He couldn't be that far away, Ester realized. He must be somewhere, she thought as she made her way down the street. It was cold and dark, just like last night. But she at least knew how to get back again now.
Why did he even take her purse? He could've just said no to his sister and leave Ester out of it. But no, the man had to be complicated. She didn't even know him. He was a complete stranger, yet he managed to snatch her purse and leave her to run after him. And Ester Celeste never ran after a guy.
In fact, she hardly ever interacted with men. Now that she thought about it, he was the first man that touched her like that in a while. Even though it was because of the dance pose.
She shook her head. Where were her thoughts leading her? All she had to consider was that guy's rude behaviour and stupid actions that brought her in this position. All her stuff was in that purse, her jacket and phone included.
As she continued to walk, she realized nobody else was around her, again. A cold shiver ran down her spine and not because of the weather. She suddenly felt paranoid as she quickly turned around to see if someone was following her. Damned Devon! She didn't even know his surname to curse his whole being!
Ester sighed and turned around again, just to let out a high pitched scream. Her heartbeat was picking up speed within a millisecond when a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. But before she could turn around and run, she realized it was Devon.
"What is wrong with you?" He asked her, covering his ear. Ester glared up at him as she pulled her leg back and kicked him in the shin. Devon's eyes widened as he doubled over and held his shin. He let out a pained sound and looked up at Ester in bewilderment.
"What the fuck?!" He yelled at her, making her flinch slightly.
"What? You scared me, I didn't know it was you." She smirked, letting Devon know how much of that statement was true. Only half.
"You bitch." He straightened his back and grabbed Ester by the shirt as he roughly pulled her towards him. She gasped and placed her hands on his chest, trying to build some distance between them.
"You will not ever fucking kick me again!" He growled into her face, almost touching her nose with his. Ester gulped audibly, realizing just how dangerous he looked and sounded right in this moment. But at the same time, his tight grip on her shirt and intense stare caused her breath to hitch for another reason.
"Do you understand?" He asked her and she eventually nodded, causing him to let go of her and push her away in the process.
"Now, come or I'll actually drive off without you." He murmured before turning to his left and walking towards a fancy car.
Of course he was in a car this whole time she was searching for him, why did she not think about that?
"Wait, no. I want you to give me my purse and leave me alone." Ester demanded but involuntarily followed Devon to his car. He didn't seem to hear her or at least didn't answer as he opened the driver's door and stepped into his car.
"Devon!" Ester yelled when he simply shut his door and turned on the engine. She knocked on the black window of his door and waited for him to open it. But he never did. So she scowled at the window, convinced he was watching her from inside.
She rounded the car and opened the passenger's door. Devon was seated behind his wheel, her purse resting on his thighs. Ester took a deep breath and struck out her hand.
"Hand it to me."
"Get in." Devon ordered as he glanced at her. But Ester shook her head and reached out to snatch her purse away from him, but he was quick enough to take a hold of her hand and pull on it. She had no other chance than to get one knee inside the car, so she was able to keep her balance.
"Let me go. I don't know who you are and I'm not letting you drive me anywhere! Haven't your parents ever told you to never get into strangers' cars?" She finally exploded. Devon's lips twitched before he caught himself and only intensified his glare.
"I don't care what you say. My sister has given me the instruction of driving you home. Even though I really don't want to, I have no other choice. So stop being so damn complicated." He snapped and pulled even harder.
"Please, Devon let my hand go. It hurts." She wasn't joking, his grip was too tight.
"Then get inside." He growled, again pulling on her hand.
Ester had no choice but to climb into the car. There was no point in making a scene, because he did not seem like a guy who'd let himself be seen with a girl and then kidnap her afterwards. But what did she know about kidnapping? She's never gotten kidnapped and hoped it would stay that way.
"Seat belt." He said after she violently slammed the door shut. Ester uncrossed her arms and put the seat belt on. She was probably making a bigger deal out of this than it probably was. Obviously, he'd have no reason to kidnap her. She never met him before and he didn't seem to like her either. So she forced her mind to just stop overthinking.
"Address." Devon said in a monotone again and Ester couldn't believe it when she actually gave him her address. And before she knew it, they were on the road, driving towards her apartment complex.
It was quiet, not even the radio was on. She has never once experienced being a passenger in a car and not having any music playing in the background. But this, once again reminded her of her 2018 goal. To get out of her comfort zone and meet more people.
"You and your sister seem to fight a lot, so why didn't you just fight her on that?" She had to ask him. She just couldn't understand why he'd do that. Devon didn't answer as they stopped at a red light.
"Stop that." She suddenly heard him say and glanced at him. Devon was looking at Ester's shaking leg. She hesitated to continue, because she was afraid what he might do if she didn't listen to him. But when the lights turned green and Devon started driving again, Ester continued to shake her leg up and down.
"Stop it, or I'll make it stop." He growled angrily and Ester stopped immediately.
This man. They hardly even exchanged ten sentences and she already hated him. He was so angry and upset for no apparent reason. She could understand if he only were angry at his sister for dragging him in a ballroom for whatever reason. But she couldn't understand why he was so angry at Ester and let it out on her too.
"I would like to know why you're so upset all the time. I didn't even do anything to you and I know you-"
"You didn't even do anything to me? You kicked me and stomped on my foot!" He interrupted her and Ester grimaced. Fair point, she thought.
"Well, that was after you stomped on my foot and didn't even apologize." She counted.
"It was an accident." He admitted, looking remotely sorry before realizing what he was doing.
"But you had to exaggerate and get revenge a hundred times worse." He glared when he glanced at her. Ester flushed, realizing he did have a reason to dislike her.
"Well, you- you-" What was she trying to say? She should just let it be and stop this useless quarrel. But for some reason she wanted to talk to him, it was at least better than utter silence.
"You exaggerated by falling to the ground like a little baby." That did it.
"A little baby?! Take that back!" He demanded, stopping the car in the middle of the road. The sudden movement caused her upper body to jolt to the front and then slam back against her seat again.
"Take it back, Esra." He said calmly and turned his body towards her. Despite the feeling Ester got when he shifted his whole attention towards her, she scoffed.
"That's not my name."
"I don't care. Take your statement back, little girl." He said, sounding more amused than angry to her ears. But she didn't look at him as she crossed her arms over her chest again and focused her eyes on the road in protest.
"The term little girl is not as insulting as you probably wish it to be." She told him.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you." She didn't. Devon slammed his open fist on his dashboard, making Ester jump. She took in a shaky breath but stubbornly kept looking straight ahead.
"Tessa, I'm giving you one last chance to take your statement back." He said calmly. Too calmly and dangerously slow. Ester just huffed and raised her chin up a little higher. Devon suddenly let out a short and raspy chuckle. Ester's heart felt like it was exploding.
Suddenly he started the engine again and turned off the GPS. That action made Ester frown deeply. What in the world was he doing? He started off slowly, driving straight. But then he kept going faster with each second. Ester's eyes widened.
"Jesus, stop." She was gripping the handle by the door tight when he continued to gain speed. Ester started feeling sick to the stomach. She brought her knees up and started blinking fast, so the tears wouldn't fall down.
"Say, it. Take it back." Came Devon's serious voice. Ester realized why he was doing this. What a sick man, she thought.
"I take it back. Just slow down!" Her voice was small and broken. She didn't do well with speed.
"Say it." Devon gritted out, his voice almost unheard under the loud sounds the car made.
"Say I'm not a little baby." He ordered.
"You're not a little baby." Ester said and when he didn't slow down immediately, she closed her eyes, the tears wetting her cheeks.
"Slow down!" She yelled and Devon finally did.
"Wasn't so hard now, was it?" He murmured and then turned on the GPS again. He missed the way to her apartment and had to make an u-turn back. When Devon glanced at her, his eyebrows furrowed. She was shaking and trembling in a fetus position.
"Stop exaggerating." He said. Little did he know, she wasn't. Ester took a deep breath, still a shaky one and started straightening up. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and sniffed before looking out of the window, not wanting to look at him.
"And you called me a baby." Devon counted, scoffing.
"Let me out." Ester said, still not looking at him.
"We're almost at your house. Should I drive faster, perhaps?" He had the nerve to joke. Ester turned towards him with the hardest glare she could muster.
"You're a sick man and I wish nothing but the worst to come your way." She snarled at him.
"I'd be careful with the threads while you're in my car." Devon said, bemused at her courage.
"Fuck you."