Sol Cortez's POV

"Sol! Hey!" Yejide says, looking up from the table she is wiping down.

A smile lightens up her face as she sees me.

I approach her, with a bag of groceries.

"Hey, I bought you some stuff, since I know it's your first week back at work and you've been super busy" I tell her, feeling a little bit shy.

She smiles up at me and gives me a hug.

"Thank you, Sol. That's really sweet of you" she says, wrapping her arms around me.

I hug her back, pressing her body into mine.

"I'm so glad she's happy" Noir sighs happily.

I feel myself blush.

"Settle down, Noir. That's what friends do!" I tell him.

"Friends?! You know she's more than that to us!" Noir protests.

I nearly roll my eyes at him, but I remember that Yejide is right in front of me!

She pulls away from me and takes my hand.

"I just got off of my shift. We can go in 10" she tells me.

I nod and sit down, watching as she goes to the back to change.

The truth is, ever since that night in the diner, when the mark appeared on her neck, I've been worried sick!

I've been staying up late just to look at different reasons as to why it could be the case.

I came nowhere near to finding anything.

But I have an idea.

I just hope it works.

"She's coming back! Don't make us look stupid!" Noir growls.

I ignore him, standing up as she approaches.

"Ready?" I ask with a bright smile.

She nods.

I look at her neck and I see that she is wearing a turtle neck to cover it up.

"She's so smart!" Noir sighs dreamily.

"You said 'don't act stupid', huh?" I internally chuckle at Noir's pup-like behaviour.

I offer Yejide my hand and she takes it, walking out of the diner with me.

I hold the grocery bag in one hand, entwining her fingers with mine in the other.

We walk to her apartment, and she lets me in, closing the door after us.

"Make yourself comfortable" she says brightly and I smile down at her.

I take off my shoes and my other outdoor clothes, before going into her front room, sitting on the couch.

Just tell her Sol! You can make this right and you can make things better for her! Come on. Your mother didn't raise a bitch!

"Sol, do you want something to drink?" She asks walking into the room.

My heart immediately starts hammering in my chest at the sight of her.

"She wants to kill us!" Noir, chokes.

His voice comes out a little strained and raspy.

I let my eyes trail over her body slowly and deliberately.

She has now changed into some more comfortable clothes.

She now wears a pair of grey sweatpants, that do nothing but cling to her curves, a little looser on her waist, but tighter against her hips, thighs and ass.

Her t-shirt is tucked in to the sweatpants, not too tight on her upper half, but still a temptation in itself.

I gulp and shift around to get comfortable.

"Sol?" She asks, concerned.

I snap out of it.

"Ah... nah I'm good for now, I mean, I erm... Have you been working out or something? Your body looks great! I mean-! I- it looked good before, but, you know-"

I cut myself off before I can embarrass myself any further, feeling my cheeks redden with heavy blush.

"Well done, you idiot! Real fucken smooth!" Noir hisses, burning with embarrassment.

I look away, avoiding eye contact with Yejide completely.

To my surprise, she just chuckles at me.

I look at her and she walks up to me and stands in front of me.

"Yeah, Sol. I've been working out" she says.

I look at her, her hips now directly in line with my face.

I lick my lips as I look up at her, grabbing her hips, pulling her to straddle me, making her take a sharp breath.

Patience, Sol. Breathe!

She grins at me.

I run my hands up her thighs to her ass and I squeeze, maintaining eye contact with her.

Her pupils dilate slightly and her lips part as her breathing shallows a little.

"Your body looks incredible" I tell her in a low tone that causes her to shiver.

She shifts a bit closer to me.

"Sol" she says, her voice a small whisper.

Her arms move around my shoulders and I bite my lip, forcing myself to be restrained.

She looks at my lips, then back into my eyes.

I want to kiss her so badly...

"Do it then!" Noir goads excitedly.

She is a mere hair width away from me and my subconsciousness takes over.

"Yejide" I breathe

"Mhm?" She asks, looking into my eyes.

"We gotta stop. I need to concentrate and talk to you" I mutter.

She nods and pulls away, getting off of my lap and sitting opposite me.

"You have my attention" she says, crossing her legs.

She fidgets a little, the aftermath of what just happened, still affecting her a little.

"I may have found a way to look back into where the mark came from" I tell her, looking at her neck.

She looks curious.

"How?" She asks.

I take a deep breath and let go.

"I need to look into your mind" I tell her.

She nods.

"Okay. Just... just give me a minute. I don't want you to read my mind right now, okay?" She says, avoiding eye contact.

I look at her in confusion.

"Why, is everything okay?" I ask her.

She gives me a wry grin.

"Well you just rejected her, you idiot! What do you expect?!" Noir chastised.

I shut him off, feeling a bit guilty.

She stands up.

"I'm gonna get a cold drink. Are you sure you don't want nothing?" She asks.

"Same as you, please" I respond and she nods.

When she leaves, I sit back and close my eyes, trying and fail it to imagine what would have happened, if I didn't stop her.

I'm snapped out of it though, when she gets back with two cold drinks.

I take a bottle, thanking her and she sits down, taking a sip of hers.

"I'm ready" she tells me.

I nod and she leans closer.

I do the same, leaning closer so we're face to face.

I gently place my hands on either side of her neck, so that my hands cover the mark and I watch as her eyes drift closed.

I do a count down.

3...
  2...
    1...

Her eyes snap open and she gasps, her pupils, white and blending in with the whites of her eyes, mouth agape.

I close my eyes, as well.

Darkness.

I open my eyes and I am no longer in Yejide's living room.

We are back in the diner, and I'm watching a previous version of Yejide and myself laughing about me staying there all night.

My heart flutters.

It's a flashback.

I take her hand and I pull her close, swaying to the beat of the music with her.

She looks up at me with a shy smile then the rests her head on my chest.

All of a sudden, her eyes widen in shock and she holds her neck, wincing in pain, her knees buckling.

The memory version of myself, immediately grabs her, concern and fear all over his face.

I force myself to look, so I don't miss anything.

She removes her hand, just in time for me to catch an almost time lapse version of the mark appearing on her neck.

I watch, mesmerised!

It's as if a tattoo artist is using black ink to draw the mark on her neck, but with so much force and speed it could leave a trail of smoke.

The flashback version of me quickly rushes her out and that's where the flashback ends.

I am about to come out of her head, when a familiar voice starts to speak.

Not mine. Not hers, but familiar.

What was his name, Edwin?

Edward?

Ellis?!

"Ezra!" Yejide's voice calls out, like a gasp.

That was it.

I look at the memory. They seem to be in a gym or training space.

What are they training for?

Yejide" he responds, holding her face in one hand, a soft expression on his face.

She looks at him and my heart starts to hammer in my chest. I force myself to watch.

For Yejide's sake.

"Don't feel discouraged. You need to practice. That's why I was chosen to help you." He says to her.

"I know. It's just... it's deep. You know? Someone that I don't even know wants to take me down for what reason, I don't know!" Yejide says to him and my blood runs cold.

Someone is after her?!

Why didn't she tell me?!

"Ezra, I-" she says, starting to speak, but she is cut off, a familiar expression of shock washing over her face.

She drops to the floor, again holding her neck.

"Ahhh!" She groans, in pain and again, my heart wrings in my chest.

"Yejide?!" Ezra asks, immediately kneeling down next to her, his face similar to  mine in her flashback about us.

She seems to be in even more pain though, shivering as if she's in an ice bath.

"I- Ezra, it hurts!" She whimpers.

She lets go of her neck and just like before, as if a tattoo artist is drawing away at her neck, the mark starts to become more pronounced, another curved line, pointing in the opposite direction of the first, but still attached to the first.

Ezra picks her up and holds her close to him.

And that's where the flashback ends.

I shake off the feeling of intense jealousy and I try to think.

What are the similarities between the two flashbacks?

And then it clicks.

Affection!

The mark grows and the pain intensifies, whenever she feels affection!

And not just any affection.

It's romantic affection.

I know what we need to do!

I need to take her home to my realm.

I know someone that can help.

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~ Xo.