Nivera sat in stunned silence, as she thought about the feel of his hair when her fingers twisted in the strands of his hair, his scent clinging to her like the memory of a dream she hadn’t meant to <b>have</b>,
How had ite to this?
Just hours ago, she’d wanted to scratch the smug o off his face with her naih when he made her watch these models.
And now–now she couldn’t stop reliving the feel of his lips. The way he touched her, like he knew how fragile she was, and yet how firmly she could
bum.
This was Alejandro
Alejandro, who had smirked at her pain. The same man who enjoyed making her suffer
The same one who had treated her like she was a pawn on a board he was already winning.
Alejandro, who was supposed to be the devil in designer clothes
And yet he was also the only one who had truly stood by her when everyone else vanished.
The only one who dug into the truth, who peeled back the lies <b>until </b>the usations <b>against </b>her crumbled. He hadn’t just <b>helped </b><b>her </b><b>clear </b>her name he had believed she <b>was </b>worth clearing
She hated him.
She wanted to hate him.
But in that moment while her head was still spinning from the kiss–she couldn’t find the hatred.
All she could find was the memory of the kiss, the memory of when he hade to save her when Nathaniel had tied her up with the intention to sexually <b>assault </b><b>her</b><b>. </b>
She dared to nce at Alejandro, and there was no gloating in his eyes, no triumph. Only curiosity and interest.
Her lips still tingled. Her skin still felt hot where his <b>hands </b>had beery And her heart–the traitorous thing that it was–was <b>beating </b>out a rhythm <b>she </b>couldn’t interpret
You’re not that attractive, she had said.
Big, bold, dangerous lie.
Alejandro was devastating <b>Not </b>just in looks, though that was undeniable. But in the way he watched her. In the way he unraveled her without needing to
try
In the way he kissed, it was like it wasn’t just lips <b>and </b>heat–but like it was revtion. Like he was tasting the truth from <b>her </b>mouth, pulling it from her
soul.
She was still breathless. Still trying to find a version of herself that hadn’t leaned into that kiss.
Still trying to convince herself it didn’t mean anything.
But it did, and that terrified her more than anythin
She wasn’t supposed to want him. She wasn’t supposed to like him. He had made her life a living <b>hell</b><b>, </b>and yet… yet…,
He was there.
When her world copsed–he didn’t run, didn’t abandon her like the rest
He had shown up. Relentlessly. Shamelessly. Even when she pushed, he didn’t let go.
He made her feel seen, even when it pissed her off
She shied in her seat, her body still buzzing from contact. Alejandro had moved now, sat a few foot away, his eyes unreadable but still locked on her like a secret he hadn’t decided to share yet.
“I shouldn’t <b>have </b>done <b>that</b><b>,</b>” she murmured, her voice barely audible..
He raised a brow. “Which part? The kiss you started, or the one you didn’t stop?”
She red at him. “Hey, I only kissed you briefly, you were the one who kissed me like,
She swallowed the rest of her words, as it would make the already awkward situation much more awkward
*Only because you responded well to it,” he said, but there was no humour in his tone this time, instead his voice was strained as though he was trying to control himself.
“No,” she snapped. “You don’t get to–” She stopped, swallowing back the emotion rising like bile. “You don’t get to me me when you were the one
who chose to kiss me.”
“Really?” He echoed softly.
“I hate you,” she said, but it came out wrong. Weak, Like she was trying to convince herself, not him,
“I know,” he responded, too quietly. “And yet… here we are.
Silence stretched again, too loud for her liking.
She folded her arms, mostly to keep her hands from shaking. Her voice was steadier when she spoke <b>again</b>.
“Loverheard your conversation with your uncle,” she confessed. Her eyes widened in <b>horror </b>as she didn’t mean to say that out loud.
She looked at Alejandro, expecting him to lo
<b>lose </b>his cool, but he sat ?omposed as always.
“I know, your perfume left enough traces,” he sighed, much to her surprise. So he <b>knew</b>?
“You were the one behind Nathaniels confession and suicide,” Nivera stated.
“Yes, I was,” he finally admitted.
“You helped me. You didn’t have to, but you did. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “You didn’t just save my reputation. You made me feel like I wasn’t crazy for trying to fight. Like I wasn’t alone.”
He said nothing. She dared to look up–and she found him watching her like she was a painting he hadn’t quite figured out how to interpret.
“So why did you lie about it? She asked the burning question.
“Because I didn’t want you to <b>consider </b>me <b>a </b>nice person and have your perception of me begin to change. I’m a crual person, and it’s in your best interest if you continue to consider me as such,” he answered.
<b>“</b>You’re mean,” she muttered under her breath.
“<b>I </b>am,” he admitted. “But I’m honest.”
Chapter <b>55 </b>
The bastard.
Honest. That was the part that made it worse. Because he was honest with heb<b>, </b>even when he was cruel.
Even when he teased or taunted or tried to unnerve her.
And yet… being near him, especially now, she felt those walls starting to splinter
He stood suddenly, and her heart thudded, but he didn’t teach for her.
She didn’t trust him. Not fully, but she also didn’t trust herself not to do something she’d regretter
The silence turned soft between them, no longer biting
“You don’t have to worry; I won’t fall for you,” she stated.
Alejandro turned to face her. “That’s the smart thing to say.” He gave her a smile–not a smirk, not a taunt, but something reat Quiet. Almost… gentle
“Are you still going to destroy me?”
“I think about it. After all, you did throw alcohol at me and injected me.” Those were hisst words before he began to make his way towards the stairs.
“I already exined why,” Nivera yelled after him<b>. </b>
“I don’t care,” Alejandro yelled back just as his footsteps became fainter<b>. </b>
“Argh!” Nivera groaned in annoyance, but that didn’t stop a smile from appearing on her face as she could feel the dynamic between her and Alejandro changing.
For the first time, she had noints
AD
Comment