ChapterTwo
1208 Words
ELARA'S POV
I stared at the deadbolt. The metallic click echoed in the small bedroom, sealing both of us inside.
Rowan slipped my silver key into the front pocket of his dark jeans and took a slow step toward me.
I backed up until my calves hit the edge of the bare mattress.
"Unlock the door," I demanded, keeping my hands open and visible at my sides.
"You drop things," Rowan said, taking another step forward. "You leave your keys out on the kitchen counter. You don't pay attention to your surroundings. People who don't pay attention get hurt, Elara!"
"Give me the key, Rowan," I repeated, but I was slowly freaking out as he closed the distance between us.
He stopped right in front of me, looking down.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out the key, and held it between his index and middle fingers. I reached out to grab it, but he closed his fist immediately, snatching it out of my reach.
He stepped closer, crowding me against the bed.
"Sienna thinks you're fragile," he whispered, leaning down. "She thinks you need protecting from the world. I just think you're hiding."
I snatched the key from his loose grip, my fingernails scraped across his palm. "Get out of my room right now."
He stared at my face for a few minutes, but his facial expression remained at a poker.
Then he turned around, unlocked the door, and walked out into the hallway, leaving the door wide open.
I rushed forward and slammed it shut, locking the deadbolt and sliding to the floor. My hands shook as I sat down.
Four hours later, the heavy bass from a stereo shook the floorboards of the off-campus house.
Sienna handed me a red plastic cup filled with clear liquid and grabbed my wrist, pulling me through the crowded living room.
"You need to socialize," Sienna yelled over the loud music, dragging me toward the kitchen area. "You spent the entire afternoon unpacking your room. You need a break."
I took a sip of the bitter drink, scanning the chaotic room.
The atmosphere in the room was was hot and sticky, crowded with college students I barely recognized.
People bumped into my shoulders, spilling drinks on the floor. I wanted to go back to my quiet bedroom, but I needed to prove to Sienna that I wasn't completely trashed by my parents.
I saw Rowan standing by the stainless steel refrigerator. He held a glass bottle in his right hand, talking to a tall blonde girl who had her hand resting flat against his chest.
I watched him for a second, doing that, I tightened my grip on the cup. He looked up, made direct eye contact with me over the crowd, and immediately looked away.
He turned his back to me completely, giving the blonde girl his full and undivided attention.
My fingernails dug deeper into the plastic cup, creating sizable dents in the material. He invaded my bedroom earlier, demanding my attention, and now he acted like I didn't even exist.
The sudden shift in attitude confused me, making my stomach churn.
"Elara Moore," a loud voice announced from my right side.
I turned and took a quick step back to create distance.
Declan Vance.
He stood there, holding a dark drink and blocking my path to the hallway. He wore a crisp button-down shirt and his hair was styled perfectly back. He smiled at me, but the expression lacked any real warmth.
"Declan," I acknowledged, keeping my posture entirely rigid.
"I heard you transferred here," he said, stepping closer and forcing me to lean back against the wall. "I didn't think you would actually show up at my fraternity's party after you completely ignored my existence during freshman year."
"Sienna invited me," I answered quickly, looking past his shoulder for a clear exit path.
"You still think you're better than everyone else," Declan stated, his fake smile dropping into a harsh scowl. "You play the quiet, innocent girl routine perfectly, but you're just a stuck up. You think you're untouchable."
"Leave me alone," I told him, pushing my shoulder past his arm and walking quickly toward the back patio doors.
I stood outside in the cool night air, crossing my arms over my chest to stop my hands from trembling.
The hostile encounter with him unnerved me. I leaned against the wooden deck railing and looked back through the glass sliding door into the kitchen.
Declan walked across the room and stopped directly in front of Rowan. The blonde girl stepped away, looking annoyed.
Declan leaned in, saying something to Rowan over the loud music. Declan raised his hand and pointed a finger directly at me through the glass.
Rowan turned his head slowly and stared at me.
Declan pulled a thick stack of cash from his pocket, tapping it against the kitchen island before sliding it across the counter toward Rowan.
Rowan looked at the money, looked back at me, and picked up the cash. He shoved it into his jacket pocket, nodded once at Declan, and shook his hand.
Declan smirked and walked away into the crowd.
I gripped the wooden railing behind me, my breathing turning rapid. They were talking about me. Rowan accepted money from a man who openly hated me.
Rowan set his bottle down on the counter and walked straight toward the glass door. He pushed it open, stepping out onto the dark patio.
The sound of the music drowned out instantly as the sliding door shut behind him. He walked directly toward me, and he didn’t stop until the toes of his boots touched my sneakers.
"What did he say to you?" Rowan asked in a commanding tone.
"None of your business," I replied, stepping to the side to walk past him and get back inside.
Rowan shifted his weight and used his body to block my path. "I asked you a question, Elara."
"And I told you to leave me alone," I shot back, gripping my cup so hard the plastic cracked. "You ignored me inside the house, so keep ignoring me."
"I'm not ignoring you now," he stated, stepping closer and forcing me backward until my spine hit the wooden railing.
He placed both hands on the wood on either side of my hips, trapping me completely against the edge of the deck.
I swallowed hard, staring up at his face. The sudden, intense attention made my mind race in circles.
It felt exactly like my parents.
The cold dismissal that followed immediately by overwhelming, suffocating focus.
It was a psychological tactic designed to confuse and control the target. And I recognized the pattern.
"Let me go," I warned, keeping my voice completely steady despite my shaking hands.
"Declan thinks you're untouchable," Rowan whispered, lowering his head until his lips were just inches from my ear. "He thinks you're completely immune to everyone. He thinks you're made of stone."
He turned his head slightly, the rough stubble on his jaw brushed against my cheek. My breath hitched in my throat.
I grabbed the fabric of his jacket to push him away, but my fingers folded into the material instead.
"I'm going to prove him wrong," Rowan stated.
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