and excited. He brings out another side in me that I didn't realise I had."

"You look so happy," Clya comments.

"He's wonderful and I don't know how I just met him in a garden store."

"Sometimes we're just lucky like that."

"Do you need a key to lock up or will you be spending the night here?"

"Would it spoil your night if I stayed over?"

"No." I chuckle.

The doorbell rings and Clya leaps off the bed and races downstairs.

"Clya," I shout.

She's hanging out by the front door with a cheeky grin.

"Can't you peek out the curtains like a normal person?" I grumble.

"Open the door or I will." She laughs.

I open the door and Clya pops her head over my shoulder. Caelum is briefly taken back, but he smiles and waves.

"Good evening ladies."

"Hi, Caelum."

"Take good care of my sister or you'll have me to deal with, okay?" She gives him a menacing glare and Caelum tries not to laugh.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Clya."

She points to her eyes, then to him.

"I'm watching you."

"Okay, let's go."

"Have lots of fun but not too much fun." She winks.

"Oh my goodness," I grumble.

I shut the door before she can make any more embarrassing comments.

"Don't listen to Clya, she's just . . . I'm sorry."

"She just cares for you." Caelum smiles.

We wander down the pathway and he unlocks the car. I glance at my outfit and frown.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." He winks.

"What if I told you I hate surprises?" I raise an eyebrow.

"It doesn't change anything."

Caelum opens the door and cheekily smiles. I slide into the passenger seat and he closes the door.

The radio softly plays in the background as Caelum drives us to the mysterious location. I lean against the door and watch the street lights as they flicker past. I have no clue where we're going and I'll never admit that I actually enjoy surprises.

We arrive at a shopping centre and we take the escalator to the movie complex.

"So we're watching a movie?"

"Yes." He nods. "Wait here while I grab the tickets."

"Okay." I nod.

"You're not going to ask me what movie we're watching?"

"Would you tell me?"

"No."

"That's why I wasn't going to bother asking."

I take a seat on an old leather ottoman while Caelum grabs tickets and a mountain of snacks. He stuffs chocolates into his pockets and skillfully manages to carry the remainder of the snacks in his arms.

I meet Caelum by the entrance of the theatre and he passes the drinks. Our tickets are accepted and he leads us to a movie theatre which is eerily quiet.

"Are you sure we're in the right place? There's nobody here."

"I rented the place for us."

"What?" I gasp. "I didn't know you could do that."

"It surprised me as well, but it's not that expensive and you can pick whatever you want to watch. Bottomless popcorn too, how cool is that?"

"Pre-warning on the food next time, then I'll wear something stretchy." I chuckle.

"Okay, noted." He nods.

"Where do you want to sit? I like the middle back seats."

"You read my mind."

Once we are seated and eating, the lights dim and the opening scene of the movie begins. The camera zooms out and reveals a horse and carriage.

"How'd you know this is my favourite movie?"

"You own six DVD's which narrowed down the endless options, but I picked this one because the cover looked the most worn out."

"So sneaky, yet so smart."

"Thanks." He proudly grins. "Why is this version of Cinderella your favourite? I assumed it would be the classic Disney version or the remake."

"The prince doesn't just fall in love with her beauty, but how she sees the world for what it could be, how the step-mother actually has a reason for disliking Danielle and that in the end, she saves herself, she doesn't wait around for a man."

"I like that." He nods.

"I could go into more detail but we're missing the movie."

"Shhh." He laughs.

He holds the popcorn out and I grab a handful. We eat popcorn in silence and occasionally, I glance at Caelum to see if he's actually watching the movie, and surprisingly he looks rather invested in it.

"I love and hate this scene," I whisper. "It's cute how excited he is to show her to his parents and the people he's invited to the ball, but he's caught up in himself. He doesn't realise she's trying to tell him something."

"Communication is very important."

"And honesty. You can't build a relationship based on half-truths."

Caelum nods.

When the movie ends, the lights turn on and I blink a couple of times to adjust to the brightness. I collect the rubbish from all our snacks and carry them to the bin by the exit. We exit the cinema and his fingers brush against mine as we walk to the parking lot.

My heart races with excitement and I sigh as he takes my hand and leads me around the corner to the parking lot. There's a couple of cars in their bays but it's rather empty.

"Thank you for this."

"I'm happy you enjoyed it."

We stop beside his car and he fiddles with my fingers.

"Do you want to go for a drive somewhere?"

"Yeah." I nod.

We get into the car and Caelum leaves the shopping centre and drives around.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know." He laughs.

"Perhaps we could park somewhere and talk?"

We enter an industrial area and Caelum parks outside an old building.

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

"It wasn't too bad." He nods. "It's different from what I normally watch."

He leans against the console and puts his hand out. I place my hand in his and Caelum smiles as his fingers wrap around mine. I brush my fingers against his hand and smile giddily. Little butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"Next time we can watch a movie you like. Sometimes I'm good with horror, sometimes I just hide under the blanket."

"So we should watch horror movies?" He tases.

"Will you protect me when I get scared of the shadows?"

"Of course." He nods.

I move closer to Caelum and look at our entwined fingers. Black hair falls across my cheek and covers the side of my face. He tucks the hair behind my ear, then trails his finger along my jawline. He scoops his finger under my chin and I look into his blue eyes.

He rubs my cheek with his thumb and tingles shoot down my spine. I inch closer and my breath hitches as his hand slides to the back of my head. He guides our lips together and I swoon into our kiss.

Caelum's lips are soft and sweet as they move against mine. His fingers tangle into my hair, pulling me closer.

We part and I inhale a deep breath. His curious blue eyes search mine while I vibrate with excitement.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers.

"You're so cute and charming," I gush. "I really like you, more than I thought I would considering we've only been on a few dates. You make me feel alive and excited and I haven't felt like this in a long time."

"Evolet, you're like nobody I've ever met before."

I lean forward to kiss him but Caelum pulls back and sighs. I remove my hand and wince. Perhaps I said too much?

"I'm sorry."

Caelum takes my hand and gently squeezes my fingers.

"Don't be sorry, it's nothing to do with you. I always have a plan for things, I always have control over what I'm doing, but with you, I have no clue and it's hard to deal with not knowing what to do."

"What are you so worried about?"

"There's something I need to tell you or show you. I feel so deeply about you and that's why I need you to know exactly who you're falling for. I want to be honest with you, even if it scares me."

"Now you're scaring me."

"Can I show you something?"

"Okay?"

Caelum turns the car off and climbs out. I hurry after him despite the small voice telling me not to follow him. He unlocks a door which is bared with metal poles. He opens the door and inside it pitch black.

"Is this where you tell me you're actually a killer?" I nervously chuckle.

Caelum turns around and offers me his hand.

"Do you trust me?"

"Should I?"

"You can trust me with your life. I promise nothing will ever happen to you."

I take his hand and he pulls me into the darkness. The door closes behind us and I curl into his strong chest. His arm wraps around my waist as he guides me through the dark.

He opens another door and the smell hits me. Caelum places my hand on the metal railing and I squeeze it tightly.

"Stay here for a second."

"I'm scared."

"There's nothing to be scared of, I'm right here."

Something clicks and a light flickers on. Rows of lights turn on, highlighting the rows of black pots on the ground floor below us.

Caelum returns to my side. He doesn't know what to do with his hands, so he shoves them into his pockets.

"What? I don't." I gasp. "Caelum?"

"Solis and I grow and sell these plants as a side income. I know it's a lot to take in, but I need you to know who you're getting involved with. I can't lie to you about this."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Nothing, I don't know." He shrugs. "I've never felt like this about somebody and I've never shown this to anyone who's not involved with it."

I lean my arms on the railing and inhale a deep breath which is not calming considering the air is thick with the stench from the plants.

"Oh my god," I mutter.

He places his hand on my lower back but that isn't comforting either.

"I need to go."

I don't wait for Caelum, head outside and inhale a deep breath which isn't contaminated by illegal plants. Caelum exits the building and locks the door.

The drive home is long and silent between us, my thoughts aren't though. There's no sense in building a relationship with somebody who could go to jail except those damn feelings bubble in the pit of my stomach.

He slowly pulls into the driveway and I wait for the car to stop before jumping out. I hurry to the door but he chases after me and captures my hand. He twirls me around and his blue eyes search mine for answers I don't have.

"I know a million thoughts are racing through your mind right now, but think about everything and call me whenever you want to talk about it or us."

"Okay." I nod.

Caelum reluctantly drops my hand and watches as I scurry into the house. I close the door and lean against it.

"How was your date?" Clya pokes her head over the top of the couch and grins.

Her smile turns to a frown as she hurries to me.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"What happened on your date?"

I can't tell her I have feelings for a drug dealer.

"It was a wonderful date. Caelum rented a movie theatre and we watched my favourite movie. I think I ate way too much popcorn though." I frown.

"You seem off, like you're in shock. Is this about your feelings for him? It's okay if you're falling for him and it's okay if those feelings scare you."

"You're right." I nod. "I'm scared of my feelings." And the consequences they hold.

She tackles me into a hug and I rest my head on her shoulder.

Clya's phone rings and she runs over to answer it.

While she's distracted, I head upstairs and toss my handbag and shoes beside the wardrobe door. Clya enters the bedroom and folds her arms.

"The poker game is over and I'm being summoned home. Will you be okay if I leave? I'm a little worried about you."

I tug on a smile and nod.

"Don't worry about lil old me. I'm going to shower and change into something comfortable."

"Call me if you need me."

"Thank you."

"I'll see you later then."

Clya bounds down the stairs while I step into the bathroom. I turn the tap on and strip out of my clothes. I let the water wash over me as I move to the bottom of the shower.

Can I be with Caelum and despite what he does? 

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