Scarlett has always wondered – why she'd constantly chosen to do things that she really does not want to. It was as if she could not hold the power over her emotions at times, particularly around Dylan. Why this exposure, why was it hard to get over him yet? Honestly, it was all fine until now but now that he was back again, Scarlett had always been under emotional wreckage and was always found overwhelmed. Dylan's touch reminded her of everything that they have had in the past and his husky tones only made it worse.
Even after knowing about his tactics, Scarlett badly fails to explain herself about how big of an affecting manipulator he was, he has always been, since he'd entered into her life since they were young. He was known to be highly skilled in emotional handling, he continued his facade to this day, and his deception only reminded her about her idiocy.
Being with Scarlett over the past had helped him a lot in knowing about what affected her more. Now that he was back to retaliate through his actions, Dylan had discovered his effect over her and took her vulnerability as his benefit, leaving Scarlett wobbly and irrational. It is not that she does not try to ignore his approaches; she surely does.
She couldn't retaliate – what was that all about, the things he'd just said to her outside the restroom. Scarlett could still feel his closeness and she cringed at the thought of him kissing her. She definitely would be insincere to herself, if she'd dare to wait for his lips to be against hers. It took all of her strength of mind to back away. His trickery, his betrayal and the cobweb of lies that he'd said to her, facilitated Scarlett much in backing away.
What does he accomplish by performing these tricky things? Why did he just not leave her alone for the rest of my life? These were the things Scarlett thought and questioned but nothing came back in response.
She was feeling so upset, perturbed, incensed, all at the same time. Walking back to the foyer, where people danced like maniacs, brought her out of her inner anguish. Furthermore, that reminded her of Leah.
All of a sudden, Scarlett was fuming at her. If she was behind this, inviting him to her birthday bash, she is going to face her wrath. Knowing their past, Leah had acted as a peacemaker many times and if she'd admit that she was onto that thing again, she's seriously going to get it.
Scarlett looked everywhere for her, to question her, the bar, backside pool, the living area and the dancing area as well. She was nowhere to be found. Finally, she appeared, coming out of the kitchen as she met with Scarlett's livid stares. Her forehead creased into a deep frown as she stood facing her best friend. "What's with you giving me those grimy stares?" She questioned in puzzlement.
Scarlett grabbed her arm, making her frowns only to get deeper as she forcefully dragged her to a corner. She does not intend on letting everyone know about this.
"Scarlett, you're scaring me now, alright," she huffed as she stared at her, "You seem so mad." She added.
"Dylan is here." That one statement was enough to leave Leah staggered.
"What?" She could only manage to murmur.
"You heard me right," Scarlett said as she studied her expressions. Before she could respond, she busted at her not thinking anything, "You invited him. Didn't you?" She hissed. Frankly, Scarlett could not hold anything else anymore and she apprehended it later that it made her feel so specious at that moment.
"I'm going to punch you if you are behind this," Scarlett hollered, her brows went wide in stupefaction but soon, her expression turned scornful.
Scarlett glimpsed around, traveling her gaze everywhere and instantly found the devil at an opposite corner, already looking her way, wearing tricky smiles. She shot him her most deadly glare and turned, facing Leah.
"Are you out of your mind? Why would I do that Scarlett?" Leah's tone came out as a defendant one and it was then that she realized how unreasonable and deadpan she'd turned. She lashed out at her friend, who was always by her side, no matter what.
"I know what happened, Scarlett," Leah held her arm assuringly; "I loved to take part in playing cupid between you both but not anymore." She gave Scarlett a concerned stare leaving her repented.
Scarlett closed her eyes, her furiousness instantly fading away as she sighed heavily. "What is wrong with me? I am acting so immature." She muttered under her breath.
"I'm genuinely sorry, Lee," immediately, Scarlett apologized to her as she felt her squeezing her arm, again assuring her silently, "It's just that I found him outside the restroom and I was so snowed under by his presence," she sighed again as she looks at her. She shook lightly, conveying to her that it was fine, but she knew it was not. She could not lash out that way. "I was not thinking appropriately." Scarlett completed as she instantly hugged her to make her feel better. Leah looked at her, not pitifully but it was only a concern for her.
"I'll be back. Don't go anywhere," she requested as she nodded lightly.
Scarlett deliberately landed her gaze towards where he'd stood earlier, but this time, she could not spot him. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth thinking about the possibility of him finally exiting from the party.
The loud theme of the party made her feel so nauseated. Therefore, she thought to walk a bit around the area – that would probably work and help her to stop thinking about one certain devious mind present in there. However, could she? Really?
The moment Scarlett stepped out of Leah's hallway, she was right away got introduced with a quiet and serene silence. She walked further towards the pool. Although the cold breeze that flowed effortlessly made her shiver a bit, the feeling was comfortable and calm. It was a cold windy night and the stars represented the massive sky. The reflection of the exquisite view into the crystal clean water effortlessly brought an unconscious smile to her face.
Scarlett does not remember her saving her time for this kind of beautiful nature. She'd always enjoyed passing her time. Sometimes, she found herself staring at the moon, getting lost to the calmness of the night, through her bedroom window. She experienced watching the moon and the clouds covering its beauty and it absolutely made her feel better. She wrapped her arms closer, hugging herself, feeling the cold air touching her skin.
"Peaceful," Scarlett gasped aloud. Due to the sudden voice, she was attacked by the goosebumps and the fact that few areas of her skin were exposed to the cold air, it did not help either. She'd waited with closed eyes, awaiting her beatings to turn to normal. Undoubtedly, it was Dylan. Surprisingly, he was not smirking or anything that he usually does. He just stood to her side, his hands deep inside his pockets as he stared heavenward, with a bitter smile on his face. Another trick is to bring different, unnamed things inside her.
"It indeed was," Scarlett stated as he swiftly glanced her way. His expression changed to a dubious one, probably noticing her demeanor, which was not outrageous around him. It was not surprising though. She was evidently jaded. Because for her, it was hard to react to his countless smirks and attempts to trouble her. "It indeed was, until you decided to invade it with your unwanted presence," she mocked though, unfolding her arms as she gave him a wry look. As a response, he stared at her blankly. Before he decides to talk or pass anything against her liking, Scarlett chooses to leave the heavenly view for now. Anywhere with Dylan beside her is not calm anymore.
However, peace is also something that's too much to ask sometimes. Because, before she could walk away, Dylan's flat voice was there, stopping her midway, "I expected a little trust from you," the statement left her stunned, like cold water splashed right on her face, making it hard for her to breathe. She turned to look at his face, but he stood on the other side, his back facing her, making it impossible to view his expressions. The tone of his voice got her thinking hard. For an instant, Scarlett felt like a burden and she forgot how smoothly he'd managed to make her feel regretful.
Anyway, he finally turned, his eyes turned unreadable as he walked a little, only a couple steps to be precise, as she stared at him cluelessly.
He eventually spoke, "We swore, that no matter what, we'd trust each other, didn't we, Scarlett?" The same accusing tone came around and she was dumbfounded. "I didn't expect anything that day," he right away added and all she could manage was to simply stare at him expressionlessly. He continued after a moment as he took a sharp intake, "You were all convinced, right – that I am the one who was on the wrong side of the law, even you; I thought you'd show a little trust for god's sake. You claimed to be my person, you called yourself my Angel, didn't you?" He questioned, taking his eyes off of her. From what she grasped, his voice rose at the end but his eyes held a kind of softness or was it just her that thought that way, Scarlett could not really tell.
Dylan continued going deeper into the issue. Looked like he was not in the mood to dismiss it anytime soon. "You didn't even hear my side of the story," he chuckled dryly, "And you just wouldn't listen to me. You just pointed the finger at me," he mocked.
"You think you could change my opinion by this little act of yours?" Scarlett spoke a while later as he turned, carrying a void expression. Her brows were quirked up in question, "Something that you're trying to show here in front of me, knowing my susceptibility, it's expected though, from an emotional manipulator like you," she spitefully uttered as he just stood there, staring at me. She continued, "There's no point in pulling over the past now. You chose what you have to do to break off everything we had. Therefore I expect you to leave me alone from now on." She completed it.
He gave her a stare, and Scarlett quickly added soon, "Which story you're talking about by the way?" She started in sarcastic humor as she continued when he gave her a demanding stare, "I would, I even thought about it. And that evidence was enough to tell me all your intentions and doings. They screamed your name. You broke me and you let us down. You shattered our relationship." Scarlett was outraged by then as she glared at him crossly, hurt observable from her tone.
Letting out a harsh chuckle, he took a few steps back. "Well, I think you didn't try your best to have faith in me. I could be framed in that. Have you ever thought about it? And about our relationship, you played a major part in breaking it, Angel," he stated in a matter of fact tone as she stared at him in aggravation.
Slowly, he advanced his steps to where Scarlett was rooted as he stood just before her, a little closer and before she could register or imagine, he carried a casual smirk making her give him an unbelievable stare. He was showing himself as hurt and wounded just about a moment ago and now, he came out like his usual smirking bastard?
"I'm not a manipulator, Angel," he softly uttered, his hand reaching up to her cheek as she squirmed making him laugh quietly. "And about your expectations of me leaving you alone," he paused, he whispered distractingly brushing his thumb over her lower lip, making it hard for her to maintain a straight expression and it only caused him to endlessly smirk. He further continued, "That is absolutely not going to take place. You will always come across me, love," he completed as his palm rested against my cheek, bringing her face closer to him.
Finally realizing that it was time to stop him, Scarlett pushed him away with a jerk as she breathed heavily. My heart pondered against her chest as she turned, walking, in fact, practically rushing inside.
His words just do not leave her mind.
They kept on replaying in his voice leaving her restless. Scarlett shook her head.
He'd definitely picked those meaningless words to make her feel sorrow and Scarlett realizes the fact. Her expression turned sneering thinking about his statements all over again. In addition, the closeness of his body and lips made her crazy. She let him come closer to her to that extent. Not once but twice even after predicting that.
She surely was turning insane.
"Where were you and why..." it was Leah and she'd lost her track in listening to her. She was spaced out.
"Leah, I'm leaving sorry. I will definitely make up for you next time we meet. Okay?" Scarlett exclaimed, cutting her off in the middle, while she spoke something. She gave her a diffident stare.
"Sure," she sighed and shrugged.
Scarlett hugged her and soon she was on her way back to my home.
She started driving as she continued staring at the empty road in front of her.
Flashback:
"Got you," Scarlett squealed as she jumped on Dylan's back making him stumble a little.
He fiddles as he puts her down in haste leaving her dubious by his wiggly act. He tried to hide something in his denim pockets. However, he forgot the fact that Scarlett could easily recognize his smoking habit by the smoke that he had been inhaling for the past few moments.
She had already sensed it the minute she'd climbed on his back, but she waited for him to confess to her about his harmful addictions. She was already worried about Dylan lately. He had been keeping himself away from her, leaving her heart breaking into pieces.
However, Scarlett was not showing it out in front of him. She was strong-willed enough to not let him be apart from her.
"What were you doing here all alone?" She enquired as he avoided her questioning gazes. He seemed so preoccupied and ominous. He was definitely hiding something.
"I wanted to spend some alone time," he replied, looking everywhere else, but her.
"You wish to be left alone every day, Dylan, what's so new about it?" She mocked bitterly.
"What do you want, anyway?" He questioned, skipping to talk about his choices lately, which started changing him.
"I have been searching for you since we came back from school. You just disappeared." Scarlett replied, her tone came out as a flat one as she sought any kind of expression from him but there were none. All she could find was blankness and void on his face.
Not persuaded with his previous reaction, she added again, "What were you hiding? What were you doing?" She asked, skeptically.
"Stop asking me questions, Scarlett. I do not owe you any answers, alright," Dylan was annoyed, "Why are you always hovering over me as if I owe you my life? Stay away for once and leave me alone." He walked away, making his way towards the small quarter at the backside of the mansion, which was vacated years ago. He often found himself spending his alone time there. Nobody troubled him there. Well, Scarlett was an exception. Dylan knew, even if he wanted her to be away from him, she would not leave him alone.
A heavy exasperated sigh left her mouth. Although his words pained her she decided to follow him inside the small area.
"Were you smoking?" Scarlett inquired directly. He gave her a stare containing disbelief and turned away.
"Lord! You're not allowed to smoke. I will not let you. Get that," she warned, walking over to him, to look at his expressions. He slumped down his shoulders, dreariness evident from his face.
Scarlett frowned. She knew something was disturbing him. He seemed so lost and has shut everyone off recently.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Scarlett asked as he sighed, big time but nodded anyhow.
She held his hand, intertwining them as he stared at their laced fingers blankly. On the other hand, Scarlett stared at the person in front of her. She liked him. If she knew the meaning of fondness, adoration and attraction, then it is only because of him. She could not see him jaded and sad.
"Don't worry. I'm here for you, until the end of time," her whisper sounded so soothing for Dylan's ears as he finally uplifted his gaze, as he stared into her eyes directly. He could clearly witness the warmness and affection through her eyes. She was so obvious and transparent. He knew he was falling for her slowly, and that was the reason he set himself away from her. Scarlett was like hope to him. She made him smile and if someone captured his soul then it was nobody else but her.
It was hard for him to open up and talk about his thoughts and feelings. No matter how long it had been, he could not enlighten or form a set of few words, to tell about his real emotions.
His hideaway was the little quarter, where they were right now. Dylan would hide there whenever his past haunted him. He lost his parents right in front of his eyes. He witnessed them taking their last breaths, the incident has affected a part of his mind that was still processing to forget about it perpetually. Bad memories do not go away easily, do they?
Oftentimes, Scarlett would not disturb him, letting him stay that way. Only for some time, she knew, he would be depressed more if he was left alone and to cheer him up, she acts like a totally mad and crazy teenager.
It takes great skill to come and stand out as a foolish person in front of someone, to make that special person laugh and smile. Scarlett does that only because of one reason and that is the love that she felt for him.
"Now, don't hang out with those bad boys, they're spoiling you. They are a really bad influence." Scarlett complained, she looked up at him.
He let out a faint smile. "I am not a child and you are not my mother. Stop being one, Scarlett."
"You cannot stop me," she shrugged as she held his hand tightly.
"I am sorry, for being so rash back there. I am not in my good senses presently." He admitted
Dylan had been distant from Scarlett and her friends for quite a while. He avoided them and hung out with the bad boys of the school, whose reputation was quite bad.
He stared into her eyes with a kind of emotion that she could not put her finger on, but it was new and special. She knew he felt the same for her. She thought, he just had not realized it yet.
Otherwise, out of all the girls from their university, why would he choose only her to address her as an Angel, mostly, her Angel.
Dylan stroked her cheek, making her feel unusual and tingly at the pit of her stomach. His fingers were rough yet warm against her skin. She instantly closed her eyes, feeling his magical touch. Her heart taking its maximum speed as she feared, Dylan would find out about the influence his single touch had on her.
His mood had always affected her.
She found Dylan's face slowly getting closer to her and she could not be more ecstatic. His hot breath fanning on her cheek, made her heart beat unsteadily. She felt newer things to her heart as well as body.
Finally, Dylan's lips touched her skin, gently at first but as the moments passed by, he turned impatient. He kissed her persuasively, drawing her more closely to him, leaving no gap between them. Scarlett's condition was vulnerable. It was her first kiss, her heart jumped, and she felt sparks running all over her body, the same kind that Leah mentioned when one's in love. The moment could not be perfect for her. Dylan holding her by her waist possessively and her arms getting around his neck as they shared a passionate liplock, she could not stop herself from feeling so elated and contended.
However, implied as if her happiness was only for a short period. Dylan did like her but he restrained himself – all the time and as far as he is concerned, it was a mistake.
Hastily, he pulled away, making Scarlett frown deeply. He stepped back, shaking his head and running his hand over his hair in annoyance. He had an expression that showed complete disbelief.
His face mirrored as if he was disappointed with something and that made her forehead crease more.
Scarlett takes a step forward but he signals her to stop, bringing a stupefied look on her face, "It shouldn't have happened. I got carried away," that was enough to break her heart all over again. He continued, "It was nothing, really. I am sorry. It is a mistake. I promise it won't happen again." He ranted, not realizing how badly his words have already started to hurt her.
Although she was hurt, Scarlett managed to respond, "What! it's not.." Dylan did not let her finish, as he was so busy in his own regret.
"No. I'm sorry," saying so; he just left her alone in that small old room with her own misery. Scarlett sobbed silently falling on her knees not able to stand anymore.
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