He has a heart of stone... but for her he's burn the world.
Kieran Diaz has thought about one thing since he was seven years old: killing the man who murdered his father. He doesn't have time for love and that's just the way he likes it.
But when he...
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I FEEL LIKE SHIT.
Slowly, I stirred awake and blinked a few times when I saw the blinding white light. My throat felt drier than gin and my head was pounding with the worst headache I'd ever felt.
"Hey Butterfly."
I tried to turn my hea to follow the sound of my father's voice but it hurt too much and I groaned as the pounding in my head intensified. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here. Right here." My father suddenly appeared before me and I felt the warmth of his touch as he held my hand.
"What happened?" I asked, remembering I called Kieran when I suspected that Professor Hamilton slipped something in my drink; I'm not surprised he called my dad and got him involved. I am surprised though that he's not here with me right now.
"You're okay," My dad reassured me. "The combination of the drinks you had and the drug in your system caused you to black out. That guy never made it through the bathroom doors."
"I'm sorry." I told him, feeling stupid and horrible for putting him and my mom through this kind of worry. "I know the rules. I know I shouldn't put my drink down-" My heart started to race as I thought about what could've happened to me if I didn't act as quickly as I did and called Kieran. My dad is Christian Harper for crying out loud.
I know the rules.
Never take your eyes off your drink.
Never put your cup down.
My parents have been telling me this since I turned sixteen and the one time I let my guard down, this happened.
"Stop it. Don't you dare blame yourself for any of this." My dad tells me. "Just tell me what happened."
"I went out with Jennifer to watch her perform and I ran into one of my professors— Professor Hamilton. In class he's funny, charming, and easy-going— everyone on campus loves him. But at the club he was acting differently. More aggressive. More pushy. It made me uncomfortable but I thought I was overthinking, so I told him I'd have one drink with him. He must've slipped something in my drink when I turned my head to call the bartender." I explain.
"We're gonna get this guy, don't worry." My dad squeezed my hand before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"Where's Jennifer? Where's Kieran?"
"Jennifer is in the waiting room and Kieran is out dealing with Professor Hamilton now." My dad told me. "Thank God you called Kieran. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if he didn't get to you in time." He pauses. "Though, I don't know what he was thinking letting you go out dressed like that and drinking underage?"
"Don't start," I'd roll my eyes if that movement didn't hurt too much either. "Kieran tried to stop me, but I already made my mind up and once I make my mind up you know there's no changing it. Some people say I get that from my father." I teased.
Any other time that would've made him smile, but I knew he was too upset about our current situation so now wasn't the best time to remind him that he raised a daughter that was just like him in so many ways.
"I'm going to speak to the lead detective on this case. You're not the only female student this guy has tried to take advantage of. I'm gonna get this guy." My dad promised me.
I shuddered thinking of all the girls before who fell for his charms and good looks or worse- the ones who didn't and he just decided it didn't matter either way.
"Can you call Kieran? I want to thank him." I told my dad.
"Sure thing, Little Butterfly. You just get some rest." My dad pressed another kiss to my hair before he walked out of the room.
***
I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again I saw Kieran strolling into the room. My heart did the thing it always does when I see Kieran where it beats like Jackhammer against my chest at the sight of him. He's dressed in a pair of black joggers, and a black tee underneath a black jacket. For a moment, neither of us said anything, we just stared at each other. I can only imagine what he's thinking. I should've listened to him and stayed in. I know my dad told me it's not my fault, but it is. If I had just stayed in tonight none of this would've happened.
"Hi." I said, finally breaking the silence.
"Hey."
"I should've listened to you." I admit.
"Don't." He warns me sternly. "Don't blame yourself."
"How can I not? You told me you had a bad feeling about me going out tonight and I ignored you. I didn't listen because I was trying to get back at you." I confess.
"Back at me for what?" Kieran's face scrunched up in confusion.
"You've basically been playing games with my head since I moved across the hall. One minute I think you might like me and then the next second you freeze me out. Maybe it's all in my head-" I start to ramble but Kieran cuts me off.
"It's not in your head." He finishes for me.
"It's not?" I slit my eyes over to look at him, trying to gauge if he's telling the truth or not.
"No." Kieran sighed deeply. "But it doesn't matter. You're Harper's daughter. Plus I'm almost ten years older. You're off-limits." He reminds me, or maybe he's reminding himself.
"Age doesn't matter to me. We're both adults..."
"It matters to me. We're not talking about a tiny one-year or five year age gap. I'm ten years older than you."
I open my mouth to tell him that I don't care, but before I can, the door opened and my mom ran into the room with my dad right on her heels. I looked at my mom, took in her red puffy eyes and temporarily put my conversation with Kieran in the back of my mind. But we're far from done with this conversation.
My mom took up the seat next to my bed and held my hand. She gushed over how happy she is I'm okay and I feel worse about putting her and my dad through this when it could've easily been avoided. "I'm gonna give you guys a minute," Kieran said as he slowly retreated out the room but then paused at the door where his eyes met mine. "I'm glad you're okay Dahlia."
"Thank you."
"This is the second time you've come through for me and my family." My dad said. "I appreciate it."
"How can we thank you?" My mother wondered.
Kieran paused, making sure to catch my eye when he does before he answered. "You already did."
