Page 14 of Endless

I know the exact path she walks from her second to third class when she gets lunch. Today, I'm going to intercept her. Hopefully, she will agree to let me join her. The other students are still making comments about her here and there under their breath, and she pretends it doesn’t bother her, but I can see the pain behind her eyes.

I shouldn't seek her out again. This is a dangerous game I'm playing. If I involve myself too much, it could interfere with her purpose, but I do it anyway. I walk from the corner of the building, placing myself directly in her path. She’s just a few steps in front of me, getting ready to walk past.

"Kellan?" she calls out almost immediately.

I lock eyes with her and stop in my tracks, waiting for her to close the distance between us. Hearing my true name on her lips is the most glorious sound I think I've ever heard. I long to hear her say it over and over again.

"Lena?" I question. I have to make this appear to be an accident.

"What are the chances I run into you again so soon?"

"It's a smallercampus than you think," I say, not wanting to admit I've been waiting here for her and that this run-in wasn't exactly by chance. "How are you doing today?"

She glances around at all the people looking our way. They are curious. She's been keeping to herself since the video was released. Her breakup with Carson didn't go unnoticed. If anything, it brought even more attention to her during a time when she was trying to stay invisible.

I reach out to touch her arm reassuringly. "I don't care what they think."

Her eyes meet mine again, and time stops. It’s just the two of us lost to the universe within one another. Her shoulders visibly relax, and she seems to breathe easier as a faint smile spreads across her face.

"Are you sure? They have a lot of opinions about me."

"The only opinion I care about is yours. I don’t give a fuck about any of them," I reassure her, and it's the truth.

Fuck. Did I just say fuck?I've never felt the need to curse outside of my thoughts before, but it felt nice slipping off my tongue. She is transforming me into an entirely new being full of complex emotions and feelings. The Others will not be happy about this. The Others can fuck right off.

"Would you like to join me for lunch, or are you heading to class? You might not care what everyone thinks, but I've had enough stares this week to last a lifetime." She rubs the sides of her covered arms anxiously.

"Let'sgo grab something to eat. I have some time before I have anywhere to be."

I reach out my hand in front of her, prompting her to take it, and her breath hitches at the sight. She hesitates for a brief moment, looking up at me with eyes full of vulnerability as her chest rises and falls rapidly.

Nervousness fills me. What if she doesn't accept my gesture? Maybe she thought what she told me in the cemetery would scare me off or that I wasn't being sincere. I'm not sure how I would cope with her rejecting me. I give her a slight nod of reassurance, hoping that it will encourage her to trust me.

She intertwines her fingers with mine, and the moment we touch, everything around us changes. The grass looks greener. The sun shines brighter. The fresh smell of the air is more potent than ever. Chills run through me at the contact. I never want to let her go.

"I'm glad I ran into you," she confesses as I lead her to the dining hall.

Nobody else around us matters anymore. The only person she can see is me, and vice versa. Nothing can change the way the two of us feel. We still barely know each other, but we are made for one another.

"I'm glad, too," I admit.

Once we enter the dining hall, we grab our food and find a small booth in the corner of the room where we will have the least amount of prying eyes. I'm sure people are wondering who I am and if she is already slutting herself out to a new man.

Humans can't help but be curious, but it's none of their damn business. I would love to give them all finality in order to protect my pet from another demeaning word leaving their mouths. I can't do that, though. The Others would notice. I'm surprised they haven't shown themselves to me already.

I am almost positive spending the afternoon with Lena yesterday changed her path in one way or another. Kissing her definitely changed things. I'm grateful they haven't tried to interfere. Maybe they are waiting to see if I will do the right thing. The only right thing is for me to be with Lena.

The Others are the only beings who can change the outcome of the souls I am destined to collect and those in my realm. While I call them The Others, most people know them as God and the Devil. They are the only beings with the potential to override death.

I've never done anything that would draw their attention before because I've always been a neutral bystander. As of yesterday, in the graveyard with Lena, I have officially diverted from neutrality.

Soon enough, each of them will send their spokesperson to me in an attempt to get me back on the path I'm meant for. The problem with that is that Lena is now the only path I'm interested in. I'm sure some kind of punishment will ensue from it. My only hope is that I have enough time to figure out what to do before they send their lackeys my way.

She takes another bite of her sandwich, staring at me as I push around the pasta on my plate. We’ve been sitting here in silence, willing the other to start up the conversation first. Both ofus long to be in one another's presence but also share the same difficulty of how to act in a social setting.

"You're staring." I grin.

"Maybe a little. You're nice to stare at, though."

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