ONE MONTH WITH THE DEVIL

Chapter 11

I felt his hands almost touch the small buttons at the back of my nightgown, then he quickly pulled back.

Okay, this is going too far already.

"Stop him, Lara. You need to stop him," my subconscious mind screamed at me.

"Stop, Victor," I finally cautioned him after having a debate in my mind about whether to stop him or not.

I hated that my voice sounded shaky. I'm sure it's going to give him the wrong signal.

"Why?" he hoarsely asked.

Why do I want him to stop? Is it because we haven't settled our dispute? Or because it's shameless to be close to him despite everything?

Maybe I'll go with the second thought. Why should I be close to him? Am I that dumb?

I quickly pulled away from him, glad he wasn't holding me tightly.

"My mom might come inside or something," I said.

I mentally kicked myself. What the heck did I just say? I ought to have told him the main reason I wanted him to stop.

Why am I behaving so stupidly?

"Sit here," I told him, pointing to the only chair in my room.

"Come here," he ordered.

I gazed at him with a questioning look. Is he trying to order me around now?

"Let me help you. Your dress is messed up. Are you aware?" he questioned with a smirk on his face.

"No. I'm okay like this," I mumbled.

I don't want us to have close contact anymore. I just don't want him to touch me. We might start something we won't be able to finish. Something I might regret later on. No boys was my rule, no boy like Victor Vance.

"Why are you here, Victor?" I asked after he finally sat down on the chair.

He gave a half shrug. "Am I not allowed to visit my girl?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't behave like you don't know what I'm talking about, Victor," I snapped at him.

He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug.

"What are you talking about, Voss? Honestly, I can't focus on anything right now."

"Why?" I asked.

His fingers threaded through his hair. "You are distracting me, girl. How can I focus on what you're saying when you look like that?"

"Victor, stop," I snapped at him.

I walked over to my wardrobe and pulled out an oversized t-shirt. I felt his eyes glued to me as I went to the restroom. I put the t-shirt on over the nightgown and went back to my room.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I found him still sitting where he was earlier. Thank God, he wasn't trying to mess up my room and things.

Now, let's get down to business. Enough of behaving like a dummy. I need to make things clear with him.

"Why are you here, Victor?" I repeated my question, looking into his eyes this time around.

"Don't you want me here?" he asked calmly.

"Yes. I ought to act rudely to you like you did the last time I came to your house. But my mom is in the living room. I don't want her to know what's going on between us. Dr. Elena Voss will worry." I paused for a few seconds, letting my words sink in.

"What do you want from me, Victor?" I asked him.

"I want you," he stated.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Your sweet words aren't going to flatter me, Victor Vance."

The corners of his mouth curved into a wide smile. "You're floored already."

"I'm not," I denied.

"I can bet my life on it. You're floored already."

I gave a half shrug. "You're just going to lose."

He smirked. "I am sure you don't want to lose me. You can't live without me."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Dude, I was living a perfect life before you came into my life. I hate that you came into my life."

His eyelids dropped. "That hurts, Lara."

"Just like the way you shouted at me when I came to your house to check on you," I retorted.

"That wasn't me, honestly," his voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Oh. So, who is the guy that caused my one-week suspension? Who is the guy who has been ignoring me at school? Who is the guy who was flirting with girls in school, with Vanessa Vale?" I bombarded him with questions.

My last question wasn't necessary, though. It made it seem like I was jealous. Well, I am kinda jealous. Because, why not? Boy gets jealous trope, but girl gets jealous too.

"That wasn't me, Lara," he muttered under his breath.

I let out a hiss. "Then who?"

"I was going through some things then. Family stuff. My dad Richard and his company. I'm sorry that I acted like that towards you," he apologized.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked him.

"Don't worry," he said, avoiding my intense eye contact. He is soft inside but scared to show it, like your character map says.

My eyelids dropped. "I don't like it when people keep things from me. I guess I'm just being stupid; after all, I'm not really important to you," I rambled.

"Lara," he breathed.

He stood up from his seat and walked over to me. He sat beside me on the bed and held my right hand. I tried to pull my hand away, but it was useless; he didn't want to let go of my hand.

"Lara," he muttered.

I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug, blinking my eyelashes rapidly. "Don't call my name if you don't have anything else to say," I snapped at him, even though I liked the way my name slipped out of his mouth.

Deep down in my mind, I want him to keep calling my name like a mantra. I want him to wrap his arms around my waist and then whisper my name softly into my ears.

Damn! What am I thinking? I don't know why, but I seem to get out of my comfort zone and have fantasies anytime I'm with Victor. His bad boy charm is really working on me. Hate to love, love grows slow.

All of a sudden, he let go of my hand and wrapped his arms around my waist.

Wait, am I thinking out loud? How come he knows what I need right now?

His hand fondles my hair gently.

"Lara, you're important to me," he whispered into my ear.

I swallowed hard, as my palms began to sweat. "You don't want to tell me what's going on."

"I don't want to bother you," he said calmly.

"Bother me. I don't give a damn. I just want to know what's going on with you," my voice came out as a yell.

I hope my mom won't hear my voice and come inside my room.

"Do you like me, Lara?"

I lifted an eyebrow. I wasn't expecting this question. Why would he ask this in the middle of this conversation?

I like him, of course. But I'm not sure if I should tell him. I might end up heartbroken. What if he doesn't feel the same?

I don't think he loves me. He wouldn't have ignored me all these days if he did. Boy loves first in your tropes, but he won't say it.

"Are you in love with me?" he repeated his question.

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't know."

"Do you like me?" I asked back before he could say anything.

"I don't know. I don't believe in love," he answered.

I bit my bottom lip. This is a lower version of heartbreak. Thank God, I haven't confessed my feelings.

"But you're special. I don't know, I used to think about you when we weren't together. That means you're important and so special. At Evergreen High, you are the only one not scared of me."

Isn't that closer to love? Being on his mind definitely is. I shouldn't overthink this. It could be that he was probably thinking about how I would look in his house. Victor is so unpredictable.

"I've answered your question, it's your turn," his voice jerked me out of my reverie.

I was about to mutter something when a phone beeped. It's not my phone but Victor's.

It was a text, but I noticed that his countenance changed after reading the message.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing. I think I have to go now," he said with a blank look on his face. This is Charles Montgomery texting about company.

Here we go again!

He isn't willing to give out information. What is wrong with him?

He moved away from me and stood up. "Till then, Lara."

"When?"

"I don't know. Maybe school," he said hurriedly and dashed out of my room.

My lips trembled. Something is up with him, and he won't tell me. I know we aren't a thing, but he should be able to offer me an explanation; after all, I'm important and special to him. He was the one who said that.

If my mother wasn't around, I would have followed him. Or, can I do that?