If there was anything she could do to wipe herself off the face of Earth, she would have gladly done it! But instead, with embarrassment loaded on her back, she stood before the mirror, revising her decision for a hint, a reason to step back down.
Yellow top with baggy arms contrasted the light shade of cream trousers in a way that made the simple outfit appear charismatic. Brown hair parted equally from the center, masked her face from either side. If anything that was left to do was give her lips a touch of gloss and she was good to go.
Not really.
In contrast to the fresh colour of her dress-an open proclamation of the lively hood-her eyes told a completely different story. They lacked their usual glow, the charm that drew her the most attention. They were rather dull that morning, holding a jumble of fear, pain, and anticipation within.
Walking to university a few hours after what had happened between Allarick and her was last on her wish list and top of her priority list. She was scared yet determined, humiliated yet courageous, and prey but never a victim! Ever!
After what had happened, one thing was sure embedded in the sole of her mind; standing in the flow of Allarick's twisted game will only break her to pieces and will take her away with the waves, while the water of his desires will remain unaffected.
But it was the exact thing she had on her mind!
She won't back down even if it meant making him a river of tears, sweat, and blood!
The walk to her class was traumatizing, to say the least. Her mind still told her to take a turn and head back. Opening the door, she stepped in, eyes scanning every corner to see if there was something that would give away his presence. There was nothing. For once she was early.
Her gaze kept lingering on the slow ticking of the clock. The stretch of time held her somewhere between the harsh reality and her what-ifs. The hammering of her heart against her ribs was almost physically painful; her heart protested to be freed and under the circumstances that surrounded her, she would have been more than happy to compile with its demand.
The class had started to fill up yet there was no sign of him. One thing she could say with an air of determination about Allarick was that he was punctual. You'll always find him seated in his place before any of these wanna be bad boys would make their entry. But today it was rather different.
He might be taking the day off and dozing off...
But then, it was an important day today.
She could virtually feel her heart skip a beat and her hands trembled in her lap as her eyes set on a figure entering the room, followed by a rather delightful looking professor Carol.
He did show up, upholding darkness that reflected the sinister look he held last night. His face lacked its usual calmness and was rather cold. He hadn't bothered about making an effort to replicate the gestures Amanda made from her place. If Daisy had thought it was a bit out of character for him to do so, she was wrong, for he didn't even choose his regular spot to sit.
All the while with his eyes looking ahead of him, he climbed the stairs till he stood by her seat. Nervousness wrecked her body as she turned her palm under the desk, finding it hard to maintain her gaze at one place.
She wanted him to speak and get over with the domination he created in the air around him but instead, he simply walked back, taking a seat little above and at a perfect angle from her's.
A sudden realization of eyes piercing her side took over her senses and Daisy couldn't help but curse herself for showing up.
The day sailed by smooth except that Allarick behaved differently. He would be watching her from afar with a look of mockery and distaste making itself evident in his eyes. Daisy was to wonder what had she done. Her nerves couldn't yet come to terms with the fact that someone could be as vicious to dominate another person with so much force as Allarick had done last night. And something deep within her told her it was only the beginning. But again, the change in his mere attitude said it loud and clear.
She hadn't seen the sight of him after the second lecture. He must have gone home. Daisy had overheard Amanda's worried voice when she exited the building for a break. She heard the lines like 'Allarick isn't himself today' and that he is behaving in much the similar way as he had when that happened.
What happened?
Feeling herself grow tired and sleepy, Daisy decided it was of no use to sit in the lecture absent-minded. It was better if she left for home for she had not the slightest clue what might come her way this night; she could only hope for nothing.
The parking lot was eerily quiet. The thud of her steps against the hard concrete floor shook the air of silence like a small pebble against a hard wall of glass; it doesn't break it entirely but cracks the glass to its imperfection.
She was calm until her eyes landed on the figure next to a black car. He had changed his outfit from a cream sweatshirt and jeans to a black button-up shirt and black jeans. With his gaze stationed beside his shoes, his fingers would bring a lit cigarette to his lips every now and then. A vague smoke clouded around him, elevating the fear striking aura to new peaks. He looked as if he was waiting for someone.
Daisy hadn't realized when she had stopped dead in her track until his voice tore through the surrounding almost as ruthlessly so that his simple words hammered in her brain longer than they should have.
"Why did you stop?"
It was perhaps the control he had over his tone or maybe the fact that he hadn't troubled himself to grace her presence and yet knew she stood there, a little far, that had an effect like that on her.
She calculated the plausible outcomes of the two options she had: trail her way back to the building or walk to the gate without acknowledging his existence.
Before she could set her mind on any, he lifted his gaze to set upon her. A shiver ran through the length of her body with the shadow of intense emotion that crossed his eyes with another puff of smoke.
"I'll drop you off," he said, his tone determined, affirmative, and conceited; the very virtues that completed him up. " Get in." He mentioned towards the car.
"What right do you have to order me?" Daisy heard herself inquire. It was perhaps the trauma of last night speaking in her voice now.
"Every." He brought the cigarette to his lips, inhaling the content of it.
"The right I wonder who gave you."
Throwing the cigarette on the ground, he used the front part of his shoes to crush the thing as if it was nothing but a piece of filth that asked to be get rid of; it sure was but the mere sight of him using it satisfy his nerves and then stepping on it said a lot about him somehow. Or perhaps holding her gaze while he did it exaggerated the thing a bit more. It was a revolting sight to witness anyhow.
" I don't believe in holding a cup before the law to have some pitiful rights placed in it." He answered sharply, his feet taking him to her.
"Then this suggests me to snap your head off your neck without a single hesitation," Daisy muttered back, finding her courage go loose with his steps.
Out of nature, Daisy took a baby step back as he cut short the distance between them. For a moment something similar to amusement lingered in his eyes, leaving behind a shadow of a faint smile.
" I have not condemned you once from doing it. " He came to stand before her, giving her a chance to interject him with her wildness, "only the worthwhile holders holds such a power in their hands. I'm afraid your attempt to cower away gives an entirely contradictory story. "
"If the world moved on your ideals, it would have been finished before life even sprung on it," Daisy answered back, voice lowered but never unsure.
"That is of course if others were as stupid as you're to take the superficial meaning of my words. There are always exceptions, Daz."
She could virtually feel her knees go weak and her mouth loss at words. Had he ever spoken to her without making as much as an effort to not insult her? Never!
" What do you want from me, All.." she stopped mid-sentence, cheeks reddening in humiliation. It annoyed her to think how much effect he had on her!
" Last night really did so-"
" I do not wish to talk about it-" If anything was pinker than the shade of Amanda's blush, it was her cheeks.
" And I don't regard your wishes. " He simply stated, " Just the way I won't regard your wish of not sitting in my car right now. " He searched her face for a reply but found nothing. " But the least I can do is give you your options; either walk yourself to my car or have me drag you to it. "
They weren't wrong to say fear gets the worst out of a man. She should have made a run for the building the moment her eyes landed on his figure, leaning against the car. Cause now if she entertained any thought of making space in her mind, it was vile. Allarick proved it right when she showed him her back. He had her upper arm in his hold before she could take a step, swirling her to face him.
"Never. turn. your. back. on. me, " he hissed, his breath tingling her face. " I see you have chosen the second option. Of course, you would! It suits you well." His tone mocked her yet she couldn't fight the lump in her throat to form words.
Slipping his hands to her wrist, he pulled her behind him, and despite wanting to be freed, Daisy didn't exert an effort equal to her strength to pull away.
"Last night has-"
" I told you I don't want to talk about it-" Daisy murmured, her voice betraying her.
" But I do." he insisted, passing her a look before tracing it back to the road ahead. He had his one hand clutching the wheel while the other one lay free on the gear, sometimes brushing his nose as he would try to cover up his mockery with a thin cloth of seriousness which was insulting all the more.
"Can you drive a little faster?" Daisy asked, nervousness cracking the worst out of her.
"of course."
Who was she to think she could boss him around even if it was purely unintentional? Why did she always forget that she was the one in the trap, he was just the one who laid it? With an effortless smile, he slowed the car to twenty miles per hour.
"Now as I was saying, last night had done you enough to realize that you shouldn't try to push me: neither away from nor out of your way. " Daisy breath out a sigh of relief as the car came to a stop before her apartment building.
Without bothering to grace him with another look, her hands reached out for the handle, pulling it to no vain. She tried again with a prickle of hope that she might have not pulled it right the first time. Then again... and again. Had she acknowledged the rock of truth crushing her little prickle, she wouldn't have been as disappointed as she felt then.
The sense of his body near her evoked her senses to life. His hand held hers on the handle, jerking her body as if she had seen a ghost.
"Child lock," he whispered through the thick strands of hair that covered her ears, eyes harassing her side. She didn't utter a word. How could she when his proximity had her nerves raging, skin burning, and heart struggling to break through the cage of ribs that held it? Words couldn't form. She could only gulp and that was exactly what she did- to his satisfaction.
"What goes around between us, stay between us." He sat back down in his seat, knowing well how his effortless touch had her cowering to the corner. " Remember it's my game and so I decide when to add another token."
Had someone ever told him how breathtaking his smile was? The mere sight of it could have thousands dreaming about it for the span of their entire lifetime yet to her, it was menacing; an open proclamation of danger!
She would have been a fool to not watch every move of his as he exited his seat and walked to her's. It was Allarick in his worst we are talking about!
He held the door open for her, giving her the time she needed to pull herself back together. " A little surprise awaits you." He smiled once more, before shutting the door closed and slipping in his side and driving off at a speed that Daisy thought the car didn't possess.
A surprise... couldn't be a pleasant one, for sure!