Avice shifted uncomfortably and peeled her eyes open. The process of opening her eyes was slower than expected and it took her ages for her surrounding to register in her brain.
She was in her room, lying down lifelessly on the bed. Her ears opened with a harsh sound of drawer closing and she had to force out a grunt to catch the attention of whoever was there.
"You're awake". An unfamiliar face obstructed her view of the ceiling, smiling down at her before running to the door. Seconds later, the door opened and Adeline's voice rang in her ears before her face obstructed the ceiling view again.
"Oh goddess, You're finally awake". She sighed out, closing her eyes to mutter something that was definitely not english.
"For—" Avice paused to clear her dry throat. "—how long have I been sleeping?"
"Six days. Six whole days". Adeline replied. "Tell me, what in the world happened to you?"
"Six?" Avice tried to lift herself up, shocked that she was unconscious for almost a week. "But–but my work". She almost sobbed.
"Don't you dare bring that shit up again. It almost got you killed". Adeline said in a deadly tone, her eyes empty, almost scaring Avice's soul out. "What the fuck happened? Rex refused to say anything. Did he do some—"
"No Adeline". Avice's mouth opened to stop her judgement. When she realised she cut Adeline off without even thinking, she closed her eyes and pinched her nose, frustration of losing her job creeping in. "He didn't hurt me, he saved me".
"Saved you?" Her brows knitted, the words sounding foreign to her.
Adeline breathed out, suddenly feeling tired for talking too much. "Yes".
"From what?" Adeline drew closer, curiousity eating her up. "Were you attacked?"
"Yes—and please I don't want to talk about it now. There's alot going on up here and I'm just not ready to....." She trailed off, feeling responsible for the sudden sad look on Adeline's face. She must have been worried sick about her and was probably the only one who actually stood by her while she laid on the bed like a pregnant pig for six days.
But there was alot going on in her head, making her wished she never woke up at all. She had definitely been dismissed from her jobs and Rex was probably all over the place, fuming over his bike. He was wating for her to wake up so he could kill her all over again. She knew. And she wanted to crawl into a hole and die as a result. That'd be an easier way to leave the world.
"I'm going to get simaya". Adeline said and proceeded to leave but Avice pulled her back.
"Please don't. She's going to tell Rex I'm awake and I haven't cooked up an excuse for stealing and ruining his bike yet. I need time".
"Didn't he already punish you for ruining his bike. 'Cause why were you unconscious in the first place. And why the hell did you take his bike after I warned you?" She asked dryly, as if her gut didn't surprise her.
Avice almost rolled her eyes. "I told you he saved, not hurt".
"I am going to believe whatever until you tell me what actually happened". She snatched her hand and walked out of the room. Avice sensed she was annoyed but she was trying not to show it. Adeline was never good at hiding her emotions.
Avice fell back on the bed as she let out a huge sigh. Her body was hurting from the drastic fall down the cliff and lying down for too long, but she knew better than to take a boring walk to stretch her bones without planning how she'd face Rex.
She closed her eyes and drew in a long breath, wincing a little when she felt a sharp prick around her abdomen. Her wounds were yet to heal completely and she doubted she could walk much with a broken leg that was taking forever to heal.
Avice sighed again, the motorbike accident playing in her head like a movie made to taunt her reason for existence. Rex was going to make her lick every broken part of the bike, wasn't he?
☆
Or maybe not.
Avice didn't know and she didn't want to know how she ended up in front of Rex's cabin, standing at his door like a deprived middle child.
She had thought forth and back on how to go down on her knees and apologize for the last five hours since she woke up. She spent a lot of time bathing and dressing up because she couldn't walk properly and was only bouncing on one leg the entire time.
Simaya, the one Adeline had stubbornly brought, had told her not to stress the leg and give it time to heal but she felt like she might die before her leg even get the opportunity to heal if she stayed on the bed for too long.
Avice rubbed her palms against her jean trouser and forced a huge lump down her throat, suddenly developing knock-phobia.
"Do I have to drag you in myself?" A voice, as calm as the sea and yet as dangerous as the foamy rage of an ocean, jerked her out of her deliberation.
Without further thinking, she pushed the door open. She expected to find him sitting behind his table and flipping away some papers but no, he was leaning against his bookshelf with his arms crossed. Like he was waiting for her to come in.
Sometimes, she forgot she was in a world where people could sense anyone without even trying.
"I'm sorry, i was just gathering my thoughts". She volumed down as she closed the door behind her.
"You've better gathered them well". He said dryly, not making an effort to put an emotion into his words. Avice couldn't tell if he was angry or not, if he was masking up just to make her believe he wasn't going to hurt her but would eventually. She didn't know what was going on in his head and she'd be a big liar if she said it didn't make her scared.
Trying to gain some kind of boldness, she looked up at the figure staring back at her and that moment, every boldness she had bribed shattered into tiny pieces. He wasn't just staring at her, or maybe he was and her brain had decided to interpret it in a way that made her want to dig a hole just to hide from his menacing gaze.
She tried not to focus on the sleeve that his muscle was threatening to rip apart, nor the veins that ran from his arms to his fingers. For once, just once, she wanted to know how it felt to be wrapped around his large arms. Wouldn't that be a nightmare?...a sweet one?
"Didn't you prep something up before coming?" He snapped, snatching her attention back to the disaster at hand.
"Uh–uh, actually I just planned to go on my knees and beg yo—fuck, that sounds bad". She took a long pause then sighed. "I know but I only acted on impulse. I needed to get there as fast as possible and Adeline was no where to be found so the best option if I wanted to be safe and quick was take the bike. I didn't know I'll ruin it". Avice stopped, but she felt she needed to say more because he didn't appear to be moved at all. His expression didn't even change one bit. Maybe going on her knees might move him a bit.
She started to draw her leg back.
"If you fucking go on your knees, I'll make sure you never stand up". He threatened and Avice swallowed, her leg regaining its previous position immediately.
"The bike wa—"
"Come here". He said, or better, ordered. He said in a tone that meant he wanted no arguement or excuse.
Avice who was still standing at the door dragged her feet to him. She put on a pathetic show to show him how badly she was hurt and even faked a wince while she limped.
Of course he didn't buy it.
She stopped three feet away from him and looked him dead in the eyes, not too dead, but dead enough to show him she didn't mean to ruin his bike. But was she supposed to stare dead? Wasn't she supposed to look scared and flinch at every movement he made?
"Why didn't you tell anyone you were leaving the pack?" He asked and Avice froze for a second. Or two.
"I couldn't find anyone. I couldn't find Adeline nor jordan—"
"Jordan". He repeated, his tone laced with an emotion she couldn't fathom.
"Yeah, Jordan". She confirmed.
Rex pushed himself off the shelf and closed in on her. Avice tried to shift back but stopped abruptly when his mouth opened.
"Don't move". He said, his voice getting lower. "Tell me, what's with Jordan?"
"Wha–what do you mean? He's just...Jordan". She replied, trying not to accept what her head was giving her. This man was probably not getting jealous. No way. But why was he looking like he was. She heard Jordan had a huge fight with him while she was unconscious but no one knew the cause of the fight.
She'd be delusional to think it was because of her.
"Just jordan. Since when has he become your anchor?"
"Uh, since I got here and found out I had no one to stand up for me but him while my supposed mate would rather sleep with another woman". The words definitely came out of her mouth, and worse, it definitely pissed him off. She wasn't really thinking when she said those. She was merely replying his question but replaying it in her head made her feel like a crap. She was supposed to be worshipping and begging for his forgiveness, wasn't she?
"You don't know I and Eliana's history". He said, trying to conceal his anger.
"I think I know enough. Throwing herself in a river is already enough to know the kind of story you both have".
"Which is none of your fucking business. Put your nose where it should be and stop getting into trouble. You can barely protect yourself".
"I can't but I have people who can". Avice replied casually, but it was definitely getting to him and she couldn't be more delighted.
"Like who?" He asked but before she could open her mouth to reply to his question, he added, "I swear to fuck if you say jordan, it isn't going to end well". He clearly said that with a big fat jealousy.
Avice suppressed her smile. "Why? You're going to cut his throat? He is, he sure fucking is, Rex. That's the—"
Her words were left hanging in her throat when his hand slipped to the back of her neck, and with a controlled force, he slammed his lips into hers.
^^
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