Chapter 12 #2
Her hand was frozen in movement, and her eyes slowly connected to mine; a glint of panic ran through them. “What?” Her voice went an octave higher, almost as if she was playing dumb. But the act didn’t suit her.
“You said, I act worse than your child, and I’m asking, what child?”
She blinked rapidly, and I could see the engines in her brain turning as she took her time to answer. “Oh, um, I meant just like a random child. That’s all. You know children are little buggers.”
There was something so disingenuous about the answer. Like a secret, she was ashamed and tried so hard to hide. Why?
“So, what do you want?” She tsked, running her hand through her hair, finding a small grain of rice as she stared down at me.
A soft haze was entangled in the air between us. The running away in the midst of night held a stimulating thrill we secretly lived for.
Reaching my hand out, I told her. “Come.”
“Where?”
“Do you trust me?” There was a sincere, vulnerable inclination in my words. Wondering if all the time we spent together meant something? Because it did to me. Every word. Every interaction. Every moment. Since the moment we met.
She side-eyed me. “Do you really want me to answer that question?”
An unknown nerve ticked in the side of my temple, and I forced her hand, pulling her hard towards me. She stumbled a few steps, her shoulder brushing the center of my chest. “Get your ass over here.”
“Ay, so grouchy!” she dramatically exclaimed.
“Keep walking before you won’t be anymore.” I slapped her ass hard.
She paused in her stride, turning her body in my direction. Her lips screwed with distaste, yet her features were somehow playful. “And how exactly do you think we’ll get to your surprise?”
“It ends with me so we can skip everything else and get to it.”
“Ha, like I would ever want you. Stop being delusional and desperate, Kon. I’m not interested.” She flipped her long dark wavy locks over her shoulder, jutting her hips side to side as she continued to walk blindly into the path of trees.
My chest clenched with contempt, my palms fisting with displeasure.
The way she rejected me would have made any man go crazy.
If I had no consideration for her vows, I would have grabbed her by the neck, slammed her against the tree, taken her lips, and made them know only my name.
Perhaps we’ll have time for that later.
Staying put, I observe her, folding my arms, watching her roam freely from tree to tree as she tries to find her way out in the obscure midnight.
Just waiting for her to ask me.
“Where is the freaking exit! And why aren’t you helping?”
“Well, since you’re all-knowing, I thought you would just zap us to our destination.”
“Don’t be sarcastic.”
“Then don’t be so naive.”
“I’m not naive. I'm realistic. You’re a criminal if you haven’t realized that.” She crossed her arms, giving me an inquisitive look.
Carefully trailing over to her, with every step calculated and brisk, until I backed her against the tree and caged her in with both of my hands next to her arms. My breath above hers. “So if you’re with a criminal, then why in your right mind would you come be with me alone in the woods?”
She glanced around, her focus shifting to the dark distant surroundings of trees, grass, and nothing more. Her gaze eventually leaned back to me.
“You’re not kidnapping me, are you?”
A deep noise of contentment rose from my throat. “Tempting idea.”
“Seriously, you … you…” she stuttered, seeming lost for words.
“Psycho?”
“The word seemed ill-used given your personalities, so no. I’ll go with misogynistic.”
“Misogynistic?” Really, out of all things?
“Yes, and you hate to see women reject you, so you’d rather hold one against her will.”
My brow curved at her ongoing delirious nonsense, not knowing why I kept entertaining her. More like she was using me to pass time. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, because you’re making up for other things you lack.”
“If I’m lacking and boring, why did you come here?” I posed the question, needing to pick at her brain because I didn’t fully understand her. In truth, I barely knew much, yet here I was thirsting for more knowledge.
“Well… well…” The words hung on her tongue, blots of frustration painting her cheeks.
“What’s wrong? Found yourself amused? Or do you know once you’re trapped and go into this forest, you will never go back the same?”
My eyes glared into hers, daring to eat her alive as the critical question made the air we breathed suffocating. Bleeding with fervent ardor, unable to escape the prison we kept digging ourselves in. And that was the worst part; we were both playing for keeps.
She avoided any hassling and held her wrist out to me. “Well, go ahead, take me as your prisoner, or I’ll go back to the convent.”
Seriously, did she have a death wish, or did this woman not understand the concept of danger? Instead of running away when given the chance, she runs to it. Seeking it like a euphoric relief.
Truly, I couldn’t get my finger on her, but hopefully if I was lucky, I would get a finger on her tonight.
Maybe, just maybe.
Definitely. She’ll be ours and ours only.
She cleared her throat, drawing me out of my thoughts. “Ahem, your choice?”
One large breath left my lips as I pushed myself off the tree and walked past her, forward toward our destination. If she wanted this, she would have to decide. Everything was done for her, so if she wanted it, she would come and get it.
One, two, three—
“Where are you going?” she loudly demanded.
Indifference rolled through my shoulders while I kept on walking, letting her come on her own terms. “Sapere Aude.” Dare to know.
“Ugh,” the noise escaped the depths of her chest as she stomped her foot.
Her voice lingered not too far behind as I heard the snap of the branches and crunches of the leaves, and the next moment, a force bumped into me.
The gravitational shift was barely effective, as she only made my shoulder move.
Keeping her pace up with mine. “I swear if this is bullsh— crap you’re pulling off, I’ll beat you alive. ”
“How romantic.” I turned my head to her casually.
“Trust me, that’s the better ending.”
“What’s the worst one?”
“Aw,” she batted her lashes like a vixen. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Fuck, yes. I needed to know. The vain desperation made me want to know every single thought that ran in her mind. This woman held me on the verge of madness, and my sanity was already questionable.
Within a few spare minutes, we ended up in front of an array of long green vines as I pulled them aside with one hand to reveal, and Blair trailed onward before pivoting in her walk.
“Wow,” she whispered in awe.
The silver moonlight illuminated the scenery that the vines tried to contain.
The small ripples of water revealed a private river stream with lotus flowers floating amidst green moss growing on the rocks and stones and a large waterfall flowing in the background.
Dragonflies added that special touch as they glowed here and there.
“It looks like something out of a movie!”
And with Blair by my side, it was paradise.
I grunted as I stretched my hand out, signaling her to go further as she spotted a small wooden curved boat parked by the ancient bank of the river.
“Is that—” she blinked twice, her eyes growing larger. “A gondola?”
I nodded, slyly watching as the shining dark waters sparkled like diamonds in her hazel green eyes. Her eyes on the ocean, and the world was in her eyes. Just the slight change in emotion made the surprise worth it.
I dreamt of making her smile. Always.
“Where did you get one?”
“We’re in Italy. It’s obvious how.”
Her brows became conjoined, lowly setting on her browbone. “You stole it.”
A smirk betrayed me. “You know me so well.”
She laughed, then tried to disguise it with a scoff, attempting not to give me any satisfaction.
“Typical gangster activities.” As she crossed her arms, she eyed me.
“Ex-gangster.”
“The difference?”
“None, but I’m not the same man I was five years ago. Aren’t sinners allowed to change?”
“People change. It’s inevitable. Whether for good or bad, how can I judge you for doing so?”
“Now, you're starting to sound like a martyr.”
“Trust me, if I were to die for something, there’s only two things in the world I would die for.”
“That being?”
“Ha, you definitely don’t have those privileges yet. At least get me drunk before you try to start invading my personal life.”
She had a point.
Blair walked up to the gondola as I offered my hand, and she took it, stepping her left foot in and then her right. The boat shook on the night waters as she balanced herself and avoided capsizing it and sat down on the wooden seat.
After she was safely in, I jumped in as the boat swayed side to side.
Blair's eyes rounded as she held her hands out like she was trying to balance the gondola. “Ah, be careful! What if we drown?”
I sat down to meet her eye level. “Worried about me, kotyonok? I know you would just die if something happened to me.”
“Shut up! I can't swim, so I'm worried about the depth of the water!”
“It’s only five feet of water.”
“I’m five-four. Your point?”
My eyes roamed her body up and down, calculating her true height.
She scolded and threw me a dirty look. “What are you looking at?”
“There’s no way. You’re five-four. You’re more like five-foot nothing.”
“Shut up! I am not! Besides, why would I lie about my height? What do I gain from that?”
“An ego boost?”
“Ego boost, my ass. Jerk.” She slapped my arm; the subject appeared to be sensitive as she crossed her arms and pouted.
Shaking my head, dismissing her little act, I begin to row the boat down the stream.
“Well, as much of a crime as it is. It’s endearing.” A faint smile pressed against her glossy lips. The light rounded her delicate features.
That, right there, was all that mattered— her happiness.
It was worth more than gold— hell, the world itself. As long as I had that, I could die happy.