Just the Start. (The Clovers series: Book 1)

Chapter 18

I hope that Ducan is alright. Did his cold get worst? I rapped on his door lightly with one hand, holding a thermal flask of hot porridge in the other. There's no way he could eat the oily fried chicken cutlet served during breakfast. I had requested for Beatrice's permission to enter the kitchen to cook some porridge for Ducan. She was in-charge of the kitchen after all.

"Who is it?"

I muffled my voice. "Room service sir."

There was a short pause at the other side of the door. After some shuffling, the door slid open and I grinned.

"Are you feeling better now? I heard that you're sick," I examined his face closely.

I was expecting him to look sickly pale but he looked nothing of that sort-to my relief.

"Why are you here?" he asked rather severely.

I was taken aback by his biting intonation but I dismissed it. It's just the flu.

"I'm here to deliver your breakfast cooked by yours truly. Don't complain if it taste horrible though," I smiled, lifting the thermal flask up with a swing.

He remained unusually silent as his eyes lingered below my eye level. He seemed to be lost in his train of thoughts.

"Hello Ducan? Is anyone in there?" I waved tentatively in front of his face with my free hand.

Still no reply. My hand immediately went up to his forehead. I felt it and compared it with my own temperature. It was around the same temperature as mine so it's not a fever.

My sudden movement caused his eyes to flicker upwards. His eyes were clouded with emotions that I could not interpret. It was as though he was trying to convey something to me through his eyes, which I do not understand.

"Did something happen?" I questioned in concern. "You know you can share your troubles with me Ducan, we're frie..."

Nothing could prepare me for what happened next. One of his hands grabbed my elbow while the other flew up to the back of my head. Before I could react, he smashed his lips against mine and the thermal flask rolled on the floor, spewing out its contents. I stood there stiffly for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened. When I finally processed what was going on, my eyes widened and I lifted my hand to shove him away. However, his firm grip kept me in place. When I pounded his chest with my fist repeatedly to make him let go, he tightened his grip on my elbow painfully. Helpless tears dribbled down my face as I continued to struggle against him. When he finally released me, I jumped away from him, my head spun from the overwhelming emotions-shock, fear and anger.

"W...why..."

Ducan swallowed, staring hard at the ground. "I like you, Fortis."

The mental clockworks in my head were spinning so wildly that I was unable to form a single coherent word. The tears welling up in my eyes were enough to convey my feelings.

"I tried to tell you many times but...you just don't get it. And..." he paused to inhale deeply. "I saw the kiss between you and Zander this morning in the battle courtyard..."

My jaw dropped. I can't believe that it was his reason for doing that.

"That...that was a freaking accident! And nothing would justify what you just did!" I yelled as hot tears streamed down my face.

He stared at me with his mouth hanging open but no words came out of it. Then, I turned on my heels and sprinted away. I heard my name being called behind me but I continued to run. Even when I hit someone, I didn't stop. I didn't know where I wanted to go. I just wanted to be as far away from Ducan as possible.