Arcane

Chapter 16

Keahi

"Come on!" Eteri pulls me down the hall and into her room. "That was a shit training, so I need your help," she says suggestively.

"Only if you beg for it," I tease her and close the door behind us. Her roommate isn't here and the lights are off which I don't mind at all.

Eteri doesn't like the dark and that makes this so much more fun. Just enough light to weave through the room flows through the gap underneath the door and I revel in the thought of how hard Eteri's heart must be beating right now.

I take my time walking over to Eteri's bed where she is already waiting for me, lingering on the edge before lowering my body over hers. I don't touch her, simply hover with my knees and hands caging her in beneath me.

"Please." She breaths out after torturous seconds of not closing the one-inch gap between our lips. Bringing one of my hands to gently stroke the girl's face before letting my grip morph into something more possessive and demanding, I chuckle when she releases a soft whimper.

Finally, I lower my head and kiss her.

There are no feelings involved, at least for me. And I've made that very clear. It was a rule I set in place when we started fooling around a few months ago and even though she says we are on the same page, I know we're not. As long as she doesn't bother me with her feelings it is not my problem, and we can continue.

I won't take the blame for any possible heartbreak. Not when my cards have always been on the table. If Eteri is feeling self-destructive, then so be it. If I get a good time out of it, even better.

-

"Where are you going?" she asks softly when I slip out of her bed.

"Your roommate will be back, and I need to get ready for dinner," I say, forcing my voice to sound less dismissive than I feel before I leave. I'm an asshole but I'm not trying to hurt the girl more than she already is due to her own inability to let me go.

I take a shower and eat dinner early before getting comfortable in a corner of the library. Not many Students come in here other than me. I'm lost in a book when I hear a familiar voice in a nearby aisle.

"You're part of the water division, right? How long have you been here?" Aidan is a guy from my division. He's a year older than me and has been here for three years. Another fact about him is that he likes to take girls into the library and tries to get in their pants.

He's the slimy kind of guy, getting a girl's hopes up and then making fun of her for it. I would feel bad for them, but I really don't care enough to do that. If they are naïve and think they are special to him then that's their issue. Aiden is a well-known player.

"A little over five years." I almost burst out laughing when I hear Malia's gentle voice. He really chose the wrong girl if he wants to get some action tonight. As far as I know, she's never even kissed another person, and I think I would know.

I keep an eye on her as much as possible, it gives me the best chance to hit her where it hurts most when I feel like it. It's not like she gives me much though. I've never seen her show any signs of weakness, or any emotion apart from happiness and anger for that matter.

I hear the two of them settle down a few aisles away from me and roll my eyes to myself. The library has two levels, but they are sitting between me and my way up. And my way out, for that matter. I definitely don't want them to see me. Malia is not completely braindead, maybe she'll tell him off in a few minutes.

But she doesn't. A few minutes pass and I am waiting for the moment Aidan gets rejected but instead, I hear Malia giggle around like all the girls before her. He flatters her and makes her feel special and she is too blind to see through his act.

I try to continue reading my book, trust me, I do, but they are talking loud enough for me to catch every word without making an effort. I guess they think this place is deserted as much as I did. I can't leave now because they will know I've heard their whole conversation and I will seem like a creep.

Aidan stays charming the whole evening, but Malia doesn't let him get too close to her. I can imagine he tried to make a move a couple of times but apparently, it led to nothing. They finally leave half an hour before curfew, and I can read my book again.

-

I see the two of them a few times together over the next few days. They seem to have gotten a little closer and I catch them kissing in the hall to the fire division dorms on my way back from dinner one day. Somehow, the image of her being pressed up against the wall with another guy's tongue down her throat makes me furious. Because I don't want her to be happy.

"Whoa, what's gotten you in such a bright mood?" Blaze asks after I slam the door shut behind me.

"Just saw the worst thing in my life," I announce, dropping down on my bed. "The princess French kissing with one of our own. The fire division has sunk low."

"I don't know about that. She's quite hot, in my opinion." He must be joking. My head snaps up to look at him so fast I think I might've pulled a muscle "Don't act like this now. I am sure you have been fantasizing about her as well," he adds

"As well?" I ask shellshocked.

"I've seen her in her uniform before and damn is all I can say to that. You are lucky you get to see her in those tight black clothes every day. The guy making out with her is kind of lucky, I didn't know she was available," Blaze goes on, but I am only half listening now.

My mind is occupied with what he just told me. Now that I think about it, maybe she doesn't look as bad as I thought before. Still doesn't make up for her being a nosy know-it-all. It might be enough to have some fun with her though. If I didn't hate her, a voice in the back of my head reminds me and I shake my head to get the thoughts away.

"Who was it anyways?"

"Aidan," I answer.

"No way!" he exclaims and I raise an eyebrow for him to elaborate. "I heard he made a bet with some guys about getting into a girl's pants but I didn't know it was her. Great, that means I don't have to worry about them getting serious."

"Right, because she would start something with you after getting played like that," I huff but Blaze doesn't seem to understand. "Whatever." I dismiss the conversation and get ready for bed.

She's too trusting, she'll break like a toothpick when she finds out. At least she'll learn from it. I only regret that I won't be the reason for her pain. There's a twitch in my gut at the thought, that persistent little voice nagging at the back of my mind but I block it out.

————————
Any thoughts on 16 y/o Keahi?👀

Have a good day, my loves<3