He looked at her tiery eyes and wondered where he went wrong. She wouldn't open up to him and neither would she let him comfort her, but that's not the worst . . . she pretended to be completely fine when Kayla is around. She was almost a decade old and all she had was her elder sibling to rely on but he could already see how a sheltered life could ruin something so beautiful. He had always believed himself to be the villain, always on the giving end of the deal where teasing, mocking and irritating the living shit out of a happy soul but look at him now.
What changed?
It has been almost two years since they had stumbled upon this giant of a male who instantly became their black knight. He never should've led her on and make her believe they stand a chance to . . . to do what exactly? She was also frustrated by her sudden anger towards the hulky male. Why did it hurt her so much to learn that she is not the first nor the last one to hold his interests? Why did it matter if the man said it annoyingly straight?
She should've known that someone like her would never come to mean more for him!
"Why do you refuse to say anything Hannah?" he failed to understand why she kept her emotions bottled up instead of just venting them out . . . the female even refused to shed the raw tears in her eyes.
"I have nothing to say Salem, that's why" she replied flatly and that phrase projected the dejection she felt but he just couldn't bring himself to stop prodding. He wanted her to speak to him.
"Look at me and tell me the first thing that comes to your mind"
"Is everything a game to you?" she asked, her nose suddenly flaring from the stupid grin on his smug face.
She could just . . .
"Why are you holding back Hannah? You know you want to so get it over and done with" he taunted her, daring her to get physical with him.
She bit her lower lip hard to tighten the loosening leash around the tidal rage threatening to swallow her sanity.
"I think its time we go find ourselves a place we would call home. We have been hoping for too long and its clear now that mama and papa are not going to come"
"You can actually do better than that Hannah" he was being sarcastic and she knew it so she didn't let him rile her up.
"Oh okay, thank you"
"You can't always try to run away from me everytime you feel upset with me little female, that's not how things work and being sarcastic only goes to show how much you're annoyed" he retorted.
Annoyed?! He thinks she is just annoyed!
She was incredulous at how this hulking giant of packed meat belittled her emotions and yet here she was, fuming in silence without letting the dam break while trying to patch the leaks.
She looked blankly at him before asking, "Why do you think im annoyed?"
" . . . "
Nomatter which angle he gambled at the outcome or her reaction, he couldn't have possibly predicted that sly move. He was stunned to silence.
"And besides . . . I wouldn't be annoyed at someone like you" she sighed before a deep frown adorned her face like it took her a great deal to figure out the right way to say it.
Was that reverse psychology in motion or the female was actually starting to depict a side to her that emerged from staying with him? What did she even mean by 'someone like him' . . .
He didn't know whether to be proud that she was a fast learner or to be offended by those words from her. A dangerous look passed through his eyes as his mood dampened from the uncertainty. She knew she had crossed a line without making it clear that she was daring him to act or react? She wasn't quite sure.
Her mind screamed 'come on' but she couldn't bring herself to say it, knowing the kind of creature that he is. She was hurt beyond words when she came back from the lake to find him escorting a female she had never seen before, out of the house and she felt a surge of something she soon registered to be cold rage but her actions coud be justified.
He had been making advances on her, coaxing and nudging the barriers around her heart but even then, she still knew that he wasn't exuding the fated half intention towards her . . . like all he wanted was just to explore her and once her barriers crumble, she would be left alone to deal with the aftermath. All those negative feelings didn't seem to put a dent on her eagerness to meet him halfway. She had denied herself the chance, time and again but she knew in her heart that the time would come when responsibility didn't weigh so heavy on her shoulders. She passed a fleeting glance at Kayla and swallowed bitterly.
"Please take me to bed Hannah, I am not feeling okay" her sweet small voice chimed in, breaking the silence.
Kayla looked at her sibling noticing how she suddenly looked pale, she wiped her hands on the apron she wore ontop of her dress and blew hot air to her hands so that they are not too cold seeing that she had just finished doing their laundry by the lake. She felt numb like her world was spiralling to a dark age but she still tried to keep her face passive and just blank. She couldn't bring herself to expose her wounded pride. She had miscalculated his intentions, although she was aware of the fact that he didn't want her as his beloved, she had thought he would have the decency to wait for her to soften up and adapt.
"Goodnight Salem" she uttered before taking her little sibling to their room to rest for the night...
Was he missing something?
He frowned feeling desperately that he should do something without the knowledge of precision... What is he supposed to do?
'Think Salem, Think'
He was a dark mage, one of the most talented to ever walk the earth so why did this feel like this... She had put up her barriers again so that he had no inkling of her thoughts whatsoever so how was he supposed to know why she was acting this cold.
A lone tear escaped her tear as she crossed the threshold to the inside of her room.
How dare he!..
He didn't even seem to know what he did to have offended her so greatly.
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I AM GOING THROUGH A PERSONAL CRISIS... PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST SO I AM SORRY IF I BREAK A PROMISE