Chapter 5
1134 Words
Vaelora’s POV
I groaned as I rolled over on the bed, buried my face into the pillows, and blinked my eyes open. Wincing at the brightness, I clamped my eyes shut again and tried to clear the fogginess in my mind.
As the fog of sleep cleared, the memories of the previous night rushed back, making me groan in frustration. I remembered how last night had gone. I remembered how my whole body buzzed with both the alcohol and the intensity of Marcus’s gaze as he pinned me to the wall.
“I have a crush on you, Marcus,” I had said shamelessly.
The words echoed in my mind, making my stomach flip with a mix of shame and dread. I remembered leaning into him, my eyes fluttering shut, waiting for a kiss that never came. Instead, Marcus had seemed to snap out of it at the very last minute. The hunger in his eyes had been replaced by a flash of panic before his face smoothed into an unreadable expression. He hadn't said a word after that. He had simply caught me by the elbows and guided me up the stairs quietly like I was a kid and the moment I was in my room, he slammed the door shut and walked away with long strides.
I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling as mortification filled me. I had practically begged for him, and he had treated me like I was just a little girl who was out of her mind. He probably hated me now. Or worse, he was currently drafting a list of boarding schools or apartments to send me to so he wouldn't have to look at his disgusting and filthy stepdaughter anymore.
Coupled with my banging headache from the hangover, I couldn’t seem to think properly. I spent an hour curled in a ball as I tried to summon the courage to face him. Eventually, the need for caffeine outweighed my fear of facing him. Ready to face whatever he threw at me, I put on an oversized sweater and leggings before splashing some cold water on my face and then I headed downstairs.
When I noticed the house was already quiet, I dared to relax a bit as I wondered if he wasn’t home. Had he gone to the office to avoid running into me? My relieved thoughts disappeared the moment I walked into the kitchen and Marcus was standing right there in a shirt that strained against his muscles.
My breath hitched as I stood frozen in the doorway. "Marcus," I croaked, unsure of how I was supposed to act.
He didn't look up immediately like I had expected. He poured coffee into a mug before finally turning to me.
"You're awake," he said, his voice deep and steady like always. He didn’t seem a bit troubled by what had happened last night.
I expected to be yelled at but he did the exact opposite. He didn't scold me nor did he tell me to pack my bags. He simply stepped toward me, holding the mug out. When I collected the mug, his fingers brushed against mine and lingered for a moment more than necessary, making a jolt of electricity shoot straight to my core. My eyes shot up to meet his immediately and the heat in his gaze had me swallowing hard.
"Come and sit," he commanded softly.
I obeyed immediately as I walked further into the kitchen before sliding onto a barstool while he sat across from me. I stared into my coffee as the silence stretched between us as the seconds rolled by. He seemed to be cool as he stared at me, but I was not okay. I began to panic as my heartbeat increased. Was this some sort of test? I didn’t care, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to apologize and just tell him it was the alcohol talking and ask him to make us go back to how things were before.
With my mind made up, I finally spoke.
"Marcus, about last night," I began, my voice shaking. "I’m so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I was drunk and reckless, and I—"
"Vaelora, stop."
I looked up, my heart leaping into my throat as he leaned towards me. "You don't need to apologize for the truth," he said, his voice dropping to that low tone that always made my heart race. “I spent the entire night thinking about what you said. About how I’ve kept my distance. About how I’ve treated you like a chore."
"I didn't mean it like that," I whispered, regretting my outbursts already. I wanted to provoke him but now I didn’t feel good. He was the only one I had and I would really hate to lose him too.
"Yes, you did. And you were right." He said as he let out a frustrated breath while his eyes bored into mine. "I stayed three feet away because if I got any closer, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop. I thought I was protecting you. I thought if I played the part of the devoted father long enough, these feelings would just... evaporate."
I stiffened as my eyes widened in disbelief. "Feelings?"
Instead of replying, Marcus got off his seat and walked until he was right in front of me.
"Last night, you said you thought I felt it too," he said, reaching out to tilt my chin up so I had to look at him. His thumb traced the line of my jaw so delicately my eyes almost rolled to the back of my head. "You were right about that, too, because I’ve spent years fighting a hunger for you that has nearly driven me mad. Seeing you with that boy last night... it snapped something in me."
I felt like I was dreaming as he leaned down until his face was only a few inches from mine.
“Did you mean what you said last night?” He asked as if trying to confirm his feelings as well. I looked into his eyes as I tried to see if this was real. Marcus was actually attracted to me and it was unbelievable. “Answer me,” he commanded when I took too long to respond.
“Y-yes,” I breathed, swallowing my fears.
At my admission, a look flashed in his eyes as he leaned even closer to me until we shared the same breath.
“There’s no going back after this, you know that, right?” He whispered as his eyes dropped to my slightly parted lips. I could only nod as I got lost in his gaze.
“Good girl,” he said, before his lips locked onto mine.
- Writer
