The Hurt Game

❧ ten

"How are the fries?" I question with a smile. Royden moved his head to meet my gaze as he swallowed the fry he was eating. He gave me a blank stare.

"Fine," he simply said. I grinned at him before reaching and quickly snatching a fry from his plate. I put it in my mouth and chewed slowly, holding his gaze.

He narrowed his eyes at me, but he didn't move any other muscle. His eyes were fixed on me as I swallowed the fry I had stolen from his plate. My gaze didn't waver away from him and all he did, was simply watch me.

I raised an eyebrow as I grabbed my coffee and took a sip from it. The corners of my mouth quirked upwards into a smile. I watched how his eyes broke contact with mine, flickering to my lips, and how he shifted in his seat, how he swallowed thickly.

A slight smirk grew on my lips as I sucked on the straw, sipping my coffee with a little more force than necessary. The playfulness, the teasing I knew he would call, it didn't last long. I was no seductress and even this was making me feel awkward and out of character.

"Stop being a fucking tease," he murmured.

A small laugh escaped my lips yet I felt my cheeks burn.

So I was right and so I was teasing him... Oh God...

"I was not doing anything though. Just drinking my coffee."

"Like a fucking seductress. You know exactly what you were doing."

My cheeks burned even brighter, felt even hotter, and my heart was pounding against my ribcage. My insides flipped, and yet I continued holding eye contact.

"I was drinking my coffee," I chuckled. I brushed the strands of my hair from my face, tugging them behind my ear. "Or you're a pervert."

"I am not a damned pervert," Royden murmured into a low rumble. His eyes were narrowed. After a couple of seconds he averted his gaze away from me and he was glaring down at his fries, like they had insulted him. He mumbled something underneath his breath, but he was too quiet for me to hear what exactly he had said.

My eyes strayed away from him and wandered around the restaurant. It was relatively busy on a normal Tuesday afternoon. Grandparents sitting with their granddaughter sat behind Royden. A couple of friends sat at the other side of the restaurant, chatting and laughing loudly.

I turned my attention back to Royden, who was eating his burger in silence while staring out of the window. His hair was ruffled by the wind despite the styled and neat cut he always wore, and a little strand of hair curled on his forehead. It made his appearance look a little kinder, a little gentler. He looked a little more approachable and less intimidating than he might have gone for in the mornings.

His eyes flicked towards me. My heart jumped in my chest, because despite the beautiful darkness that was his eye colour, something cold was there. It was a lot like the emptiness I had seen the first time I bumped into them. It scared me.

I showed him a small smile, but he turned back to his food. He shoved it around on his plate.

"Roy..." I trailed off. Words failed me. I had no clue what I had wanted to say, what I had meant to say.

Royden looked up through his lashes and hummed. When I didn't reply and only held his gaze, he spoke. "What is it?"

I opened my mouth before shaking my head and showing him a soft smile. "Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes and lifted his head entirely. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I swear..."

"Princess, I can tell something is on your mind. Tell me." His voice was gentle and the coldness in his eyes faded to a warmth that reminded me of... something familiar.