Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
I push the door open, entering Soren’s dorm swiftly. My heart’s hammering against my ribcage, fear and anxiety swirling inside of me. When I spot him on the bed, I let out a small sigh of relief, but the worry lingers.
Especially when I see Kenzo cleaning up the wound on the side of his stomach, bandaging up the stabbed spot. My heart sinks to my feet, and when Soren looks at me, I’m torn between kissing and strangling the living shit out of him.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” I scream, getting further into the dorm, taking a seat next to Soren on the bed.
“He wasn’t thinking,” Kenzo scoffs, pulling his hands from Soren and taking off the pair of latex gloves. “He should be grateful. He’s lucky he didn’t fucking die.”
Soren rolls his eyes. “Quit nagging me. It wasn’t that deep of a wound.”
“No,” Kenzo drawls out, eyes narrowed, his arms folded in front of his chest, “but you saw the knife just barely. It could’ve been very, very bad.”
“But it wasn’t.”
Kenzo scoffs, then leaves the room without so much as another word. My eyes find Soren’s, and I slowly cup his cheek. He leans into my touch, eyes closing as comfortable silence falls over us, my hand moving to the back of his head.
Then, I grab a fistful of his hair, yanking it backward harshly.
“What the fuck?” He yells. “Have you gone mental?”
“I should be asking you that,” I hiss through gritted teeth, staring into his hazel eyes. “What the hell were you thinking?”
He manages to get out of my grip, running his fingers through his hair, trying to fix the mess I created. “I wasn’t. I was so fucking angry.”
The moment Soren stepped outside with Grace, I had a bad feeling in my gut. It only intensified when she returned alone, and all it took was a single glance between Grace and Kenzo, for the latter to spring to action, Aiden and Elias following suit.
And well, she could no longer keep her mouth shut.
To say that hearing of Damien having that elevator picture of Soren and me was painful would be an understatement.
I’ve lost friends, I’ve gained some, but I’ve never, ever felt someone stab me in the back like this.
He was holding onto the picture and likely waited for the perfect opportunity to use it against me.
Who knows if he would’ve waited years to try and humiliate me? Or maybe his plan was to blackmail me all along? I don’t know which one is the truth, and at this point, I’m trying my best not to care.
“Soren,” I take a deep breath. “You can’t go around beating the shit out of people in my stead.”
He shrugs. “Why not?”
“Because!” I sigh, half-exasperated, half-annoyed that we’re even having this conversation. “You just can’t.”
“So, you’re upset with me for beating Damien again?”
“Well, no,” I drawl out, a speck of pride blooming in my chest. It’s completely wrong to feel this, but given the circumstances, I decide not to care about what’s morally right or wrong. “I’m giving you a pass for this one. But I do know you’ve just been waiting for a reason to do it.”
Soren gives me a wicked smirk. “What can I say? The bastard had it coming.”
“Uh-huh,” I roll my eyes fondly. “But this could have serious consequences, Soren. You could potentially get expelled.”
“We’re three months away from graduation. I highly doubt they’ll expel me, and let me remind you — he stabbed me.”
“He’ll never admit to that, and since you didn’t get proper medical care, there are no reports of the damned wound!” My voice is whiny, though it’s all the worry pouring out of me. “I’m worried about you, Soren. I’m scared how this will affect your future.”
Soren surprises me by yanking me toward him until he props me to sit on his lap, straddling him, our faces mere inches away. “What are you doing? I’m not too confident that Kenzo’s stitches won’t burst.”
“I was stabbed with a pocket knife, not a katana. Relax, would you?”
My hands rest on his shoulders, the tension slowly leaving my body. The longer he’s near me, his signature scent filling all of my senses, the calmer I become. The worry’s still there, but the overwhelming sensation of his hands on my hips takes priority.
“I know that,” I mumble. “But you were still stabbed. That’s dangerous, Soren.”
He lifts an amused brow, taking a strand of my long hair and twirling it around his index finger. He pulls it toward himself, then presses a soft kiss to the lock of shiny hair.
“Are you worried about me, Princess?” He murmurs.
“Yes,” I respond, with no hesitation in my voice. “Because you keep doing reckless things, Soren. This will end terribly; I can feel it in my bones.”
“You worry too much,” he cups my cheek, stroking it with his thumb tenderly. “It’ll be fine.”
“Well, then, if you’re so convinced you will not be facing repercussions for this, so be it. But when you do, don’t come crying back to me.”
He rolls his eyes, but a fond smirk tugs on the corners of his lips. “It won’t come to that point, Princess.”
I realize it’s too futile to argue with him about this, because we’ll be going in circles. He’s too proud to admit when he’s in the wrong, and pushing him will just waste my precious time.
“You and I haven’t gotten to talking yet,” I take a sharp intake of breath, mentally putting my big girl pants on. Being with Soren is definitely one hell of an experience, but this undefined relationship is something I don’t want. I want stability, and I want to know exactly where we’re at.
“Alright,” he hums, his hands wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer. He rests his chin in the valley of my chest, looking up at me. “What’s on your mind?”
“First and foremost, what you did regarding Cassia will never happen again. I will never, ever tolerate you lying to me again. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” his voice isn’t as loud as usual, but there’s sincerity in the tone that I can’t simply brush off. “I’m sorry. I was terrified of the impact it would have on you, so I didn’t think about letting you handle it on your own. I’m sorry, Princess. It won’t happen again.”
“Thank you,” I breathe out a sigh of relief. “But the fact that you brought that cunt into my home is something I’ll get back at you for.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t my decision to bring her,” he mumbles. “Regardless, it’s my fault, and I am sorry.”
“Okay, good,” I hum. “Now… what is this?”
“What is what?” He pulls back a little, his brow lifted in curiosity, eyes searching for mine.
“All of this,” I motion with my hand between us. “We’re graduating very, very soon. So, what the fuck is this? Are we a couple? Are we not a couple?”
Soren chuckles, then leans in to kiss my jaw softly. “You’re mine, Sophia. If you want to carry the title of the girlfriend, then you’re my girlfriend. If you want a ring, I’ll take you to the church right now.”
“This isn’t just about what I want, I’m not the only one in this relationship,” I scoff.
“Let me repeat myself,” he says with a soft chuckle, but something in his eyes shifts.
There’s that wicked gleam I’m used to seeing, but haven’t seen for so long.
“You’re mine, Sophia. That means I will never, ever let go of you.
You belong to me, and me alone. If another motherfucker so much as dares to look at you, he’ll end up like Damien, or worse,” he pauses, the threat lingering.
“I’ll marry you one day. So, if you’re asking me whether we’re exclusive or not, the answer is… do you dare to find out, Princess?”
Shivers run down my spine when he tightens his grip on me.
He’s looking at me lustfully, and I find myself getting hotter and hotter with each passing second.
His mind’s been made up, and the resolute confidence on his face confirms what I already knew — he’s obsessed with me, and this kind of obsession will not die out anytime soon.
So, I cup his cheeks, kissing him like I’m starved for him.
◆◆◆
oren and Kenzo move the cabinet. It’s metal, old, filled with dust, and heavy as hell. Aiden and Elias are outside, standing guard just in case, their flashlights pointing down the dark hallway we came through.
“There it is,” Grace says, stepping forward.
My eyes snap to the hidden door behind the cabinet, and it looks as old as the academy itself. The wood’s thick, dark, with carved out design all over. It’s very pretty, and seemingly barely used. There’s not a single scratch on the door, and even the handle itself is old.
Soren’s the one to push the door open, and we step into pure darkness. Avalon and Lila are right behind Grace and me, with Soren and Kenzo leading the group.
In the background, Elias and Aiden are complaining—rather loudly, might I add—that they’re the ones always being left out of everything exciting. I roll my eyes, just as Lila turns to tell them they can come inside, too.
The two are like kids on Christmas morning opening presents. Excitement is written all over them, and Aiden closes the door behind him, shoving his way through us all to be amongst the first people to enter the hidden room.
My hand taps the wall on one side, Grace doing the same on the other. She’s the one to find a light switch, and in an instant, I can finally see. I’m absolutely baffled, amazed, and shell-shocked at the sight in front of me.
The room is modern, with a big desk in the middle and six chairs in total. The desk’s located in the middle of the room, each chair neatly put under it so as not to take up too much space.
Then, there are two long tables, going from one wall to the other, with twelve damned computer screens. Yes, twelve. However, there’s only one massive one, with a proper chair, a keyboard, and a mouse. There’s a printer next to it.
“What the fuck,” Avalon breathes out. “This looks like a scene from some sort of crime movie.”
“If I see that these monitors are connected to all the security cameras, I’ll get very angry,” Lila mutters under her breath.