Betrothed for Rejection

Chapter 15: Rose in the Garden

The staring competition carries on and soon his figure seems to get bigger which makes me realize he is actually coming closer, I gulp out of nervousness and feel a knot form in my throat, I back away a little fearful of what he might do or say, the images of what happened back in the suite vivid and fresh in my mind. He stops just a foot or two in front of me.

This moment seems beyond annihilating, I ponder on what to say, my stomach a bundle of queasy knots. Finally, I look away and he clears his throat making me look back at him,
"What were you doing with him ?"
"What ? Who ?" I ask completely lost, his eyes have already captivated me and I feel as if I am compelled to answer him.

My response seems to click something within him and his ocean blue eyes look sharply at me,
"Holder... Why the hell were you with him".
His hands immediately grab on to my shoulder, pulling me closer as my hands fall on to his chest.
"Adrian...He is my best friend, more like a brother to me... Why does it even matter".

He immediately pushes me away and looks to the side I am uncertain on what. I gather up courage to speak but the frown on his face is making my inner conscience shiver.
"Sorry..." He whispers after sometime. I nod my head in return, his hands come up closer to me and out of response I back away a little, this seems to amuse him and he takes a step in my direction. This carries on till my back is connected to the terrace and he is so close to me, I can sense his breath on my cheeks, he leans forward making me shut my eyes close. I feel his cool minty breath near my ear, before he whispers making my eyes bulge out.

"It matters Ailey... I don't know why the hell it does... But it matters alot..."

With that said, I feel his soft supple lips touch my cheek, pressing them sweetly, he backs away a little to which I look up at him, his eyes look sincere and concerned about me. I lick my lips which seem dry all of a sudden to which his eyes fall to my lips. His long fingers, slowly come up to my face and start running smoothly on my cheek, "What are you doing to me!" He speaks his voice all husky, making me feel more breathless and nervous than usual, my heart hammers in my chest as each of his words are uttered.
"I umm...."
"Don't play with fire Ailey, this world is garden of thorns, they will entrap the rose and let it wither, don't be the victim.. Don't let them wither you..."

"ADRIAN!!!"

The moment ends once, we both hear her voice, her eyes fuming with anger, we both break apart and she glances towards me, it seems as if, she would kill me in seconds if possible. Adrian looks at me then back at her, his face again cold as ice and showing no passing expression, he walks upto to Evelyn and whispers something in her ear, they seem to stay in an heated argument until she hugs him all of a sudden, what breaks my heart more is the fact that Adrian doesn't push her away instead he wraps his arms around her, shaking and lowering my head I walk back in, the tears evidently about to flow from my eyes and the image of Evelyn's victory smile embedded in my memory for life.

I don't have a clue why it hurt so much, but the fact that he had kissed me, touched me, had made me feel so good and so much, it had felt so right and so perfect making me want to crave for more, it broke me into a million pieces when I had learnt that it was all nothing in his eyes, it was a clear and brutal rejection to reality which I had been avoiding far too long.

It was after all the rejection that was long awaited in fate.