Billionaire's Cinderella

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

Sarah bathed to wash off the negativity surrounding herself, even though she knew it didn't work that way. She now understood she had been paranoid, but the damage had been done. The night had been ruined.

She groaned in frustration. She had been enjoying her time with Chris, and then she had allowed those emotions to overwhelm her. Now he'd probably be thinking what a crack job she was.

She wasn't a crack job! It wasn't her fault that her body had responded to an invisible threat. What worried her the most was the fact that why had she felt that? After three years.

Sarah sat under covers, wrapped the blanket around her as if she was trying to protect herself from something. To get rid off the quiet around her, she switched on the TV but didn't pay attention to what was being shown.

Around five minutes later, the door bell rang. Sarah hesitated for a minute. The bell rang again. It was late. Who could be at the door? She was being paranoid again, even when she had no reason to be.

Perhaps, she had the reason to be paranoid. It was nearly eleven in the night. And she didn't have friends also who would be dropping off at this time. Neither it was Aviraj, because he had the keys.

The bell rang again.

She got up tentatively. She wanted to prolong this. When she looked through the peephole, her body sagged in relief. It was Chris.

She opened the door but said nothing. Even Chris was quiet. They stood there, looking at each other, exchanging no words.

Chris cleared his throat. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"

"I think I shouldn't invite you in because it is inappropriate in my culture for a young man to visit a young woman in the middle of the night, especially when she is alone."

"It's not just your culture. It is a universal thing even though many cultures don't take it seriously anymore. Back in the day, they needed a chaperon," he whispered the lat part as if he was telling her a secret.

Sarah chuckled. Her mood lifted a bit.

"You're going to invite me in, then? I can't cross the threshold unless you invite in. I might be vampire, you know?"

"What? This is the most assured thing I heard from you. You. Can. Come. In."

"Thanks." He stepped inside and Sarah took two steps back. Only then she noticed that he was holding a carry bag.

"Besides, vampires need permission the very first time, not all the time."

He walked past her into the kitchen. "But not in the imaginary world in my head."

"Seriously? Imaginary world in your head?"

"Don't blame me." He put the bag on the counter, and took the contents out. He brought food. "It's Crystal's fault. She is responsible for that. That little girl has put me through many ways of torture. Whatever my brain imagines is because of her." Even though he complained, his tone was full of love.

"So why this food?" she asked.

"Because I am hungry."

"So then why are you eating here, and not in your apartment?"

He leaned in, eyes sharp with mischief. Sarah knew he would say something unexpected. "Because," he whispered, "I was alone. My vampire senses told me that a wolf was nearby. He could attack me. They prey on lone vampires. Their bite is fatal to my kind, you know?"

Sarah couldn't stop laughing. She didn't expect this response. As she was laughing her ass off, Chris rummaged through the kitchen cabinets in search of spoons. It was very domestic.

Chris passed her the takeout container. Without protest, Sarah dug into the Chinese food. She was hungry. And she knew Chris had brought this food for her. He had noticed. This thought warmed her insides. Sweet gestures like this would be her undoing.

They walked back into the living room, carrying their food containers along with soda cans. Sarah sat cross legged on the couch. Chris sat across her.

Since her emotions were all over the place, Sarah opted to play safe. She continued their 'vampires and wolf' discussion. "So Crystal made you watch the vampire stuff."

"Watched? No. No. No. She forced me to watch. I even read stuff. I also heard. She would tell me stories everyday. She was a obsessed nine year old then. That little firecracker turned my life upside down. It was a torture."

"I find it hard to believe that she forced you to watch."

"Why? Because she's shy and introvert. She have had her moments of fierce spirit in childhood. And she always dragged me down with her."

Sarah felt light hearted. She could understand the sibling bond between them. Aviraj had stood beside her, had helped her when her own family had refused to listen to her. She knew how special this bond was.

They were almost finished. "Don't you wanna know?" she asked.

"Know what?" Chris shoved chow mien in his mouth. He pretended as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"That what happened in the party."

"Of course I want to know. But I won't ask unless you want to talk about it. Do you?"

Sarah thought about a minute. "I want to talk about it. But I'm not ready yet. I don't know what is going on. This isn't making any sense. And I don't want to reopen old wounds unless I know what is going on."

"Hmm." Chris nodded. "I understand. And I respect your choice. But I have to ask this. Are you in danger?"

"I'm not sure. I could be, or this is just my brain making stuff up." Sarah sighed. She had no answers yet.

"Then you're in danger Sarah. When we feel conflicted, something is definitely wrong. And I want you to know that you can count on me."

Sarah gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I appreciate this."

They finished their food and put the trash away. Sarah walked him to the door.

He turned back around. "I meant what I said, Sarah. If you ever need any help, don't hesitate."

"I won't."

"You should also not open the door if you don't recognize the person."

"I know the drill, Sargent," she replied sarcastically.

"It wasn't a joke, corporal. Anyway, I have a spare room. You can crash there if you feel scare."

Sarah put her hand son her hips, and glared at him. "Now you're pushing it."

"Or not. I'm serious. I promise, I'll behave." He winked at her.

"I know you'll behave 'cause you wouldn't want a black eye."

"You're feisty." He leaned against the door rather than leaving.

Sarah pushed him, and dragged him to his door. "Goodnight, Chris."

She turned but stopped. "And thanks for the dinner."

"Goodnight, Sarah. And like I said, you can count on me." With a sincere smile, Chris gestured her to go. He waited until she entered her penthouse before unlocking his own door.

They had taken a big step in their relationship, or whatever it was. The boundaries were blurring.