A strong sense of déjà vu washes over me. A scene similar to this once long ago, except it was me on the receiving end of the incoming punch. Just like Bastian now, I didn’t flinch.
I also didn’t fight back.
“Don’t worry about me,riccia,” Bastian says with a smirk. “He wants to play, then we will play.”
She doesn’t acknowledge him. Her eyes solely focused on mine, some silent message she’s pleading for me to receive passes between us. And somehow, I know what the message is.
I drop my hands while taking another step back. I give her a curt nod through clenched teeth and make my way back to my room.
I stay in my room, lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling. The only thing keeping me company is my jumbled mind. Never a good place to be. I scratch at nothing while I shut out the whispers that haunt my thoughts. Constantly reminding myself they’re not real.
After a while, I wander back out. I’m surprised to find it’s already dark. I didn’t think I was in there that long. Then again, I’m not sure what time it was when I went in there in the first place.
I’m barely five steps out of the room when a small voice calls out to me. “Why did you do it?”
I turn to see the petite blond standing there wearing nothing more than a tiny pair of shorts and a thin tank. I bite back a groan when my eyes zero in on her tiny nipples poking through.
Maybe she’s part of my hell.
“Why did I do what, cher?” I ask, forcing my eyes back to hers. Not as hard as it sounds, considering her eyes have been in my dreams since the day we met.
“Bastian thought you were asking me to get you drugs or something.” She draws her bottom lip between her teeth nervously as her eyes dance between mine.
“He did.”
“Why didn’t you let me tell him the truth? Why did you let him believe his assumptions?”
“Because he’s going to think what he wants.”
“Mmm,” she nods,but something tells me she’s not buying it. “Maybe he would have, but that’s not why you did it.”
“Then tell me, cher, why did I do it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know you well enough to answer that.”
Needing to deflect, I turn on the charm. It’s not hard. In fact, I’ve had to dial it back. But now, it’s the weapon I need to send her running.
“We can fix that,” I give her my very famous smile as I go to where she stands in her doorway. I’m only a foot away from her now, and I already see the urgent need to run in her eyes. “We could get to know each other very well.” I run a finger up her bare arm.
Her eyes go wide. The arousal I see in them nearly does me in. I want to grab her, place my mouth on hers. Taste every inch.
But the trepidation I also see is what I’m after. It’s what has her backing up. “I—that’s not a good idea.” Her voice shakes with anxiety. “I—I’m not your type.”
“Aww, now, cher. Haven’t you heard? Everyone is my type.”
She shakes her head as a couple of tears fall down her face.
Fuck! That was not supposed to happen.
“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” I tell her, moving closer to her.
It doesn’t matter,though. She’s already in the room with the door closed, leaving me standing there feeling like the biggest asshole in the world.
Memories of you stay strong
Present day
I stare at the notebook, knowing what I need to write, what I need to confess. But putting pen to paper isn’t the easiest thing to do unless I’m writing a song.
