CHAPTER 44

Genesis's POV

"Hi." I beamed at him.

He glanced up and just then, the hood draped over his head fell back revealing straight, long, black tresses scattered all over the centre of his scalp. The front sides were trimmed to the root while the middle was left to extend in length.

A light smile pinched the corners of his mouth and he stood, towering over me.

"Hey." He darted his head to the left and right and back to me. "I wasn't sure you were gonna come." He spoke in a low voice and whisper. I noticed he did that quite a lot.

"I wasn't sure you were going to reach out."

He frowned. I explained.

"You left upset the last time. Remember? I thought you were mad at me or something."

"I wasn't. I..." He gulped. "....needed time to myself."

He tipped his head, a small smile carving his lips. "You have it on."

I grinned and squizzed down at it. "Yeah, it's comfy and helps with the cold."

He nodded, "Looks better on you."

"Did Campbell just give me a compliment?" I teased.

Just like that, his demeanour changed, his expression turned cold ice and he developed a tick underneath his right eye. He began to trot away in silence. I drew back in laughter.

"Hey! Wait up!" I jogged after him. "Where are we going?"

"Where do you wanna go?"

I shrugged, "Anywhere."

"Hell then."

"No, I don't mean anywhere literally. I..."

"Good." He turned a corner and I followed up beside him.

We were extra close in proximity and our arms were bound to nudge as we walked. I slipped my fingers into his skin folds and weaved them together with his, silently waiting for some sort of rejection. For some seconds, I got none. A gentle squeeze was what came instead. I looked up at him. He had his eyes dead set in front of him but I knew he was watching me too.

The park had a massive rose garden and a creek and pond. There were a group of girls who seemed to be from college sitting a few feet from where we walked, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Someone was playing old French music on a boombox in a gazebo. A crazy man yelled at the top pf his lungs a few blocks over that interrupted the sweetness of it all but even that seemed almost humorous. I loved the entire serenity. It felt magical.

I quizzed, "Do you come here often?"

"Yeah."

"Alone or with friends?"

"Alone."

"Why do you like being alone?"

He shrugged and didn't respond.

"What do you do when you come here?"

He ignored and stared ahead. I sighed and averted my eyes, giving him time to get comfortable. I was getting to know his kind of person and I deeply understood this was completely new to him. Asides Keegan and perhaps the woman doctor, I understood his vibe around other people was dead and I was no exception.

A tight squeeze to my fingers which were still intertwined with his made me look up. He glimpsed at me from the corner of his peripherals and I offered him a small smile.

He sighed and let his eyes droop to his feet, "I hardly know what to say when it comes to you and I never do well when it comes to people I ain't used to, but I want to be open to you. As open as I can be. I want you to know me. I want to try, this...friendship stuff with you but I've got no idea how to go about it. I've got just one friend and I didn't kickstart it so this is pretty much the hardest thing for me, but I want to try. I do want to try."

I squeezed his arm understandingly, "I don't have too many friends as well so that makes two of us, but we could start by getting to know each other? I mean I know your name and you know mine but we could get to know what the other likes and dislikes, interests and so on or we could even start from the name exchange too. Let us act like we are just meeting each other for the first time then go on from there. Is that okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah, that's fine."

I grinned. "Great!" Then clapped. Excitement stirred. "I'll go first." I said, shooting out my hand. "Hi, I'm Genesis Margaret Reeds. Can I meet you?"

He stared at me with an unsure expression, lips pressed hard and brow furrowed in thought. I laughed and motioned him to follow up. "C'mon, it's your turn."

He smiled faintly and I wished I was in control of the way my heart beat faster.

"I'm not..." He chuckled. "I'm not so sure about this."

"We are getting to know each other Dario. We are trying to be friends. This is just the first step. We still have a long way to to go, mind you."

He tried to dodge. I quickly blocked the way and we ended up laughing at ourselves.

"Fuck."

"My hand is still out. It's still waiting for yours to meet it."

He stared down at it and narrowed his eyes. I held my breath, silently hoping he wouldn't switch into that character of him that wasn't so pleasant to see just when it seemed like we were finally getting along, like we were being frisky with each other. I prefered this playful side of him, this easy-going side. It made me think perhaps we could be friends after all.

He took my hand and clasped it into his big ones, smiling with teeth. "Dario Diego Guerra."

"Guerra?" I pulled a face, peering at him in bewilderment. "You are a Campbell? Aren't you?"

He looked at me in a way that read he knew something I didn't.

"How do you know that? We are just getting to know each other. Ain't we?"

"Yes but...Dario..." I cackled, coming closer. "Dario, are you trying to mess with me?"

"Come find out." He joked, grinning from ear to ear.

He began to retreat.

"Dario?" Jogging back. "Don't you...dario...da..hey!" Before I could say anymore, he took off. "DARIO!"

I chased after him, running as fast as I could to pin him down as he ran towards the benches in front. He was a fast sprinter, one who knew how to use his long legs well. It didn't take long before I found myself out of breath and gasping for air. Then I lost him. He wasn't in front of me anymore. I stopped and turned a three sixty, wondering where he must have disappeared to.

Out of nowhere, I was swept off my feet and immediately pressed onto a hard chest and swirled around like a little girl. A frightened squeal left my lips and just then, his scent engulfed me.

"Dario, you're...you're..." I stuttered, trying to recover from a heart attack.

He was roaring with laughter. I threw some punches to his chest which he effortlessly caught before they could land and spun me around so that my spine was levelled against his front and my arms were crossed and positioned below my bust.

"You're unbelievable."

"Did I scare you?" It was a flutter against the lobe of my ear but sent a wave of tingles through me.

"Of...of course. You gave me a heart attack Dario. I thought you were gone."

"I'm sorry."

My knees weakened and I lost the inability to think for a moment.

"I would accept it only...only if you stop...stop laughing at me."

"That's okay."

I quickly moved away and faced him.

"Where did you go?"

"I found a cut through those trees." I looked back to where he pointed. "Turned back through the other side and came up behind you." He laughed.

I changed my stance, balancing on my right leg. "Did you have a good run?"

"Sure needed it."

"Good because we are kicking off from where we left off and no stunt-pulling this time." I narrowed my eyes in his direction.

"Cool."

"Great! Let's go."

We walked in silence for a long moment, just taking in the beauty of the park. It was unique in its own way.

"I didn't know you were this perky." I said, still admiring the park.

"I'm usually not. It depends on the one who's able to bring it out of me but don't go telling the others."

I smiled, "Your secret is safe with me." Craning my head to look at him and making a motion to zip my mouth.

He winked.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

He paused and stopped walking. "I don't know." Then looked at me. "I haven't thought about it."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No. My mama only had me."

"How did you love being an only child? Were you spoiled?"

I felt the air shift instantly and an uncomfortable string of silence hung. His once playful countenance changed and fell into a stony expression and he replied with a faint air of hostility.

"Don't tell me if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

"I meant it when I said I want you to know me."

I touched his arm, "I know but you don't have to tell me anything."

"I want to tell you. I only need...time."

"That's okay. Take all the time you need."

He gazed at me and broke the eye contact, sighing deeply, sinking into the nearest bench and I joined him.

"You didn't tell me shit about you. Just me spilling all my secrets."

I laughed at that, "If I told you my secret, would you keep it?"

"Haven't you heard not to tell secrets to those whose faith and silence you have not already tested?"

"What makes you think your silence hasn't already been tested by me? For starters, you keep to yourself so who are you going to tell?"

He guffawed. "No shit. I am the worst at keeping secrets. I am the kinda guy that the second I get someone a Christmas present, I tell them what I bought them. I don't wait until Christmas. I ain't good at it."

"And while I know you are lying, I'll tell you this one. When I was just turning ten, I ran away from my birthday and I met a boy. But then I was a blind girl so I couldn't see his face but I gave him a present and he didn't speak to me. I think he was a bit scared. I never told anyone about him because I didn't want my dad and mum finding out I talked to a stranger. I never met him again though. He is my secret. My beautiful little secret." I finished with a smile.

For a long moment, he didn't say a word and I wondered if he heard me. He face was was blank and I couldn't read him. But then, he spoke,

"How...did you regain your sight?"

"I had an accident when I was with him. I was run over and I hit my head somewhere, probably a pavement. I don't know but the next time I woke up which was in the hospital where I was recovering from a six hour surgery on my neck. When I came around from the anaesthetic, I realized my sight had returned. I had been blind from birth and I could now see all the trees and white houses below from my small window on my side in the hospital. The doctors and nurses all called it a true miracle. They said they had no explanation for it."

A long moment of silence ensued. Then, he nodded and stood up.

"There's an eatery down the road. Do you wanna get some food?"

I gasped sharply, "Do you want to get me food? Oh my God! What have you done to Dario?"

"Don't hold your breath. Every man for himself."

I stood up and joined him as he began walking away. "I'm not a man."

"And you're still gonna pay for yours."

***

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