Tripping and tumbling, Belle dashed out of the bathroom.
"My poor eyes," she said rubbing her eyes fiercely. A little more force would have them protruding out.
She plopped down on the edge of the bed, her hands clenching and unclenching restlessly, for what would come through the bathroom door was not something she'd ever want.
She counted her breaths before Tornado Mattew would hit her.
It didn't take long for him to come, and when he did...he sure did knock the breath out of her. The tornado emerged from the bathroom door, his body blazing hot.
His face was red in anger, as if the juice of pomegranate was smeared all over it.
She stood up quickly, more of fear than respect. Her heart started beating wildly and she gulped.
Except for the small towel wrapped around his waist, serving as a mithe for his private parts, everything else was a free show to her.
Belle openly gaped at Matt, her eyes shamelessly roaming from the top to the bottom.
His midnight black strands stood erect and biased like the waves on a stormy night. His dark eyebrows had the remnants of his grace, but currently they were slope-like and furrowed into a scowl, his well-defined cheekbones protruding with sharp ridges. His prominent jaw was set in a permanent line, like he had forgotten the art of smiling. His nose was a little upturned, as if broken a couple times. Expected.
Muscles dripped from all over his body, nerves surfacing over his taut skin, extending from his neck to his arms. Belle, definitely, didn't find it attractive. His tanned skin made him devilishly handsome, as if he wasn't already. His lean torso was sketched with angry scars, some faded and others ripe.
He was like an ultra perfect painting, not only had he got the handsome physique that every woman desired, but also the truth of his living. The scars, old or new, were proof to her that he had survived hell alone, and she respected him for that.
Alongside the perfect Roman sculpture of a body he possessed, there was something terribly off about him. She couldn't point it, but she could feel it crawling under her skin.
Her eyes flickered back to the one place she reserved for later. His eyes. She could almost feel his steel eyes cutting razors into her soul. His gaze intensified as if preparing for something dark and evil. She moistened her lips, anxious.
"Like what you see?" he said. That moment, Belle realized one dang thing. If anyone could sprout sarcasm with a straight face, that would undeniably be Matt.
"Look I can explain," she started. "This is a misunderstanding."
"Enlighten me since I have the time of my life," he said sarcastically and crossed his arms.
She ignored his sarcasm and continued. "I--," she stopped abruptly realising she had no proper reason. No one would believe that she had a Mario adventure in the lift.
"If you got nothing to say, the door is to your left."
"You sound like a girl telling the guy off in the movies," she muttered.
"What?" he asked irated.
"Right," she said with a smile. Looking at the invisible question mark on the emotionless face of Matt, she decided to give him the extended description. "You meant right. The door is to my right, right?"
"No shit Sherlock, the door is to your bloody right and off you go now," he said with a glum face.
"I-I can't," she stuttered with an unspoken urgency. After the lift incident, she hadn't the strength to fight off anymore guards.
"I don't have time for your crap, now leave," he said gesturing at the door.
"Please, I really can't leave. I wanna stay," she pleaded. She ignored her subconscious yelling her to leave knowing he meant danger in every sense. "Besides, aren't you curious to know how I ended up inside your---btrm?"
"Inside my what?" he said, his voice had a tinge of amusement.
She blushed profusely, regretting her decision of bringing up the bathroom incident as a substitute for making conversation.
"You know what I mean, don't act," she mumbled trying to cover her face.
"Maybe or not. But as per the circumstances, I'm pretty sure of one thing," he said with a wicked smirk plastered on his ungodly face. Now that's something coming out of his straightness.
"And what would that be?" she countered back with equal confidence or atleast that's what she thought she sounded like.
He tilted his face slightly, "you wouldn't really like it."
"Try me."
"You like to see me naked," he said smirking impudently. Upon seeing her wide open jaw he continued with enough and more arrogance, "Not that it isn't embarrassing but now that it's a thing between us, you needn't feel ashamed. Besides, I'm used to-"
"Don't claim on what you think you know," she glowered. There was definitely something scarily wrong with this guy.
"I don't. I just know it."
"You don't."
"I do."
"You wanna 'I do/don't' battle, huh? I'm in loser," she said. An invisible coat of glee was painted on her face. Now she could buy enough time by stalling him and then when night falls she could leave.
"Nuh-uh I don't play games with strangers. State your business or leave," he said without any emotion. So much for the gleeful plan.
"Look I really can't leave. Please try to understand. I'm in a....a tight situation," she pleaded.
His gaze was calculating and she could feel a knot forming inside her stomach. His next words would decide her future.
"Suit yourself," he grumbled.
She squealed with her hands raised to the skies, "oh my heavens! Thank you so much, you don't know how grateful I am."
He rolled his eyes, ignoring her overdramatic stream of gratitude, and reached for the side of his waist where the towel was tucked.
"Wait! What are you doing?" she shrieked, her face showing pure horror and disbelief. Who in the right mind would remove their towel infront of a girl?
His hand stopped, "I'm changing to my clothes. Don't want you ogling over this piece of work," he gestured at his exposed body as if he was motioning to a sculpture of Michelangelo's.
She snorted, "something is absurdly wrong with you dude."
"There's nothing wrong in pointing the obvious," he shrugged preparing to remove the tucked part of the towel.
"Stop!" she shrieked in horror. "What's wrong with you? Are you blind or something? I'm a girl and I-I," she stopped unable to finish the rest of her embarassing speech.
"Don't be shy," he crooned. "It's not something you haven't seen before."
She felt her body burning like the charred side of a barbecue grill. She turned away from him in embarrassment.
"I swear I didn't see anything," she said weakly. Even a blind person could see the 'LIE' in her words but still she tried better. "And mind you, I'm a devout believer so don't take my swears lightly."
"Whatever you say," he said from behind her. From her peripheral view, she could see him shrugging ever so lightly and she knew he didn't believe anything she said.
"Now if you may leave, perhaps you wouldn't have to witness the glory of my concealment," he said with sheer mock evident in his tone.
Despite the redness reduced to pink blotches on her face, she didn't dare turn around. "Look I really can't leave. I-"
"You what?" he demanded. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you."
She stayed quiet all the time. So he continued, "You know it's a crime to invade someone's personal space. I can charge you, you know?"
Now she turned around, "You will?"
"Why wouldn't---," he stopped when he realized she was on the verge of a downpour. "I won't if you leave now."
"But I don't have a place to go," she sniffed. She was already embarassed and now it just heightened a notch.
"No no. Not with the crying now," he said in alarm.
"I can't help it okay?" she mumbled wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It just comes."
He scratched his head, "how about you go out so I could change and then you could come in, okay?"
She weighed the situation with a vision blotched in tears. If the hospital got hold of her, her parents would be contacted and then she'd have to return back to L.A and then she would be prisoned there for hell and ever. With Ian.
She shook her head lightly, clearing away all sorts of horrible nightmares she envisioned, "that can't happen. It's too dangerous."
He sighed, "Then be my guest." His hand went back to the towel and her eyes widened.
"Wait, wait! I'm leaving," she hastened to leave. Instead of turning right, as per her side, to the door she turned left heading to the balcony.
She opened the balcony door ignoring Matt's grumbles and protests and welcomed the pleasant breeze.
The gushing wind enveloped her into a cold embrace and she leaned into it as though it was humanoid. At that moment, nothing felt better, but that was until the door slided open and hell fell upon her head again.
"You can come in now," Matt said from behind her. Something about his voice made her turn towards him, whether how formal he spoke or the elegance in his words, she wasn't sure.
He wore a white thin t-shirt that showed off the outline of his abs, and short black khaki shorts. His damp dark hair was in all directions creating a halo over his head. Drops of water clinged to the end of his short hair causing them to appear like small glistening pearls. She had the sudden urge to run her hand through his strands, to feel the dampness between her fingers and to smother the disturbed black waves.
Focus, Belle. She chanted repeatedly, trying her best to not embarass herself again.
"Finished checking out?" he asked with a straight face before going back inside. She was left confused over his attitude, did she say something wrong?
Still confused, she stepped inside. The warmth that should have calmed her was contrary to what she felt.
"Take a seat," he motioned at the bed. She obliged and sat on the opposite end of the bed, far as possible. Half of her buttocks were balanced on the edge and she hardly held herself from slipping and falling.
"You can sit you know. I don't bite," he grumbled and added. "Unless I'm too hungry."
She nodded and sat back with a little comfort. The short hospital gown went up and she hurried to pull it down but when it didn't succeed she hugged the coat over her body for protecting herself from any sexual harassment.
"Maybe you'd feel comfortable with something more---decent?" he suggested looking away. No sexual harassment then.
Heat creeped all over her like a fat worm. She had never embarassed herself as much as today. And her thoughts were equating all sorts of wrongs.
"I d-don't have clothes," she said pulling the white coat even tighter.
"Is that a doctor's coat that you're wearing?" he asked in amusement.
She turned tomato red again, "yes. But I didn't mean to steal it. If you were thinking, I was only borrowing it."
"I see."
She sighed in exasperation, "you know what, let's snithe the pep talks and talk real business now."
"Not interested."
She ignored him, "I want you to help me."
"Uninterested me."
"I'll interest you then."
"I'd like to see how," he said with a feral grin. His words were shouting other meaning.
She frowned, "I don't like what you imply. Maybe... I'll treat you with dinner." She smiled with a victorious glow.
He scoffed, "I'm not a dog."
"What do you want then?"
"Let's see," he said with his finger tapping against his cheek. He snapped his fingers as though he got an amazing idea, "maybe you could do me a favor and..."
"And?" she prompted nervously.
"And leave my life."
She sighed in part exhaustion and oppression. Why had the very person who her safety depended upon had to be so stone-hearted?
She stood up, her coat falling upto her knee. "I'll give you anything you want."
He stood up in a flash alongside her and walked towards her with measured steps. She didn't back away or cower over like a lost puppy. She needed to be strong against such sadists, if not for herself then at least for her dignity.
He smirked, his eyes had a wicked spark to it. She knew what came would not exactly be in her favor.
He stopped in front of her, an inch distancing the two. Her heart thundered inside her closed ribs, if he leaned in he could have heard the racing beats.
He tilted his head cheekily, "anything?"
"Anything."
She was rather proud that she had mustered enough courage to say that single word. It wasn't expected for Ms. Goody-two shoes to have guts. It just didn't work that way.
But what came out of his mouth the next second made her regret her wrong timed courage and questioned her existence.
"Give me your V-card."
A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been so long since I last updated. But most of you already know the reason. Thank you so much for reading my book, you just dunno how much it means to me😢. I love you all!!
Quick question: what do you think of the two characters so far? Is it interesting how they met again?
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