Ravenous - Book cover

Ravenous

Mel Ryle

three

MIA

“Uhm… thank you for bringing in my stuff,” she said timidly.

She wasn’t sure what to say next. And she wasn’t inclined to ask his help either. There were pieces of garments she’d blush in embarrassment if a man, particularly a stranger she’d just met, would see. It may sully whatever relationship they’ll have in the future.

Richard glanced up, meeting her gaze, and looked away towards the door. “No worries. I…ah…I should go and help grannie in the kitchen.” He informed and slowly walked back out. But then he halted, holding the door open for a second. He glanced back, meeting her gaze again. “Ye should join us, ye ken.”

Mia noticed a hint of pinkish glow on his cheeks. “I did say I will.”

He nodded and turned around. “Good.” With that, he closed the door behind him with a delicate slam.

She waited a moment longer, hearing his footsteps disappear, and grunted in frustration. Her awkwardness made her conscious of herself, which only fueled her insecurities. She hoped Richard wouldn’t think she was rude and unapproachedable. But the least of her worries is how to socialize.

How long as it been since she talked to anyone besides family?

Erik Alexander Kingsley.

A shiver runs down her spine, merely thinking of him.

If she said his name out loud, the image of his handsome face wasn’t far. She was then transported to a buried memory of a night her body ran in a cold sweat.

Her mind brought her back to the stage.

Like every other performance that evening, she was engulfed with emotions. She remained unaware of her surroundings. Her breath was calm; each intake was calculated and controlled. The spotlight glared bright like the sun on a hot summer’s day. The crowd was silent and focused. Their gaze was filled with awe and admiration.

Her hands glided in the invisible air, like a gust of wind creating perfect ripples on a serene pond. Muscles and joints in her body melted along with each movement. As the musical caress continued in the background, she moved in tune with it.

She was lost in the moment.

But then, there he was, sitting front and center. They locked eyes. A warmth deep within the pit of her stomach started to simmer. She got sucked in his tantalizing gaze until a sound loud as thunder broke her from his spell. Her body suddenly felt disconnected. She gasped and nearly choked while clawing for air. All of it happened in a second before echoes of screams erupted.

Nobody completely saw what happened that night. Yet she vividly recalled those pair of sapphire blue eyes staring triumphantly every time she conjured the memory. However, no one saw him attending her last performance.

Maybe the memory was part of a dream. She had been in an induced coma for days after the incident. Her mind may have played a trick on her. Yet her skin crawls every time she plays out the memory.

Maybe it was real…

Bam!

Mia jolted, returning to her reality from her daydream. Her heart hammered, echoing in her ear. It took her a minute to recover. The muffled voice sounded clear across her door.

“Mia!” Leanna called. “Dinner’s ready, sweetie. Come on!”

As she stepped out of her room, perfectly situated in front of the kitchen and dining table, Mia smelled and saw the plate of pie and salad set on the table with the tableware.

The dining table was circular. It had enough chairs to accommodate them. But one thing made her uncomfortable, she had no choice but to sit across from Richard. It wasn’t a bad thing, though.

Catching each other’s gaze, Mia and Richard abruptly turned away in unison and stood up. It halted Adelia and Leanna from their conversation, glancing between them.

“Where are ye going, Richie?” Adelia asked as Leanna did with Mia. “Are you done eating, Mia?”

Mia looked at Richard at the same time he did, and the two shyly glanced away again. Adelia and Leanna noticed their awkward reaction. Leanna bit her lips to keep herself from smiling while Adelia cleared her throat to hide her chuckle of amusement.

It was then Richard spoke up, sensing the increasing tension and the teasing glint on his grandmother’s eyes. “I’ll start doing the dishes, grannie.”

“I’ll go back to my room and finish unpacking, auntie. I’ve yet done half of it.” Mia grabbed her empty place.

Adelia nodded and gestured for Richard to go.

Yet Leanna held her niece with a stare, arching her eyebrow. “You’re still unpacking.”

“Yes. Why?”

“You were in there for nearly an hour, my dear. It doesn’t take that long to do it,” she commented.

“Well, I’m slow. You can’t reprimand me for it.”

Mia left the dining table, bringing her empty plate. She joined Richard by the kitchen sink. He already had the faucet running on top of the cooking pans. Richard stepped aside, giving Mia some space as she placed her plate by the sink.

“Thank you,” Mia muttered and glanced at Richard.

“No worries,” he replied in the same tone, staring briefly at her in an awkward manner.

Mia sighed and turned all her attention to Richard. “I’m sorry for being so…” she trailed off.

“Dinna worrit. I’m also socially awkward around strangers, especially someone who’s very pretty—uhm, sorry.” He coughed.

She smirked. “Don’t you get many outsiders visiting the town?”

“We do. It may be a small town, but we have a great tourist spot around the island. For one, we still have a fully functional medieval castle, which is rare these days.” He replied, still a bit timid, but his body relaxed. He picked up a pan and started rinsing off the grime.

“That’ll be the Kingsley Castle, right? Your grandmother pointed it out on the way here.” She distinctly remembered the dark gray stone walls, aged in time, and the sea breeze.

“It is. I forgot ye could see it on yer way here from the harbor.” He nodded. “Aye, the castle is a historical figure for the locals. And it’s what kept the town alive. Well, we do have the farmlands and the fishing, but the tourist does help out a lot.”

“Have you met the owner of the castle by any chance?”

Richard was startled at her question.

“I mean, you said that it’s functional, so that means someone owns it, right? Is that person staying in the castle?” Mia quickly added.

He snorted, recovering from his initial shock. “Och, no. Whoever owns that place is rich enough to afford to live elsewhere. And the locals haven’t met the family who owns it. They have staff keeping the place running.”

“Oh, okay.” She nodded in feign understanding. “And have you been to the castle?”

He was silent again, but this time he kept his expression passive. Mia was about to change the question when Richard replied. “Aye, I have. But I’ve not been there since I’ve been back.”

“Back?” She looked at him in confusion. “Were you living somewhere before you moved here?”

“If ye’r going to stay, would ye put this on the rack to dry?” He gestured towards the white empty frame-shaped mostly of thin wires and a tray below, passing Mia a washed pan.

Mia got the pan from him and place it on the dish rack. “Where did you use to live?” she pressed, getting back to her previous question.

“Just in the mainland. I returned here every four months or so to check on my grandma and grandad. I’m actually an engineer.”

“Are you really? Then why are you…?” She stopped upon seeing his expression twisted in concentration.

“My grandad had taken ill two years ago and passed. So, I returned permanently to help my grandma.”

Mia bit her lips to stop from prying more. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I have no regrets and was there with him and grannie on his last moments.”

“And your parents?”

He handed her another pan, which she soldierly placed on the dish rack again. “They passed when I was five.”

She sighed heavily, feeling awful for prying into his life and digging up his past. “I’m so sorry, Richard. I didn’t mean to…”

Richard handed her another pan, met her gaze, and forced a smile. “It’s okay. These things are common knowledge. If ye ask yer aunt or my grandma, I’m sure they’ll tell ye.”

Like that, the awkward tension between them returned, shrouding the progress they made to purge it.

Mia returned to her task of unpacking, and this time with more focus.

“Mia, come out and say goodbye to Adelia and Richard. They’re going now!”

“Yes! I’ll be right over!”

She studied her handiwork, smiling at its near completion before heading out. She saw the kitchen was already empty, and the pans and plates hanging on the dish rack to dry. There were voices in the direction of the door. She made her way and found her aunt’s back while facing Adelia and Richard.

Adelia called out to her. “Mia, dear. I’m glad ye’ve joined our little community here. I hope ye’d have a lovely time during yer stay.”

Mia walked up behind her aunt and reached around her, giving a handshake, “Thank you as well, Ms. Adelia. I hope so too.”

To her surprise, Adelia walked up and enveloped her in a brief embrace. Her body had gone rigid at the unfamiliar warmth. Gradually she relaxed a bit.

“Please call me Adelia, or if ye’r uncomfortable, Mrs. Grant is fine, dearie.”

“Mrs. Grant it is.” Mia abashedly looked at Richard. “And it was nice to meet you as well, Mr. McKenzie.”

He nodded in acknowledgment. “Ye as well, Ms. Harnett.”

She met his gaze briefly and saw his eyes widen and eyebrow in a knot. And then, he turned on his heel, walking down the porch towards one of the cars.

“We’ll live the truck with ye, so ye’ll have means of transportation. Richard can drive me around if I need to go somewhere. It’s no problem.” Adelia added and handed Leanna the keys.

“Thank you, Adelia, as always. Let me know if you need a hand as well. Mia and I will gladly help out.” Leanna offered kindly.

Adelia smiled and nodded. “We’ll leave ye two to rest. And my dear,” she paused and glanced back at Mia, “if ye need someone to give ye a tour around the island, Richard would gladly be yer guide. He told me to ask ye if ye’r okay with it.”

Mia was able to hide her surprise with a smile. “Of course. Tell him I’m grateful for his offer.”

“That was unexpected,” Leanna remarked when they were finally alone.

“It was. I thought he didn’t even like me,” Mia pointed out.

“What did you two talk about by the kitchen sink?”

Mia hesitated for a moment and then replied, “nothing much. I asked about the castle and other stuff… he told me about his grandfather and parents.”

Leanna lightly patted her arm. “I see. Richard’s a kind-hearted young man. You two would likely get along.”

Mia wasn’t sure what to respond and merely nodded. She had thought he’d want distance from her after their awkward conversation. But she was wrong. However, was she inclined to spend a day with him? Was she ready to open up to a stranger?

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