The Beautiful Monster

Chapter 262  Brave

Melina couldn't help the look of awe that spread across her face. It was rare to find people as selfless as him. It honestly made him that much more attractive to her, and she didn't think that bar could rise any higher.

"Well, I think you're brave," she said softly.

Tyler smiled at her, reaching out to take her hand.

"You make me feel braver. When I heard you crying for help, I didn't hesitate, not even when I smelled the smoke or saw the fire. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he told her.

Melina's heart thumped heavily in her chest as she looked down at their joined hands. The touch was so gentle, so intimate. It was hard to process how she felt.

"I feel bad for blaming you," she admitted. She gave him so much trouble when he was just trying to help.

"It's smart of you to not blindly trust someone," Tyler replied as he stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "But of course, I want you to trust me."

"I think I do," Melina said as her eyes met his. "I don't think you'll hurt me… or ditch me."

Tyler moved closer to her, sitting right next to her so that their arms brushed.

"I'd much rather be right here, right by your side," he said with that playful grin of his. "I like that you're stronger than you let on. You're a special little surprise."

Melina couldn't help the shy laugh that burst from her. She shook her head at him, not thinking that she was anything special. It was nice of him to say that, though.

"I'm just a normal witch that can do a little low-level magic," she told him.

Tyler leaned closer to her, only a few inches between their faces.

"Liar," he whispered.

Melina smirked, rolling her eyes at him playfully. Maybe she could do a little more than that, but she was cautious with higher level spells. She didn't want to lose control.

"I love practicing magic. I just don't know what I want to do with it," she told him.

"Help people," Tyler said.

"How?" she questioned him.

"Protect them," Tyler replied, reaching up to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Melina nearly shuddered at his touch, her heart skipping. The touch was so sweet and so simple. He could affect her so easily.

"I don't know how," she admitted. She knew defensive spells, but she had to have more confidence to run toward trouble and defend other people. "I get scared."

Tyler gave her a gentle look.

"The stronger you make yourself, the less scared you'll be," he assured her.

Melina supposed that he had a point. Maybe she needed to study even more. If she was more confident in her abilities, she would be less scared facing off with people.

"If you're not scared, you must be really strong," she murmured as she gazed at him. She wanted to close the distance between them so badly, but she held herself back.

She couldn't kiss him. She couldn't be with him. She told herself to keep things platonic, but that felt nearly impossible when there was so much chemistry buzzing between them.

"I try to be," Tyler said, his eyes moving over her face slowly. When they reached her lips, they halted for a few seconds before moving on. "Especially for the people I like."

Melina smiled shyly and nodded.

"Is that a lot of people?" she asked, unable to help her curiosity.

"Just a small group," Tyler replied.

"I just have my dad and Blair. I used to have a really close friend, Lily. Well, we're still close friends, but she graduated a few years ago.

She's one of the strongest witches that I know," Melina told him, feeling a slight ache in her chest when she remembered how much she missed Lily.

She wanted to see her so badly, but Lily was off seeing the world. Melina didn't want to stop her journey.

"I bet she would be proud to know how strong you've gotten," Tyler said with a warm look.

That was a nice thought. Lily acted like an older sister to Melina, taking her under her wing and teaching her things about magic and life.

Melina loved being around Lily. She felt safe. She felt like she was near family. It was heartbreaking when Lily had to leave school, but Melina was also happy for her.

"Yeah, she would be," she murmured before lowering her eyes. "I miss her a lot. She was always there for me when I needed her. I could really use her here now."

"Are you that close to Blair?" Tyler asked.

Melina nearly winced at having to talk about Blair with Tyler. It was awkward since Blair wasn't that big of a fan to Tyler, and she didn't want to stir up any drama.

 Though, she was stirring up drama by even hanging out with Tyler when she told Blair that she was going to keep her distance.

"I mean, I love Blair, but we're not as close as I was with Lily," Melina explained. Blair wasn't the sweetest person in the world, but she showed her kindness in certain ways.

She could have a sharp tongue that hurt Melina at times, but Blair was the type to not have a filter. She was honest, which Melina figured she should appreciate.

"I have a feeling that she doesn't like me that much," Tyler chuckled lightly.

A sheepish look filled Melina's face.

"Oh, I just think she doesn't know you," she replied. She didn't want to take any sides. She wanted to defend her friend, but Blair was wrong about Tyler, who she was starting to warm up to. Melina felt caught in the middle, desperately trying to escape without being caught on either side.

"How long have you two been friends?" Tyler questioned her, looking and sounding genuinely curious.

Melina didn't know why he even cared, but he seemed to just be curious about their friendship.

"About two years," she replied. "She has all these popular friends, but she randomly talked to me one day. We became friends after that."

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