42.

-HER-

His head snaps towards me as soon as those words roll out of my mouth. The hurt is very evident on his face. I instantly want to apologize to him and tell him that I didn’t mean what I said but instead of that, I find myself pressing my lips in a thin line.

He looks back at the road with the hurt expression. It pinches my heart to see him like that but I am not going to ignore the fact that he has been keeping me in dark.

“Do you really hate me?” He asks after some moments. The hurt is audible in his voice. I find myself sinking deep in the seat as well as the guilt. I look anywhere but at him.

The question is left hanging in the air as several moments of silence pass by.

“Cybele,” This time his voice comes out sterner and stronger, “Do you hate me?” He repeats himself. The hurt is gone and it’s replaced by another emotion that I cannot comprehend. His voice sounds deeper too.

It sounds more guttural. Something that only a wild animal is only capable of making. I am silent as I sit still in my seat. I continue to stare out of the window as if I haven’t heard him at all.

I notice that we are closer to my house. I decide to sit through this for a couple more minutes before I’d be free to go. I internally sigh in relief when he finally pulls at the corner of the road that leads to my house.

“Thanks for the ride,” I mumble as I undo my seatbelt and reach for the door. My heart speeds up when I find it unlocked. The severity of the situation instantly weighs my shoulders down. I freeze and gulp audibly before I slowly turn to him.

“Jake,” I draw out gently, “Please open the for me,” My heart is drumming in my chest when he looks at me. The black of his pupils has bled over the whites in his eyes. There’s something eerie about the way he is looking at me.

The hunger and ire on his face only belong to a predator who is about to leap at its prey.

“Jake,” My voice comes out weak and shaky. His nostrils flare as he continues to stare at me. His body looks tensed like a spring, as if ready to leap at me if I push him further.

“I asked you something. Answer that,” His voice has completely changed now. It’s deep and has texture to it. It’s as some wild animal is speaking.

I couldn’t tell if he’s doing this to sound and look intimidating to me or as if that’s actually natural. The way the air in the car has shifted, I know that something is definitely wrong with him.

“Jake, are you all right?” I whimper. At this point, I can hear my heart thundering in my chest.

“Do you hate me, my dear mate?” He asks, leaning closer. My back is soon pressing against the window but he wouldn’t stop leaning closer.

“Jake,” I whimper. I am scared but a part of me is excited and turned on by how he looks right now. I don’t know what is wrong with me. I couldn’t help imagine how it’d be like to push his buttons.

I am curious to know where this could go if I push him more.

Fortunately, my senses haven’t abandoned me yet. I decide to use them.

“No, Jake. I don’t hate you. I didn’t mean that” My voice is a whisper when I say that. He doesn’t move back. His hot breath blows on my face. I could smell his cologne and wonderful musky scent.

The butterflies in my stomach are distracting me.

“Then why did you say that?” He questions, putting one of his hands on the window behind me so that he could lean closer with its support. I feel those strange sensations course through my skin as soon as the tips of our noses brush.

I sigh deeply before I finally accept it, “I am just mad at you, Jake,”

His eyes soften a bit but the anger is still there, “I haven’t forgiven you yet either,” He tells me. My eyes widen as soon as I remember the promise that I made to him.

I’d have to go out with him in order for him to forgive me. The slight smugness on his face tells me that he knows he has gotten me.

“I went out with you, Jake. Twice,” I tell him. The tips of his lips instantly tug up into a smirk as the intensity in his eyes increases.

“I meant a date, Cybele. Go on a date with me,” He clarifies.

“What were those then?” I crossed my arms on my chest.

“Those weren’t dates. Not for me,” He shrugs while not moving an inch from me. I am aware of how his eyes would flicker to my lips before they’d travel back to my eyes.

“If I go on a date with you then would you leave alone?” I ask him and instantly his chest vibrates with an animalistic growl.

“That’s not part of the deal,”

“Then let’s make it a part of t-“ Before I could finish speaking, his lips are on mine. I didn’t get the chance to catch on my breath. I press my lips in a thin line but his determination wins soon.

He kisses me hungrily. He’s so demanding, I find it hard to keep up with him. After several tries, when I finally manage to pull back from the kiss, I am gasping for breath. He doesn’t spare me a full second before his lips are back on mine.

I am completely flushed by the time he is done with me. It takes me several moments to catch my breath and gain touch with reality. His chest is rising and falling rapidly as he watches me possessively from his seat.

“I’ll come to pick you up on Saturday at 3 pm. Don’t be late,” He speaks holding my gaze. He sounds a bit out of breath due to the intense make out but I clearly heard the commanding tone in his voice.

“Okay,” I mumble. I instantly hear the door click unlock.

“See you on Saturday. I’ll text you,” He says behind me as I get out of the car and walk towards home with a dizzy head and wildly beating heart.

....

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The next update is on Friday