After he kissed me, we stayed there for a few more minutes. I couldn't feel any hatred in my mind at that moment. My knees are trembling, and this time I can feel something beating so fast inside my body.
Why did I even let him kiss me in the first place? I must not have caught up with it!
I won't have a heart for this. Yet this is letting me off from my plan. I can't keep doing this; I need to distance myself.
I took a step backward.
"Stay away from me."
I ran back to my room right away before he could say anything that would cause me more confusion.
The feeling I had earlier was sensational. His words are comforting, and I felt warmth and affection. But I shouldn't feel any warmer; there's only something frozen and dull about this situation.
I managed to stay up in my room until sundown and just enjoy the view of the forest from my window. It was nighttime by then when I heard a knock at my door.
I was hesitant to open it, but to my surprise, I saw Rylie, a friend of mine from the university.
"So it's true?" She squealed after she spoke, so I pulled her into my room.
"What are you doing here?" She can't be here.
"Well, Cooper approached me in class this afternoon, saying you're now staying in his house," she explained while checking the softness of my bed.
Gosh, I forgot that I have class this afternoon because of that stupid guy. He's crowding my thoughts, and he's affecting my schedule because of what he did. Plus, the fact that I can't believe he didn't even intend to remind me of everything about this.
"He didn't say anything about the class," I complained.
"He told me you were ignoring him," Rylie said in confusion.
Manipulative and selfish.
He came up with that kind of excuse and reached out for my best friend to come here to his lair. What a typical maniac!
"I didn't know you had a history with that guy; that's why he's always bugging you with all your class reports," she squealed again a little.
I took a deep breath and smiled at her. Rylie's been with me since I was just looking for an apartment to live in. She never really cared about who I was, so I didn't even bother to tell her the truth. She's the only person I've allowed to be my friend, and I don't want to lose her if I'm going to risk myself in this rotten penthouse. She shouldn't be here.
That jerk is trying to be passionate in front of others.
I entertained Rylie until dinner time, and she handed me lots of written homework I should have worked on before she finally said goodbye.
"Are you sure you don't want to tell me your love story with him?" Rylie asked again for the ninth time.
I just shook my head, and she pouted.
"I'll tell you when everything gets better," I assured her while waiting for the elevator.
When the other elevator opened, I saw Cooper holding three big paper bags of some high-end brands.
"Speaking of the devil," Rylie said as he glanced at Cooper.
"The devil it is," I said.
...
As soon as I opened the double doors to the penthouse, Cooper abruptly handed me those paper bags.
"We are going somewhere," he muttered.
"I'm not going anywhere with you." I'm ready to drop the paper bags, but he stopped me by holding my hand closed.
"Drop the attitude," he's gritting his teeth, and I saw his jaw clench. "We need to go somewhere, wear that, or I'll be the one to do that."
He let go of my hands and walked away. I just stuck out my tongue at him, and in the end, I just took a peek at these paper bags while I was walking towards my room. It's all dresses from different high-end brands around the city.
From all the dresses he bought, I picked out and wore the matte black spaghetti-strap body-hugging dress. It has a medium-length slit on the left side, showing my left thigh. I also wore those matte black strap high heels that I saw with this dress. With my hair, I decided to curl its ends and put on light makeup. I make sure that I fix my side bangs too.
By the time I was ready, I had fetched my silver purse and got out of my room. I was busy hooking up my earrings when I glanced at Cooper, who was already waiting for me at the front door.
I recognize that we have matching outfits. His black short-sleeve polo was tucked into his black trousers. His black leather shoes fit his outfit, and his hair was pushed back, looking so good.
"Are you going to stare at me forever?" He confidently asked.
I gasped softly when I heard his voice.
Shit, I'm distracted!
He offered his hand, but I just walked past him and gave him a cold stare.
"Feisty," he teased as he was walking behind me.
I doubled the amount of serum I injected before I went out, because I still don't know where he will take me. I might as well be cautious about it.
From the elevator down to the hallway at the first-floor lobby area, we didn't talk to each other. He's just busy typing on his phone while I'm sitting quietly.
As soon as the cat arrived outside, he immediately walked outside. But he turned his gaze around and looked at me while walking backwards.
"By the way, you look elegant."
I felt thousands of electrifying butterflies rumbling around inside my stomach. My mood suddenly felt alive after hearing that. What is wrong with me?
Before I could forget, I asked him.
"Where are we going?"
"To my parents, my real parents."
My mood shifted, and I became anxious for a second. I stopped walking just like he did. He looked so serious, and I flinched a little.
"You jerk."