Journey has begun.. slowly
and steadily covers will be
peeled off. Destiny played
her cards, only time will now
decide... what, when and how
Truth to be unfold.

//Night//

** Dawn **

"What the hell are you doing here??" In front of my eyes Shade is standing doing something on my table. He is wearing a black T-shirt with black jeans and a black leather jacket. Hearing my voice he turns to look at me. Seeing his eyes roaming over my body from top to bottom, a knot forms in my core. But simultaneously, my mind was blazing with anger.

"What're you looking at, you pervert?" My anger is taking over my body and my hands clench into a fist.

"Come on, sweetheart! Don't be so hot." Saying, he comes towards me. His eyes are burning with a desire and a smirk is lingering on his face. As he moves closer, I start stepping back, afraid, until the cold wall hit my bare back where water droplets are still present.

Our faces are few inches apart and he put his left hand on the wall beside my head. He bends my left hand behind my back and interlaces our fingers. He tightens his grip and pulls me closer. Instinctively my right hand grips his left shoulder tightly and a low moan out of pain flows out of my mouth. Our chests are touching and his black messy hair is falling on his forehead. My heart is racing faster and louder. My cheeks get heated and legs quiver. I don't know how he is doing that. My whole body is shuddering under this intimacy. I am freezing like an ice cream under his cold touch.

He is looking straight into my eyes. His blue eyes for a moment are full of passion. But after few seconds, his eyes darken and become cold as if his coldness has sucked out all his warmth. He brings his lips closer to my left ear. His lips graze my earlobe as he says in his husky tone raising my burning sensation, "I'm here to warn you. Don't you dare tell anyone about yesterday evening! Otherwise I also don't know what I'll do with you."

Like a flash everything comes in front of my eyes and I panic. Then it hit me that Mom is downstairs. I unlace our fingers and with all my burning anger I push him away. With the sudden reaction of mine, he stumbles back.
I rush at the door and call mom. My voice trembles thinking about the worst. "Mo — Mom!"

But it's all quiet. Pin drop silence. Time is ticking off. One second. Two second... and with this my fear too. My hands sweat as fear grips me slowly. I look at Shade with a heated gaze. He was sitting on my bed, smirking and looking at me with mischief playing in his eyes. I dash downstairs and call her again, "Mom!"

As I approach towards the last step, I hear her humming. It is coming from the bathroom. Listening her voice my fear lets me off.

I move towards the bathroom. It's locked from inside and sounds of water splashing is coming. I ask with my suspicion still up. "Mom, are you inside?"

"Yes. I'm here. Who is he? And where were you in the last night? I was so worried!" Hearing her comforting, yet angry voice I can breathe again, normally.

"Nothing to worry Mom. I'm okay now. I'll talk with you later." I am feeling exhausted with all these stress and tension.

"Okay. You better tell me what you are up to. But who is he? Your boyfriend?" I can visualize Mom grinning mischievously.

I prefer not answering the question and so I head back upstairs mumbling, "You've no idea who he is, Mom."

I am shaking with anger because of the prank he played regarding my mom. Entering my room, I see him touching my old diary. Seeing that my mind gets out of control. I go straight towards him and burst out loudly with clenched fists, "Who the hell do you think you are?" It is so loud that my throat starts aching. I am trying very hard to control my anger but it's going all in vain.

"Oh, you don't know? You need to see it again?" He is eying my angry face slightly tilting his handsome face. Wait what? Handsome face? No, never. Hearing his words and mocking tone my mind stops working.

Without my knowledge my hand moves, and I slap him. My palm touches his smooth skin very hard and his pale skin turns slightly red. His eyes get wide and he is taken aback seeing my outburst.

I point my index finger at his face and lash out all my anger.

"Listen you monster!". As soon as he hears the word 'monster' I see a glint of pain in his electrifying blue eyes. I also feel a twinge of pain in my heart but within a moment his pain gets hidden under his rage and I also let myself be consumed by anger.

"Don't you dare play these kinds of pranks with me, specially on my mom! Then I'll not keep your secret, a Secret. And keep this in your monstrous brain, I'm NOT afraid of you." I am feeling like to rip off his head and punch him and god knows what. He could have told me that Mom is fine instead of giving that evil grin.

The way he is staring at me with his stiff face, my mind counts for a slap me or worse, a bite but instead of that, he again wears that same smirk on his face and narrows his eyes.

"Since you're not afraid of me, let me do something for which you, will be." Saying, he slightly tilts his head and glances at something beside him. I look there and realize that he is looking at my old diary. But before I can do anything he picks it up. Opening the first page he starts reading out aloud, "My Secret Holder."

I am stupefied and shocked. My eyes get wide as he says, chuckling, "Hmm... so this's your secret holder. From now on I'll keep it with me."

Hearing it, I get worried. No one shall get hold of that diary. I try to snatch it from him. But he lifts his hand above with the diary in his hand. I start jumping to take the diary but he is too tall for me.

"Stop jumping! Otherwise your towel will fall off." And I realize I am still in my towel.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." It's all I can utter. I move away from him lowering my face and fidgeting my fingers as I try very hard to hide my flustered face.

"So... what I was saying... yeah. My Secret Holder. So this's your secret holder, huh?" I look at him with pleading eyes. He is turning over the pages though his eyes are on me.

"Please Shade. Just leave that diary. Please." I say with pleading eyes. Saying nothing, he starts moving towards me. He halts keeping a little distance between us and says looking at me with a heated gaze, "Now you'll be afraid of me. Remember one thing, if you let my secret out to anyone then I'll make sure every person of this town gets to know your secret."

Then he moves closer, closing the little distance between us and brings his lips close to mine. My heart is again beating fast, and a heat rises from my core. Staying there for few seconds, he moves his lips to my left ear and whispers, "This time I have controlled myself but next time I'll not be able to. So don't be such a tease again." And then within a blink of an eye he rushes out of my room leaving me dumbfound, angry and flustered closing the door with a slam. And the word that comes out of my mouth is, "Shade Graynon, I Hate You."

☆☆☆

** Shade **

I hate you...

Sitting on the brown couch in the dimly lit library and holding her picture; I look at her sweet, beautiful and innocent face. Her light green emerald eyes and slightly arched brown eyebrows are beautifully carved on her oval-shaped face with a small buttoned nose and rosy nude lips whose upper part is more fuller than the lower. Her long brown and blonde hair is messy and few strands are falling over her sleeping face.

I have taken this picture of her on her last birthday. It was her 18th birthday. She enjoyed it with her mother and best friend, but at night she had got a panic attack. Seeing her asleep, her mom went to the washroom, and taking the opportunity, I sneaked inside her room from her room's balcony. I had to see her at least for once. She was sleeping like an innocent angel and I couldn't control myself from taking this picture of her.

"Ma Lumière." Every single time I look at Dawn's picture, it's the only word that comes to my mind. Taking my old diary which is lying beside Dawn's diary on the table, I start writing.

It was five years back in England when I saw her for the first time. She was brutally tied up with bruises and blood patches all over her body. She was only 14. Seeing her in that state was for the first time I felt so protective for someone. I killed those two who did that to her but can't find the person who ran away that night. Still now, I'm searching for that bastard. One year after that incident they shifted and came to this town.

I never thought I will get to see her again. But fate... fate has played her cards. They are out hunting for me, for her, for us. And I have to protect her from them. So we have also shifted. For the past four years she is suffering from panic attacks. And now she knows my secret. I have always wanted to tell her but not in this way.

They somehow got to know that we are here. So I had to join the same college to protect her. But now she hates me. Today I was so close to her. She was looking so beautiful. I got speechless and was just looking at her. Day by day, it's getting harder for me to not to kiss and hug her, to caress her wounded heart, to take away all her pain, to help her in healing. And the smell of her blood... Oh! It drives me crazy.

But, in a way it's good. She hates me now, otherwise I don't know when or how I would have hurt her. Moreover, how can I, a soulless dead monster help her in anyway. I will only bring darkness in her life. I can't see her in slight pain. And if that means she needs to stay away from me, then I'm okay with it. I can live with your hatred but not without you, because I have never hated you. I have always loved you and I will love you, forever.

"Shade!" I stop writing, hearing Melvin's voice coming from downstairs.

"What?" I ask him shouting as I close the diary.

"Come down quickly or I'll come upstairs. We have to go somewhere." I can't let anyone see Dawn's diary. I have taken it from her as it's not safe there and it will also give me the information of that person who ran away that night. I hope Dawn had seen that person's face.

"Coming!" I shout back at Melvin and in a hurry I put Dawn's picture in one of the diaries.

But what Shade doesn't know is, in a hurry he has kept Dawn's picture in her diary instead of his own.

☆☆☆

Hello friends!!! This is the seventh chapter. I hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks a lot for all the reads, votes and comments and also for the advices.

I have tried writing Shade's POV for the first time. I don't know if it's ok or not. Please let me know.😊😊

If you like the story please do
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Thanks a lot for reading it. I'll be updating again within two or three days.
Till then bye with loads of love.❤❤❤