BOUND BY HER DESIRE

CHAPTER SIX

CLARA'S POV

CHAPTER SIX

CLARA POV

I really felt bad turning Roland down. Besides, Julian would never approve of me going out on a dinner date with him. Monday morning. I was lying on my bed, going through my phone and watching videos when something struck me. Roland has not responded to my messages since Friday after I told him I could not make it for the dinner date. I thought inwardly, he must really be pissed at me. I was still lost in thought when my alarm brought me back to reality. It was 7:30 am, I stood up quickly, rushing into the shower for a quick bath to beat time.

“f**k I am late,” I said. I ransacked my wardrobe trying out different clothes suitable for school. This was one of the things I hated doing. Find clothing that fits, not that I had few clothes. I had a full wardrobe of clothes, but I was always finding it difficult to get what to wear. Julian had not returned since Friday, so I had spent the weekend alone.

It was 8:00 am, when I was finally ready for school, rushing outside, my driver was waiting for me already. ‘Good morning miss Clara,""how was your night?.” My driver rushed to help with my laptop bag. “Good morning, my night was fine. Thank you.” I replied. My thoughts wandered again to Roland again. I thought of approaching him and apologizing for turning him down the other day.

“Please drop me by the gate,” I said. Monday mornings will always be busy, students moving from one place to the other, checking out assignments and projects. Trying to solve different challenges is always busy moving from one place to another. I had a problem to solve too. I needed to apologize to Roland too. My eyes scanned the environment for him as students rushed by. I checked for his normal waiting spot, but he wasn't there.

I was just in time before the arrival of Professor Joe. I sat down, dropping my Thermos on the desk alongside my laptop. I looked around for Roland, but he was nowhere to be found. He never missed Professor Joe’s class, so it was quite disturbing that he wasn't in class and I had no one to ask about his whereabouts as I did not make friends in school.

At the end of the class, I strolled down to his department, but I still couldn't find him. Maybe something important kept him from school. I pulled out my phone to call him, but it went straight to voice mail.

“Hey Roland, how are you?” “I just wanted to check up on you and to know why you're not in school.” I sent him a text and waited for a response but got none.

My brows furrowed in worry as I kept checking my phone for a reply from him. Maybe he blocked me. That was the thought I kept in my head, or he was avoiding me, but I didn't see him as being such a petty person at the same time. That wasn't a good reason he would miss school or Professor Joe’s class on a Monday morning.

The rest of the day, I became sober. I really wanted to go home, but by 4:30 pm I was done with school. Waiting for my driver outside the gate, I scanned my eyes once more but saw no sign of him.

“Good evening, Miss Clara, how was your day?” My driver asked. I didn't spare him a glance as I got into the car. I was not ready to speak to anyone. All I wanted was to know why Roland was not picking or replying to my messages. By 5:00 pm, I was home and so tired I just needed to rest.

“Hey little kitten, how was school today?” Julian said. I can be mute for every other person, but not Julian.

“Stressful,” I replied, strolling into my room.

“Go freshen up and come down for dinner. I prepared a special meal for you.”

“I am not hungry,” I replied, I felt the worms in my belly jumping in protest. Lair. I actually missed meals, he was actually a great cook. He cooks delicious meals. I'm not going to lie. I was a bit famished but all I wanted was to hear from Roland.

I climbed up the stairs to my room and flung myself on my bed, staring at the designed roof of my room. I stayed like that for a while before getting up to freshen up. I wore shorts and a silk spaghetti and a red top. My hair was wet, but it didn't bother me as I laid on my bed. I was going through my IG reels when I heard footsteps coming towards my room and I knew at once who it was. The only person who could come to my room in this house was Julian Vance, and he knew that no one else dared. I heard three knocks at intervals on my door before the door opened and there he was standing in all his glory.

“Hey, food is ready, I made you macaroni and cheese just the way you like it.” I knew he was not going to take my answer to heart. So I just went down to the dining table and I took the seat at the center while he sat in my right hand as usual, as he was my next in command or subordinate. It made me feel things I was not yet ready to decipher or think about.

“So tell me about your day? You don't look okay.”

“I am fine,” I replied, stabbing the food with my fork, searching for my appetite like it was somewhere hidden under the macaroni mix on my plate. I was still worried about Roland. I didn't know why I wanted to talk to him. We are not even close, I muttered to myself.

“I am done eating,” I whispered after taking a few bites.

“You’ve not even touched your food,” he said in that throaty voice of his that does things to me.

“I am fine,” I said, standing up from the table, walking up to my room. All I needed to do was rest. I laid on my bed facing the windows, just staring at the stars.

“Hey kitten, can I come in?” Julian said.

“Yes,” I said. Still looking outside my window. I did not bother standing up or looking at him.

“Are you okay? Did you have a fight in school?” he kept nudging at me.

“No,” I responded after a while. “It is about a friend of mine,” I said. “He was not in school, like a sudden disappearance, he is not responding to messages, and he is not taking his calls.”

“A friend?” he asked. “You never mentioned him to me. What is his name?” he kept asking. I was not surprised. Julian never wanted to make friends.

“Roland.” I said. For some minutes, the room was quiet, neither of us said a word. I felt a warm hand bringing me into himself, after a long silence.

“Little kitten, you don't need to be like this because of a stranger, who is probably not even thinking of you.” He said, looking at me so intensely. I felt like he had more to say but was holding back.

Still in that position until we both slept off.