SINFULLY YOURS

Chapter 46: Chapter 46. Awful Timing

Chapter 46. Awful Timing

For the next few minutes, she said no word. She just looked up at him, her hands extended.

His arms were folded, staring straight into her eyes like he was waiting for an explanation.

Then she breathed out, looked at the keys in her hand and slowly nodded her head.

”Yeah,” she replied. ”I have thought long and hard about it,” she said. ”I did not come up with this decision thinking about anything else. I analyzed it in a way that it was for my own benefit,” she said.

She saw his eyebrows squeeze even tighter as she spoke.

”So yeah, I think the best decision for me is to stay at my friend’s place, or maybe in the future find my own apartment,” she said.

He looked at her long and hard, his face blank. It was a very sharp, stark contrast compared to the way he was back in the room, teasing her with his naked body and making her feel like her head was about to explode. That same darkness she felt whenever he was angry suddenly filled her senses. She felt her skin prickle; every single hair on her skin stood.

She frowned, looking at him, slowly stepping backwards. Is he angry? she wondered. She couldn’t tell. She expected him to grab her hand and suddenly shout at her that she should stay, that she should keep him company, like he usually did. To use those flirtatious remarks and tease her non stop about it.

But then all of a sudden, he tilted his head to the side and let out a sharp breath, nodding his head slowly. Inside the deepest corners of Don’s chest was a very sharp, throbbing sensation that made him feel like his heart was slowly being ripped out of his body.

Breathe, Don, he thought to himself. Breathe.

He closed his eyes and then chuckled.

It’s for the best, He thought to himself, It’s really for the best. It’s only for your own good. At least if she’s not here, there is no way her presence will tempt you or force you to act on your feelings, and then you wouldn’t have to keep dragging her deeper and deeper into her dark fate.

He looked back at her with a smile. ”I guess it’s a smart decision,” he said.

He saw disappointment cross her expression as she frowned at him.

He stretched his hand and took the keys from her. ”I guess I must have done my best trying to help you,” he said, staring at the keys with a smile on his face.

When he looked back at her, she was gazing at him like she didn’t understand him.

”You can go,” he said. ”It’s actually the best decision you’ve come up with. I’ve realized that I’m actually being selfish requesting you to stay with me, despite your complaint and the things you’ve been going through in school. You know, about everyone accusing you as some sort of bad egg and stuff like that,” he said. ”The truth is, yeah, if this gets out, it could lead to a huge scandal that could be far, way worse than what you went through last semester.”

Rosa stared at him in a daze. Okay, she thought, that’s new, and totally unexpected.

She blinked rapidly. He was not fighting. He was not trying to stop her. He was not flirting with her. He was not trying to tease her and make her stay with him.

Well, someone definitely changed within the span of a few seconds, she thought.

She ground her teeth together, slowly dropping her hand and gripping tightly against the handle of her travel bag.

”Yeah,” she said quickly. ”Yeah, yeah, sure, sure.”

She kept her gaze to the ground this time, holding her lips together. She felt conflicted, and she couldn’t understand why. She was supposed to be happy, right? But for some strange reason, she wasn’t. A very unsettling, hollow feeling lingered in her chest as she held back against her lung, suddenly feeling reluctant to leave, like she was giving him a second chance to change his mind and tell her to stay.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Don’t be stupid, Rosa, she thought. Then she shook her head, chuckling and slowly lifting her eyes, about to look up at him. She saw that he was smiling this time, watching her.

She blinked. The heat struck her chest hard this time.

”I wish you good luck,” he said, ”and I really do hope the rest of your studies go smoothly for you,” he said.

She folded her lips. Well, now he was back to the uncle aura, she thought to herself. Where was the teasing, flirtatious guy that made her blush until she wanted to hit her head against the wall? Yep, she thought to herself. Totally very, very hard to figure out this guy. Just when you thought he was good, he suddenly became bad. But when you thought he was dark, he suddenly became light. When you thought he was light, he became darkness. Just what the hell?

She squinted her eyelids at him. They fluttered for reasons she couldn’t understand. Then she breathed out, chuckling and nodding her head.

”Yeah, thank you,” she said calmly.

He chuckled. Then she saw him frown and lean his head close, observing her. ”Are you missing me already?” he asked.

Her face heated. She turned away, blinking and gazing at the ceiling. ”No,” she said quickly. ”Why the hell would I miss you? You’re very boring to be with,” she said.

He chuckled. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He twirled his index finger at her, pointing towards the door.

”Now leave. Get out of my apartment before I change my mind and take you back to your room,” he said.

Please, why don’t you take me back to my room? the thought flashed in her mind.

She blinked rapidly and turned around. What are you thinking, Rosa? She rushed forward towards the entrance. He didn’t come after her, didn’t bother to follow her and see her off. She exhaled. Yeah, Rosa, maybe it’s just the best thing he’s ever going to do for you.

It’s definitely for the best.

She stepped out of his mansion, closed the door gently behind her, walked down the front steps and then stopped in the large estate, turning around to look at the large mansion in front of her. She breathed out in exasperation. It was now that the sorrow settled and lingered long at the pit of her belly.

”Wouldn’t have been bad to have lived in a place like this through campus,” she muttered softly to herself. ”I’m so sorry, Rosa,” she said, ”sorry you couldn’t live the life you imagined.”

She grit her teeth together, then she shook her head. Yeah, you better leave before you stay long and change your mind.

She turned around and then dragged her luggage through the long courtyard of the estate until she got to the front entrance.

Disappointing, she thought with a huff. He didn’t even bother to take me out with his car back to Mia’s apartment.

She was out of the estate in minutes. She found herself at the bus stop, pulled her luggage to the side and quickly took out her phone.

She took in the scenery. Public buses and taxis picking people up as a large crowd gathered around her. She breathed out, dialing Mia’s number. Then she pressed the phone against her ear, waiting.

”Hello?” Mia called casually.

”Hey, Mia,” Rosa said softly, her voice blank.

”Are you good, girl? You don’t sound great.”

”Yeah, I am,” she replied, her eyes darting around, looking at the countless public buses moving to and fro. ”I need your help,” she said.

”What is it, girl?” Mia asked.

”I have already made a very big decision which I fear might make you disappointed.”

”What is it?” Mia asked immediately. ”Girl, don’t tell me you kissed Mac.”

Rosa flinched and. Where did that come from?

”Ewww. No. Jeez, Mia. Why would you think that?”

Mia faltered at the other end. ”Uuhh. I don’t know. Maybe because I heard a wiff of gossip that you both were lurking in the hallway alone during lecture period and way too close for comfort. Some are turning it into a soap opera. Some think that Mac might actually like you. It’s creeping me out.”

Rosa scoffed. ” Okay first of all, it’s ridiculous. Mac hates me. And I hate him back with every blood in me. Nothing happened. He was just being a total douche. Second of all, why don’t you come to the bus stop and pick me up, and then we can discuss this—”

”Rosa?” A soft, familiar female voice called aloud from a distance, and Rosa flinched.

Everyone’s head at the bus stop turned to the direction of the voice.

”Oh my God.”

”Is that a Rolls-Royce?”

”Shit. Who owns this car?”

Murmurs rippled through the air.

Rosa saw the figure in the luxurious vehicle staring at her through the window with dark shades. The structure of the woman’s face was so familiar it made her crane her neck. Her hand slowly dropped from her ear as the woman alighted from the vehicle stylishly , adjusting her sharp prestine yellow jacket, bunched against her shoulders, shutting the door gently behind her.

Then she pulled away her shades, her sharp gaze fixed solely on Rosa.

Rosa blinked and sighed when the recognition finally dawned on her. She looked away and twisted her lips.

Of all the rotten, awful timing in the world, why the hell did she have to run into this woman here in public?