|WATTYS 2021 Shortlisted| ❝Teach me.❞ ❝Teach you what?❞ ❝Teach me how to be a bad boy.❞
Elias Rodriguez has a crush on a certain cheerleader (since forever), but she has a thing for bad boys, not chemistry nerds. Lucky for him, the cheerleader's bes...
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Chapter twenty-four | What she said
"Princess?" I heard a deep male voice call out. "Lea?"
I jumped away from Cynthia as she did the same. Her eyes were wide with realization, and she rushed out of the kitchen.
I turned the stove off, taking my sweet time before following her outside.
Stopping away from the duo, I silently observed Cynthia hugging her father.
Donovan Crimson returned his daughter's embrace with equal enthusiasm.
I averted my eyes when he petted her hair lovingly, kissing the top of her hair. Somehow, I felt like I was intruding on something personal.
As he pulled back from Cynthia, his eyes moved towards me. With awkwardness rushing through my veins, I gave a weird smile as a blush colored my cheeks.
Cynthia turned towards me as she noticed her father's diverted attention. "This is Eli, dad. He is my friend. He is joining us for dinner."
"Hello, Mr. Crimson," I said as I extended my hand towards him.
Giving me a slight smile, he nodded and shook my hand. "Hello, Elias. The Rodriguez boy, I know." He aimed the last part towards Cynthia as he gave her a genuine smile.
Mr. Crimson looked down at me with deep brown eyes, analyzing me silently. I fidgeted on my feet as I tried to maintain calm under his intense scrutiny.
Cynthia cleared her throat, removing our attention from the apparent tightness in the room's atmosphere.
"It is good to meet Cynthia's friend, other than Andrea," he offered as he moved inside the living room.
"It is nice to meet you too," I murmured as I averted my eyes and followed them inside.
My flight instinct wanted me to go MIA, but I held myself back for Cynthia's sake.
Cynthia turned and gave me a sheepish smile, making me roll my eyes.
"Do you want anything, Dad?" Cynthia asked as Mr. Crimson settled on the couch.
"A glass of water, please," he said as he smiled at her adoringly.
As Cynthia made her way towards the kitchen, she squeezed my shoulder as I leaned against the door frame. "You will survive," she whispered as she moved away.
"Take a seat," Mr. Crimson said as he invited me to sit next to him. "I don't bite."
His attempt at a joke did nothing to dissipate my nervousness.
Heaving a heavy sigh, I nodded and took a seat next to him. Turning towards me, he scrutinized my every expression and move.
"So you are Cynthia's friend?" he asked, slowly as if questioning a toddler. His tone lacked intimidation, but his words displayed curiosity and doubt.
