Chapter 37 — Smacked
1263 Words
I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me that I was going to have the worst f*****g migraine of my life.
I had called Lena after school, but Samuel picked up and told me she'd fallen asleep.
I was like okay.
Then I told him I'd come check up on her after school, and guess what the bloody bastard said…
“That wouldn't be necessary.”
With that, he ended the call.
Furious, I called three more times.
Three… bloody times.
Only to realize—
I'd been blocked.
Now I'm just f*****g pissed, like who the hell did he think he was?
“Stop fretting about this, Rosie. Let's just go home.”
“We don't live in the same bloody house, Andrew.” I muttered, typing fast on my phone.
“I was hoping I could drop you off first… just to make sure you're safe.”
“I've been going home from this school for two years now, just fine.”
“I'm just trying to be a gentleman, Rosie. Why would anyone take a school bus when they're being offered a ride?”
I was so… close to chucking my phone at him.
I honestly would have done that earlier, but the damned phone cost over two thousand dollars.
“Look, Andrew—”
“Miss Alphonse.”
Andrew's expression changed immediately.
I turned around, glaring at Henry as he walked towards us.
“Where is Lena?” I asked.
He ignored me.
The freaking asshole ignored me.
He stopped just in front of Andrew, looming over him like a f*****g giant.
“Mr Goldwells,” Henry acknowledged. “I'm surprised to see you're still here.”
“I was hoping I could drop Rosie home—”
“That won't be necessary, since I'm here to pick her up.”
“I can see that.” Andrew bit out.
“I believe your driver is waiting to take you home… or has been rather.”
Andrew scoffed irritably.
“He's paid to do that, isn't he.”
“He indeed is, but the first step towards humility is understanding how valuable a person's time is to them.”
Andrew scowled.
“Christ…” he adjusted his bag over his shoulder. “I'll see you tomorrow, Rosie.”
Then he walked off.
He climbed into the waiting car and soon enough, they drove off.
“Where's Lena?” I asked again.
“We'll talk at home, let's go.”
“No.”
“Rosie—”
“Don't Rosie me, Henry. I need a freaking explanation of what the hell is going on and by an explanation… I mean a detailed one.” I yelled, chest rising and falling fast.
His jaw clenched tightly, eyes hard.
“Who the hell is that Samuel person?”
“Her bodyguard.”
“Her what?”
“You heard me, Rosie.”
“I thought he was Lena's father's friend, how the hell is he her bodyguard now?”
“He's always been her bodyguard in the guise of father's friend.”
“And why the hell does Lena need a bodyguard?”
He huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Safe to say… Jacob might have gotten himself mixed with the wrong people at some point.”
I opened my mouth to question him further, but he beat me to it.
“I've told you all I was able to get from Samuel, Rosie. I don't know the full details. The guy's pretty tight-lipped.”
I stared at him long and hard.
Giving up when it became obvious he didn't know much and the school bus was about to leave.
“I'll see you at home,” I said, before walking away, but his voice stopped me.
“Can you even hear how weird that sounds? I'm literally here to take you home.”
I turned around sharply, hands on my hips.
“Well, Mr, I'm so smart, did it occur to you that maybe I don't want a ride with you?”
He scowled.
“And why's that?”
“I don't know!” I yelled in exasperation.
He stared at me with boredom.
“Let's go home, Rosie.”
“I will, Henry. Just not with you,” I said, walking away.
“Why would anyone even choose to ride a bus over a comfortable car?” Henry screamed after my retreating figure.
“Maybe I'm just sick of you men.” I murmured to myself.
I glanced at the school grounds, noting its emptiness.
Fucking Monday morning.
I was just about to get onto the bus, when arms heaved me up and slung me over a hard shoulder.
“Oh my God!” I screeched. “What are you doing, Henry?”
No response.
He just casually carried me to his car, like we weren't out in the open.
“Put me down, people are watching.” I hissed, flapping my legs.
Still nothing.
“Henry—”
Smack.
I froze.
He did not just do what I think he did, did he?
Oh my God…
A blush crept up into my cheeks as the slight sting on my butt confirmed that he really did what I thought he did.
He opened the car door and tossed me into the passenger seat, then he settled at the driver's side.
I didn't say anything…
Scratch that, I was too stunned to speak.
Even when he started the car and pulled onto the road.
I stayed mute.
“I guess I should do that more often,” Henry teased with a small smile.
“You slapped my butt.” I said, quietly.
“That I did.”
“In front of the whole school.”
He hummed thoughtfully.
“Not really…”
My head snapped to him, stunned at his casual tone.
“You carried me, Henry. Then you slapped my butt…”
God…
Saying it alone made me both mortified and embarrassed.
One thing that didn't seem to care though…
Was my body's reaction to it and the blush that had permanently etched itself on my bloody cheeks.
“You look like you want me to do it again,” Henry replied, chuckling softly.
My blush deepened against my will.
Against my freaking will.
“People saw that.” I seethed.
“Trust me, no one did.”
“How are you so sure?”
“You don't think I'd do something like that without caution, did you?”
Of course, he wouldn't.
Still…
“That was uncalled-for.”
He chuckled softly and my scowl deepened at his callous attitude.
I huffed, turning towards the window.
Silence settled between us, broken only by the constant hum of the car.
“Your test results came in,” Henry said, cutting into the silence.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. “Okay…”
“You did better than the last time.”
A small smile broke out on my lips.
“But—”
The smile fell immediately.
“It's nowhere near enough to get you into E.A… so I've come up with another idea.”
Interesting.
Why did one part of me seem eager to know this idea… while the other was just cautious.
“I do hope you understand that it's only a temporary solution,” Henry said.
“But from my intel on you, it's the best way to help you learn faster.”
“Intel?” I echoed.
He smiled eerily.
“Let's get home first, you'll understand what I'm talking about.”
- Writer
