Chapter 7
1057 Words
'Had he given up already?'. I wondered all through the week when I received no call or text from Ivan.
Perhaps I went too far with the insult, but no one had ever spited me the way he did. He knew how to bring out a part of me I usually kept hidden and under control. He knew how to keep me burning with anger, and so, all the blame was his.
I took the responsibility of helping my father get his weekly stack of magazines from the bookstore, which was just about a mile away from where we lived.
As I made the payment, my eyes caught sight of Steve and two others outside, talking. Although, they hadn't seen me yet, I felt hesitant to walk out. I didn't want any trouble from them.
I remembered Iris words about Ivan's command to them that none should bother me. With that in mind, I finally felt courageous enough to walk out.
I didn't pay any attention to them as I made my way out, but I could feel their eyes on me. They didn't say a word to me, and that settled me a bit.
The path I took back home was deserted, and minutes later, I felt like I was being followed. I turned back and my feeling was confirmed. Steve was coming behind me at a fast pace.
I turned back to run, but two figures jumped from the sides of the road and blocked my path.
I was afraid. There was no one else in sight to help me. I would be at their mercy if I didn't do anything so, I took to my heels and jumped into a bushy path.
At first, I could hear the sound of them chasing after me, but everything soon became quiet.
I stopped when I found myself in a clearing with tall trees scattered around. It looked like a forest, and the eerie silence frightened me even more.
I couldn't tell if Steve and his cohorts had stopped chasing after me and I was confused about whether I should keep moving or stay put
A sudden rustling of leaves and sound of twigs breaking told me that I might not be alone after all. Someone was coming, and it didn't see as though they were running, but walking instead.
The first thing that met my view were fiery red eyes, followed by the figure of wolf with black fur.
It had the appearance of twice the normal werewolf, which intimidated me.
I had never encountered such before and I thought it highly risky to remain in that place with it. I took to my heels one more time and tried to run away.
However, in one swift move, the wolf jumped in front of me and blocked my path.
It transformed. The sound of bones breaking filled my ears. It's an action that happened all too fast and too smoothly, and a human stood in front of me after.
It was Ivan.
His skin glistened from the ray of sunlight and when my eyes trailed lower down his body, It dawned on me then that he was stark naked.
I let out a shriek and turned away from him immediately, not letting much of the sight register on my mind.
He chuckled at my action and I wondered how he wasn't embarrassed being naked in front of me.
"You're naked." I stated.
"And you're where you're not supposed to be on your own."
"I didn't just walk in here because I felt like it or because I was bored." I replied. I could feel he had drawn closer to me from behind, and I fought the urge to turn back around.
"Then why are you here?"
"I was chased." I answered. I hated how every bit of my focus was on the fact that he was naked. It elicited different emotions and unholy thoughts within me
"By who?" He asked again.
"Steve and his friends. I went out to get magazines for my father and I encountered them at the bookstore. They followed me and tried to ambush me." I explained.
"Wait here." He told me. I finally gave in to my urge and I turned around, hoping to have a glance of him. However, I couldn't find him anymore.
He had left, and I was curious about where. Still, I did as he said and waited.
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Some minutes later, which I calculated to be about thirty, he returned, all dressed up in sweat pants and a white tee.
"Thought you wouldn't return." I said, getting up from the log of wood I was sitting on.
"I'm surprised you waited."
"Well, I'm a bit confused on which route to take back home and also scared of what Steve and his cohorts will do to me if I encounter them again."
"That issue has been sorted. They won't ever bother you again." He assured and I wondered what he had done.
Did he go after Steve when he left earlier?
"What did you do to them?"
"Nothing you should worry about. They got what they deserve." He said, coming closer to me. The picture of his nudity flashes across my mind seemingly trapping me in my thoughts.
"You're distracted."
"I'm not."
He stared at me. A long look which made me feel exposed and awkward.
"Such a liar." He said and started walking away. I took it as a cue and followed behind him.
We don't say a word to each other until we got to my house. He stood, and I took some steps forward to leave. Unable to resist from asking the questions on my mind, I turned back to him.
"So, uh... Is the whole date arrangement over?" I asked, fidgeting a bit.
"I never said it was."
"Well, you haven't called or texted either."
"We're you expecting my calls?"
"No. I just wanted to know if you had given up already and decided to return my devices." I answered and he took steps closer to me till we were mere inches apart.
"Well, I take it that you don't know much about me. But I want you to know this, Lainey. I never give up. It's not part of my being, so never expect me to, especially when it comes to you."
- Writer
