Broken But Yours

3. Beast and his beauty

Amber's P.O.V.:

It was 10:25 a.m. when I arrived at the Open Library. I glanced around, but there was no sign of him.

"Meet me at the Open Library tomorrow sharp at 10.30 am," I mocked his words, trying to lighten the situation.

Just as I finished mimicking him, I heard a throat-clearing sound. I turned around and felt my breath catch as I saw him standing there. He wore a white V-neck t-shirt under a black jacket, looking freshly groomed.

His intense gaze made me nervous, so I shifted on the spot. Anxiously, I extended my hand for a handshake, although I had a feeling he wouldn't accept it due to his pride. And, true enough, he ignored my gesture and walked past me.

I rolled my eyes and followed him to a nearby bench. He took a seat, and I sat across from him, feeling uneasy under his continued scrutiny.

"So, you wanted to meet me?" I asked, realizing that he wasn't going to initiate the conversation and was content with just staring at me.

His gaze lingered for a while before he finally spoke. "We're assigned to work together on this project, but I'm really not interested in collaborating with you. Don't expect any help from me on this project," he stated matter-of-factly before getting up to leave.

What the hell!

"Firstly, I wasn't expecting any help from you to complete this project. And secondly, go to hell!" I retorted angrily and walked away without waiting to see his reaction.

"What does he think of himself? He can't boss me around. First, he shouted at me in his apartment that day, and now he's backing out of the project. 'Don't expect any help from me in completing this project,'" I muttered to myself, mocking his words.

Suddenly, I felt a strong grip on my upper arm, and I was pulled with such force that I grunted in pain and stumbled on my feet.

"What's wrong with you?" I demanded, my anger mounting as I tried to regain my balance.

He still had a tight grip on my arms, and it was becoming painful. I raised my voice, shouting, "Let go of me!" But it had no effect as he closed the distance between us, and I could feel his minty breath on my face.

"What... what do you want?" I managed to whisper, my voice trembling. I stared into his eyes, which were now filled with anger, and fear coursed through me.

"Listen to me carefully, A. Nobody talks to me in that tone. Nobody! And, B. Don't mimic me from now on. I hate it! Do you understand?" he said in a dangerously strong and husky voice.

I was too shocked and scared to respond immediately, and he snapped at me again, tightening his grip on my arms. It jolted me back to reality, and I nodded my head vigorously.

"Good!" he said slowly, a smirk forming on his lips.

He released my arms, shoving me slightly, causing me to stumble once more before he walked away, leaving me shaken and disoriented.

I examined my arms, which were badly bruised from his tight grip.

"What does he think of himself?" I muttered to myself, watching as he walked away.

*****

"Can I please change my partner for the project?" I asked Prof. Louis Gradenerr, who was busy on his laptop typing something.

"I'm afraid, Ms. Milburn, but you can't," he replied without even looking up from his laptop.

"Sir, the scholarship is really important to me. I can't miss this opportunity just because my partner isn't willing to help me. Isn't there anything that can be done?" I asked, expectantly.