Challenge Accepted

Chapter 13

Hello! I know it's been centuries since I last updated. I hold my hand up in defeat and admit that it was partially because I had better things to do. No, not personal things, I've had several tests and projects due that I couldn't fail. Here is the chapter, for now I've let it be a fluffy, yet emotional chapter, but the final reveal is gonna come soon, maybe another chapter or two. I don't want to make this book too long because there are a bunch of plot bunnies racing around my head which I think make a better book than this. Sorry for all the chatter, enjoy the chapter and comment and vote!

We'd probably spent more time kissing than actually talking. The next morning was the exact same, and so was lunch. Not that I minded. He was clearly an experienced kisser, and he knew his way around women.

At that thought I felt a pang in my heart. It hurt to think of how I was just another woman to him, someone he would throw away once this challenge was done and move on to someone else. Just another woman, I repeated the phrase several times in my head until I felt sick in the stomach. The phrase didn't stop repeating, instead, it continued to torment me.

By the end of school, the phrase was drilled into my brain and when I closed my eyes, it was burning through my skull in fiery letters. Marek was walking up to me, a genuine smile playing on his face, something I hadn't seen in so long. I'm not even sure if I've ever seen that smile.

He practically runs over to me, captures me in a hug and kisses me. It would be the perfect movie moment if you added some snow and removed all the jealous bimbos, except, those words were still burning into my scalp. I made no move to kiss him back, still abnormally bothered by the idea of being temporary.

I shouldn't be so bothered, it was all a game anyway. Why was I so bothered? After questioning myself four times, Marek moved away. The smile slid off his face and his eyes became thick with worry.

"What's wrong Alessa?" His quivering voice asked, worry evident.

"I-I'm not sure you'd like to know," I started, unsure about what I was thinking and whether or not it made my feelings clear.

"Tell me." He ordered immediately.

"I'm temporary." I exclaimed, with both rage and sadness conveyed in my voice. "After this deal, this challenge, you are just going to move on and do all this with other girls. I don't matter. Not to you, at least."

His face looked slightly taken aback and at this point I wouldn't have blamed him if he bolted in the other direction. But he didn't. Instead, he placed both his sturdy hands on my shoulders.

"You're not temporary. You mean so much to me," he assured me, then he added, under his breath, "You have no idea."

My vision started to blur, and Marek chose to lead me to his car. He gently pushed me in the passenger seat, closing the door softly. I wiped the tears from my eyes, checking if my makeup had run in the mirror.

A small streak of black had run from the inner corner of my eye and as I wiped it off Marek took his seat. He put the key in the car but didn't twist it. He put both his hands on my shoulders and repeated, "You are not temporary."

I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding in. After nodding my head weakly, Marek started the car and drove off to the town square.

It was a habit now, almost a daily ritual, for us to get some ice cream on the town square together before Marek dropped me off at my house. The tension was palpable, sitting in awkward silence until Marek had parked the car in the square.

It gave me the required time to think over his words earlier. This challenge practically forced me to be temporary, so why had he told me I wasn't. Was he getting feelings for me? Psh. Nope, that's impossible. He's Marek. Marek does not posses loving feelings, I thought, in some twisted state of disbelief.

Even as we were parking the car, I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe I was growing on Marek. I had never seen or heard of him be so possessive and caring towards another member of the female population. Baffled, I stepped out of the car before Marek could open the door for me.

"Ice cream?" He asked playfully.

"Ice cream," I confirmed. We practically skipped to the ice cream store on the corner. He took my small hand in his almost instinctively, with some animalistic, carnal desire. I smiled.

We walked into the store and a little bell went off, signalling our entrance. The lady behind the cash register greeted us, she knew us by first name basis, since we came here so often.

I took a table which faced the one of the large windows on either side of the door, fluffed the cushions on the bench, and took a seat. Marek came over to me, holding two cones, one with a sunset orange ice cream, mango, for me, and a pastel green one, pistachio, for him. He gave me a peck on the check, a habit we had picked up over the weeks, and handed me my ice cream.

As he slid his hand around my waist, the first snow started to fall. In that moment, everything was perfect.

Or so it seemed. 

How's that? Enough of a 'duh, duh, duh' moment? 

Well, I will update soon with the big reveal and I hope to write an epilogue or two. As always, comment and vote!