Strings Attached

~Chapter 16~

I have this newfound need of wanting to prove myself to her. That I can be a lot better than a careless cad if I want to, and I really wish to make myself of use. Maybe it's an instinct of being a male and seeing a helpless girl in difficulty or maybe, it isn't so platonic but the latter thought disconcerts me more than I'd admit, so I quickly brush it aside.

However, I can't help looking her way from time to time and admire the shadow of her the streetlights bless me with. The light from her phone illumines her face (or what's visible of it) and her lashes swipe her cheeks every so often. How can someone's lashes be this long and this damn pretty?!

And looking at the enigma that she is, I remember the lyrics I wrote on her only a few hours ago. I'm made to revisit all of our encounters, dating back to that 'chest-butt' I gave her, and if I look at it as an outsider, I realise that I have been unusually beastly with her.

I've broken some rules that I vowed to never break with any girl. Especially due to what all I saw my mum suffer at the hands of her husband-- my father. I've been rude to her, insulted her... and even manhandled her. But the sadder part is, I don't feel as guilty as I should've and I'm a little bit of a miser when it comes to saying sorry.

Nevertheless, I've decided to help her in any way I can, even if she protests against it. Especially if she protests against it. I get this uncanny fun out of doing something she vehemently tells me not to. So, I go to her with a proposal.

"Can you give us some description of your purse? We might need to lodge a complaint with the police." She looks at me for a second, as if she can't believe her eyes. Probably wondering where all this goodness is coming from. Honestly, if she keeps looking at me like that, I just might fall for her. But then, when has she done anything to please me?

Her eyes fall back on her phone and she shakes her head. "There's no need for you to trouble yourself. I have a guardian here who can take care of such matters for me. Thanks... but no thanks."

"On the contrary, we just might need to trouble ourselves because it was us who saw the bicyclist, and not your guardian, whoever he supposedly is." I make air quotations around the word 'guardian' to show that I'm not amused at her sass.

"No need to act like you can do without our help. We're not offering it as a charity, just so you know." My words are bitter with exasperation at her behaviour. She does make a mite too much of herself.

Even though we don't need her thanks, she never even tried thanking us for halting our fun and waiting with her instead. Still, I'm not stupid enough to hold a grudge against her for that. But I've no patience left with her anymore.

"Give me your number. I'll contact you if I hear anything from the police." This time, it's me ordering her in a crisp tone. Her eyes widen at my blatant demand for her phone number. "Don't flatter yourself that I'd call or text you for anything else."

That chills her a little, I think, but she keeps mum. "You giving it or not?" "I---," she begins, probably with some excuse but I spy her unlocked phone in her hands and grab it, put my number and give myself a call, before giving it back to her. I guess she's tired because she doesn't fight me. Hopefully, she's realised it's no use fighting me the whole damn time.