There's Something About Him (Complete)

Chapter Thirty Four - What We Feel

Standing in front of the largest of my bedroom windows, I sighed and leaned my face against the glass.

"Could this get any worse?" I muttered, my breath fogging the surface in front of me.

Most girls would probably be rejoicing right now, especially since I was in close proximity to Heath Daimon but I couldn't think of a more fucked up situation, to put it eloquently.

I'd known the guy for less than a week. A week!

Physical attraction I could understand - it was an instantaneous reaction based upon human senses and hormones but I wasn't just physically drawn to him. I felt as though my entire body was buzzing, mind and heart included.

Maybe it wouldn't last - maybe it all came down to him being the first guy that I had taken notice of. Weren't first crushes always mind blowing?

I heard the soft tap of someone knocking on my bedroom door and I assumed that it was my father. "Come in," I called loud enough for the sound to carry across the room's space and through the wooden barrier.

The footsteps were quiet and I didn't bother to turn - one thing I loved about my family was that we were so close. My parents knew enough about me that sometimes I just needed to work my own stuff without them asking questions - my posture probably screamed upset but I knew they would leave me be.

"Does feeling what I do make me an idiot?" I muttered, hoping for another one of my father's wise replies.

"Accepting the why of how your heart reacts doesn't make you an idiot, Kitten."

The sound of that voice - his voice - had me startling so badly that when I twisted around, my legs knocking together, hard enough that I ended up falling forward...straight into his arms.

"Oof," I grunted, immediately trying to pull away even as his arms tightened.

"You seem to do that a lot," he murmured, the heat of his breath wafting through my hair.

"Heath, what are you doing?"

A hand trailed down my spine as I tensed, "Enjoying a hug?"

I gritted my teeth against the way my heart fluttered. I would NOT allow this to get any more complicated. "I meant...what are you doing in my room?"

I felt him shrug, "Your mother thought that you were taking a little too long and asked me to come up and make sure that everything was alright."

I frowned, "My mother asked you? Not River?"

"I may have volunteered," He chuckled, "She was busy grilling him about Miranda."

This time when I pulled, he released me, "She knows what happened?"

Although his lips were twisted into a small smile, I could see nothing but seriousness twinkling in his eyes, "Not only how she kicked you but also all of those other things that have happened at school that you've never told them about."

"Shit," I whispered.

He nodded, "Yeah. All these years and you've never bothered to tell them what those assholes have been doing but you tell River all about it after only a few weeks?"

My face flamed as I gave a small nod, "He wanted to know why I had no friends - I couldn't feed him a bunch a lies when anyone there could give him the real story."

His countenance darkened even further, "You mean feed him a bunch of fucking bullshit about how you're the school slut?"

"What do you want me to say?"

Faster than what I could track, his hands shot up to close over my shoulders. He twisted the both of us until my back was pressed into the nearest wall, "I don't want you to say anything. I want you to be angry, be upset." He shook me, "You've been dealing with all of this for years on your own before the Queen Bitch suddenly kicks the crap out of you and, here you are, totally fine with it."

I reached up to dig my fingers into his wrists, "I am not 'totally fine with it' and she didn't kick the crap out of me!"

I watched as his face move in closer to my own, his eyes practically shooting sparks, "Alira, some cow left you covered in bruises. She forced you to your knees and then repeatedly kicked you! Would you have said anything to anyone if not for losing your balance outside?"

Fighting down the need to hide from him, I looked away, "Of course I would have! I was coming home to tell my father about the principal and I would have told him about Miranda as well."

"Why never tell them before?"

Frustrated and hurt by the way he seemed to be attacking me, I felt tears well, "I had to prove..." I sniffled, utterly embarrassed that he was watching me fall apart.

"Prove what?" He whispered, his hands moving from my shoulders to cup my face.

"Prove that I could take it...I wanted to prove a point - that without money, I was nothing special," I answered hoarsely. "My parents always told me that money didn't make a person and that I was going to find friends who liked me just because of who I am. I started at Ashton to see if they were right." I looked Heath right in the eyes as I bit back a sob, "They were wrong. I turned up on my first day and Miranda hated me, everyone was either mean to me or wouldn't risk talking to me in case it pissed her off. I couldn't even make one friend."

His thumbs reached across my cheeks to stroke gently, "Shh, Kitten. It doesn't prove that you are worthless - all that proves is that Miranda is a bitch and every student that listens to her is weak and a dumbass." I almost choked when he suddenly leaned forward to kiss the corner of my mouth, "You are worth it, Kitten. Rich or poor."

"You barely know me." Slumping into his hold, I closed my eyes and tried to savour how he made me feel before reality kicked in, "Why are you here, Heath?"

His lips kicked up the end, unmoving on my face, "Miranda took one look at you and decided to hate you. Our meeting wasn't any better than that one since I treated you so badly but let me tell you right now, Alira - I took one look at you and felt my heart skip a beat."

"What?" I gasped.

His only answer was to suddenly cover my lips with his own.