Page 76 of Eyes Like Angel

“Tell me,” he murmured; almost sounding like a plea, a beguiling voice guided me within a lost haze in his maze.

The concept, the way he phrased it was inviting and…foreign, a source of encouragement in a way. Train of thought rushed in my head in brisk pace, heating up twice as fast, consider on explaining things without his short temper running hot and his tone cold.

Not cold—wrong choice of words—perhaps in a layered cold tone, it layered and placed in a more…indescribable feeling escaped.

I averted my gaze for a second, contemplating. “I must’ve been an embarrassment, aren’t I?”

He veered at me, clueless. “What are you talking about?”

“At the party, when you told me to go, I hesitated, because of…Miss Curtis.” Then correcting myself. “Emily, I mean.”

His brows knitted. “What about her?”

My heart thundered. I paused, gathering my courage, which I hesitated and held back before and on the previous attempts I had, causing to shut my mind off with guilt after being told off, shoving these intrusiveness and switch it off. But the worst he could say is ‘no’ or refused to listen at my reasoning.

I’ve gone off spiraling again, it happened in many occasions to where I can’t find myself to be in control less than a minute.

Emily’s words resounded against my better judgement. Dread seeped in as I conjured back to the night before.

“But you don’t belong here, not in my world, and not in his world. God, you look so pathetic, are you becoming a ghost or a zombie? Are you here to confess your sins or are you trying to get into my way? You fucking irritate me. Wherever I go, don’t follow. Don’t try to talk to me, don’t try to convince me to be friends with you because I don’t see you as a friend, I see you as a slave to God’s work.”

Tingling press from her hand shoved me on the bosom, then my shoulder blade again.

And again, and again, each time her mouth opened.

“I would never be friends with someone like you; you’re too disgusting to be around. Even if you’re the last person on Earth, I’d rather eat shit than talking to you. Adrian doesn’t want to say this, but he doesn’t want you here, either. I know what he wants, and I know that he doesn’t plan on being friends with a dumb virgin like you. He brought you here because he felt sorry for you, but seeing this…I don’t think he’ll ever invite you again. Not in a million years. So I suggest you turn around and don’t come back. So fuck off! You belong in the basement. Let’s face it, Eva, nobody likes you. Since nobody wants to say it, I have to. I have to be the hero. I have to be the good guy.”

My lips opened and closed weakly, hesitantly as Adrian eyed on me closely. A little too close.

Flustered, I said, “Sir, I don’t think I should—”

His face inched closer to me. “Tell me.”

I hesitated, my lips sealed, rotated my head on the left; Adrian gently clasped my chin, turning back onto his hues.

He sighed, a little calmer, gaze softened. “I won’t ruin your job; I won’t drag you on the spot, either. I’d be a jerk if I do that.”

In silence, I watched his contorted expression, struggling to find right terms.

“Let me go,” I pleaded, shuddered. “I swear I won’t cause trouble.”

“You can trust me,” he said. “Your words are safe with me.”

Nervous, I kept myself intact. “You…promise?”

“Yes, I swear to Go—” he paused. “I swear. There’s no reason to be in fear.”

I hesitated, carefully choosing my next words. “After you were heading back to your friends, while I waited, she gave a few words. She said that—”

Adrian waited. “Tell me,” he encouraged again, eyes sparkling.

“She said I don’t belong anywhere, that no matter how many attempts I tried to make, I’ll never be part of your life, because I’m too rigid.” My lip quivered. “She told me you felt sorry you had to invite me and changed your mind when you saw me. She knew what girls you like. With my nun attire, she said that I might also be rigid…in…”

“In?”

I swallowed and locked—tucked the fear in deeper.

“In,” I said, leaning inward to whisper, “the bed.”