Liya
I was bathing myself in the swimming pool, alone early morning. Memories of last night ran through my head and all I wanted to do was wash them away. I didn't want to think of Chase or whatever he had said.
Anything that came out of his mouth was dirty flirting and he couldn't care less if he was running his mouth on the girl he hated. I dumped my head under the bluish waves of the water and closed my eyes.
'It made my cock hard', his words came back rushing to my mind.
Even though I had my eyes closed, the presence of his body eradicated like an orbit with unease around me. It was the closest he had ever been to me. He even refused to hold me when I had passed out in my bathroom.
But yesterday there was a different tone of hatred in him. He was frustrated, extremely frustrated about something. It looked as if this man who claims to have everything sorted in his head even though he's an alcoholic was troubled... by me.
Reaching for the edge of the pool, I pull my head out, taking my hands to brush the hair out of my face and run it back. The smell of cigarette fill my nostrils making my eyes fling open to find him sitting at the edge of the pool, smirking with a cigarette between his soft peachy lips.
"It's a bit too early for a swim, Strawberry. Don't you think?" he comments taking another inhale of his cig.
Shirtless. Right arm tattooed entirely with sophisticated yet sexy objects. His abs clear along with the bicep vein that's sticking out on his left arm which is clean of tattoos. Messy hair, half-sober eyes.
"Don't you think it's too early to smoke a cigarette?" I question back to which he chuckles ignorantly, leaving me unanswered.
"You weren't here last night when I was home," I further enquired.
"Had Luka pick me up from the club last night at 1," he informed turning back to look at me.
"And I'm glad he did," his eyes run along my swimsuit with happiness.
The same happy spark that brightens the darkness that covers his eyes like a curtain hiding something haunted and fucked up. It was similar to something yesterday when his arms caged me against the wall.
Yet, maybe the spark was even sparkling more this morning because this sight was only present to him and not thousands of other people.
"I'm glad it wasn't from jail," I chuckle softly throwing my head to the side at which he doesn't make a comment.
I look back at him and watch him eat this deadly cigarette up like he enjoyed the taste of wood. I can't believe I'm watching someone take six months off their life right in front of me. Even if it's the guy I hate because of his immorality, the humanity in me doesn't sit at peace.
"This is so bad for your brain. You probably haven't had breakfast or even a glass of water," I lectured.
"I'm convinced you were good at biology in school because who the fuck cares about how breakfast of a glass of water impacts the morning brain," he joked carelessly which made me want to slap him.
"It's common-sense Chase. I'm not surprised that you lack it," I roll my eyes.
His breaths slowly exit his lungs and become loud sounds even though they weren't. I turn my body away from him to have another dive before...
"What will you give me if I stop?" a smirk appeared on his face as his lips puff out a gush of smoke, making my stomach drop with nervousness.
"What do you want?" I hesitantly asked looking deeply into his eyes.
"A kiss," he demands, wiping off the smirk on his face and putting on a serious expression which made me chuckle because never in his dreams will I be kissing him.
"You must be out of your mind," I responded starting to swim in the water to take a break from what he had just demanded.
"Never in my seven lives will you have me kiss you," I stubbornly reject his thoughts.
"I'll get my kiss, Strawberry. You don't worry about that," a playful attitude came across his face.
I stand straight in the pool and look at him with a bit of disgust and anger.
"This must be one of your little games to please your little ego," I taunted madly.
"No," he simply responded with a limit to his answer which pissed me off even more.
"There's nothing special about my kiss and you're always talking about my dirty mouth running after you for everything you do," the argument came weak in defence.
"First correction, pretty mouth. Second correction, your kiss is so special that when I go to hell I'll be bragging about it to the devils down there. Telling them about how I tasted heaven right at my mouth and how it filled into my body like this cigarette does," he leaned forwards, close to my face now.
A huge gulp travelled down my throat at hearing those words. I've heard them before. Somewhere. Our eyes locked whilst I tried to figure it out.
"Shakespeare," the warmth of my lips hit his chin, making him smile a little.
"Correct, Strawberry," was all he said before taking his legs out of the water to walk away from me.
An urge in me made me step out of the pool and call him from behind.
"You didn't even bother to take me out of my bathroom and had Mira carry me down the stairs to your car. And you're talking about kissing me when you act like touching me is like touching dirty shit. You're slapping me right on my face with this humiliation!" I yelled.
He turns back to look at me flaming with anger. I see what he was trying to do. He was making me feel worthless, like my uncle had. My uncle had made me feel worthless, like I was a dirty piece of shit no one would ever touch.
"You really can't be this blatant," he says with a chuckle, annoyed a bit within his voice.
"What do you mean?" I stepped forwards, glaring at his face.
"You hate the scent of alcohol. You don't even go near a person who's held a bottle of alcohol even though they haven't consumed it," he started to speak.
I nodded yes, confused at what he was trying to get at. He turns his head to the side, stealing his gaze away from me.
"I still remember that moment, when you walked in through with him the first time. He was about to leave towards his room leaving you between strangers when you grabbed onto his hand with fear," he spoke, taking me back to that exact moment where Luka had hated me for speaking brutally of his alcohol addiction.
"I saw his eyes melt at your touch and his body sting with a strong current from just your touch. It drove him mentally insane," he describes carefully examining the moment in this head as if it was something that haunted him.
"You really think he dropped alcohol for his health and future?" Chase scoffs turning his head back to face me.
"No, Liya. He dropped alcohol because you wouldn't touch him again if he consumed it. He wanted to be touched by you, even if it was your hands lightly brushing against his by accident," he expresses walking a bit closer to me.
"I drink and smoke so that you don't touch me. Your touch might drive me insane and more crazy than your presence did since the first day," more nervousness filled my body at his words.
The heat from his body was radiating onto mine with vibes that sent feelings that he wanted me to desperately touch him. I could smell the alcohol and cigarettes off his body and for the first time, I didn't want to walk away or move back. I wasn't even feeling disgusted.
"It's nothing like that," I closed my eyes, unable to keep them rolling in his.
"It is. You have no idea how electric a slight touch of yours can be towards a corrupted man. It's enough to bring him back to life. And I don't want to come back to life," his smoky breath hit against my nose.
He wasn't touching me and neither was I touching him but our bodies were too close in this moment. There was so much warmth and heat within us that it didn't feel horrifying. It felt safe and desiring. Something I haven't felt towards any man, not even Luka.
"Let me be a bad man Strawberry," he softly uttered, making my eyes spring open with the need to look at him.
"This way you'll be at peace because if I was a good man like Luka, I would have been more selfish than I am right now," he warned taking a few steps back from me.
My eyes twitched left and right at his words. Before anything else was said, Luka had interrupted both of us.
"What happened here? Did you guys fight again?" he asks like a father would to his two kids.
I glared at Chase who stood there still and effectless.
"I fucking hate him," I growled under my breath as I brushed past Luka.
Why is he suddenly saying these things to me? It's suddenly driving me insane and it's annoying. The more he talks the more I hate it because whatever comes out of his mouth becomes a need of memorizing for me. I hate to remember his words, his face and everything about him.
Luka was leaving tonight for New Jersey to complete the trip he had cut for me when I had ended up in hospital. Which meant I was going to be stuck with Chase for the next two days whilst he got that done and back.
✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿ ✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯
I am awakened by a phone call by Ellah who seems to be excited about something and yelling over the phone.
"Liya, congratulations! You've made quiet a talk since the international runway that you're all over social media," she squealed with excitement.
"Wh-what?" I question trying to get myself to wake up properly.
"Yes! And get to the agency fast. The Victoria Secret Valentine special shoot is supposed to be today and they want you to take it," she informed blowing my mind.
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