Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

2.9 | Something So Harmless + Two-Way Street

"I do." I ordered, "Now quit judging." I feigned offense when he laughed. "I can very well call you whatever I want. And you are a rude, meany, Lord Governor."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

What were we? Kids? Yes. That is how we were arguing in the moment and no, I did not mind. It felt good.

"I am not!"

I answered in a singalong voice, "You are, you are, you are."

He looked ready to counter the pointless bickering but paused as reason caught up to him. Our eyes locked for a second, taking in a moment of silence, before our faces morphed a smile and we burst out laughing.

I leaned back on the chair, almost tripping over as the rocking chair tilted back a bit too much than I had intended for. "Whoa." My instant reaction was to grab the first thing to pull me back up and prevent the chair from tripping back, causing a nasty fall.

My fingers clutched the table as the chair stopped moving, I looked up to see Arnav out of his as well, too shocked to react.

Something so harmless could be so harmful.

Then, I felt my clothes sticky and my gaze traveled to it. "The hell to the no." I muttered. He continued to remain silent for he was smart enough to know, nothing he would say could calm me down. My remaining lunch had just fallen all over me.

See, this. This is the reason my appetite continued to be threatened.

"I blame you."

He defended at once, "Me? I did nothing!"

"If you'd just given me your fries, we wouldn't be arguing like kids, then laughing and now this." I waved a hand towards my shirt.

His eyes traveled to it for a second, eying the mess. Still, I felt the need to snap my fingers at him so he'd stop staring at my shirt as if he could see through it. His eyes blinked to meet mines and apologized, unsure if it would calm my anger. "Um... sorry?" He forwarded a box of tissue, "Here."

I glared at him. Seems in this case, he was the one to lack general knowledge. "Dude, tissues are not going to clean this mess!"

He replied sarcastically, "I would know because this just so happens to me every day."

I inhaled deeply to soothe my anger. I shouldn't be getting mad at him. It was my never-ending carelessness that needed to be blamed. In control of my emotions, I stood up and said politely. "Thanks for lunch... despite how it ended. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to clean this up." Then I started talking to myself, "I doubt I can though. I don't even have anything else to change into."

He pointed out, "Sweet pea, are you forgetting where you are standing? This is a fashion house. There are tons of outfits in catalogue. Wait, I'll go get something that will fit you." He started to walk around me.

I countered, "Oh no, no way am I going to wear those expensive clothes and be responsible for ruining them too. Thanks, but I'll figure something out."

He stepped back to block my path when I tried to leave, "Hey, stop. Do you think I care if you ruin something?"

He should! I wanted to argue but he didn't give me a chance.

"Now are you going to continue standing there in that or let me help you?"

I pointed a warning finger at him, "If you get something indecent..." He bobbed his head to the side to question if I really thought that little of him. I shut my mouth and just waved at him go.