"I ... I just came to get my purse," Stella managed to protest, her voice quivering slightly.
Apollo's face was a mask of indifference, "And why should I even obey you?"she continued.
Apollo was silent, clearly not ready for a banter between them.
With a deep, shaky breath, Stella gathered her courage and posed the question that had lingered in her mind since the fight.
"Why did you and Aaron fight?"
With a scoff, Apollo retorted, "Why do you care?"
Stella couldn't deny the truth in his words. Why did she care anyway? She couldn't bring herself to answer. Instead, she moved closer to him, her gaze examining the numerous bruises on his face.
Stella's focus was drawn to the assortment of bruises that marred Apollo's face, a grim reminder of the fight he had just gone through. She leaned in close, her fingertips gently tracing along the edges of a particularly nasty bruise on his jaw. "Look at your face," she murmured, her voice tinged with sympathy.
The closeness of their bodies left a peculiar sensation coursing through Apollo, yet Stella didn't seem to notice or care.
"I'll help you with that" Stella Cruze said.With swift purpose, she moved away from him, not waiting for a response. As she retreated, his heart pounded furiously in his chest, betraying the effect her proximity had on him.
Stella returned, carrying a first aid kit, her expression serious as she approached Apollo again. She quietly led him to a chair where he sat and she bent before him.She rummaged through the kit, pulling out antiseptic wipes and bandages. Without a word, she gently dabbed at his wounds, the coolness of the antiseptic solution bringing a momentary relief to the stinging pain. Despite the lack of conversation, the air between them felt heavy with unspoken tension.
Stella's question hung in the air, tinged with confusion and concern. "Why do you speak the way you do to Aurora?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. Apollo's frown deepened at the mention of Aurora.
"Why?" Stella pressed on, her voice filled with sincerity. "It's not easy to find stepmothers as kind and caring as her."
Her words struck a nerve in Apollo, and he felt a surge of anger rising within him.
As Stella began to patch up his wounds, she couldn't help but broach a topic that had lingered on her mind. "You know..." she began, her voice soft and hesitant, "I often wonder why you're so determined to please Lucas Dunn."
Apollo tensed at the mention of the name, his grip on the edge of the chair growing tighter.
"Lucas is my everything," Apollo admitted, his voice tinged with a mix of vulnerability and determination. "He is my father, and as he lies on that sick bed, all I can think about is making him smile."
There was a rawness to his confession, a glimpse into the depths of his emotions and loyalty towards the man who meant everything to him.
"What happened to your mom?" There was a long, heavy pause .She immediately tried to backtrack, sensing that she had broached a sensitive topic.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," she murmured, her tone gentle and understanding.
Apollo finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness. "She left me," he said.
"Oh." Stella's response was laced with a mixture of understanding and shared pain. "My father left me too," she admitted softly, her voice carrying a hint of bitterness. "I hate him for it," she confessed, her jaw tightening with suppressed anger.
Apollo winced as she unintentionally hurt him while tending to his wounds. "Ouch," he protested, his discomfort mixing with a pang of empathy for the pain she harbored.
"Sorry," Stella murmured, her voice soft and filled with regret. Apollo couldn't help but mock her, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Wow, the mighty Stella Cruze apologizing to an adversary. Who would've thought?"
Despite his taunting tone, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, and Stella rolled her eyes in response, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Stella's phone began to ring, jolting her back to the present moment. With a sigh, she stood up, her gaze fixed on the phone she held.Stella ignored the call since it was Magdalene. "All done," she announced, her voice quiet.
She turned to leave, her hand grasping the strap of her purse. But just before she could exit, Apollo called out her name.
"Stella."
She halted, turning to face him. "We should meet one day," he said, his voice holding a hint of sincerity amidst his internal conflict.
Stella was taken aback by Apollo's suggestion, her surprise mingled with a touch of intrigue. "Umm..." she murmured, her thoughts swirling.
Apollo's usual confident demeanor was replaced with a rare hint of shyness as he said, "If you're okay with it."
A smirk graced Stella's lips as she considered his words. "I'll think about it," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of mischief.
As Stella walked away, Apollo felt a pang of guilt. He knew deep down that he genuinely wanted to get to know her better, but the knowledge of his mission to make her fall in love with him weighed heavily on his conscience.
He sighed.