Me And The Dark

Chapter 9

Mattheo

I'd been waiting for Valentina in the arithmancy room for nearly ten minutes, and my impatience was growing.

It was not at all her habit to be late, and I was beginning to wonder if she was trying to make me pay for my recent behaviour.

Just as I was about to leave, the door opened suddenly, revealing Val out of breath.

"You're late," I said, arms crossed and jaw clenched.

"Sorry, I'm here now," she replied as she approached. It was hard not to notice that her tie was barely fastened and her shirt was wrinkled.

I just took my things out again without looking at her any longer, trying to keep calm.

But when I straightened up and my eyes fell on a purple spot on her neck, I lost my nerve.

Without thinking, I moved quickly towards her, catching her cheeks between my fingers to turn her head and inspect the mark more closely.

"Who did this to you?" I asked in a deep voice, as she struggled to get me to let go.

"None of your business," she retorted, her tone filled with defiance.

"You're fucking doing it again, aren't you?" I said coldly.

"I'm not asking you to account to me for what you do with Evergreen, so do the same for what I do with whoever I want," she replied, turning on her heel.

Taken by annoyance, I grabbed her wrist to force her to turn back to me.

"Not if I have to deal with smashing his face in at the end," I said menacingly.

"Nobody asked you for anything, Riddle, and I think that's very rich of you, especially as you're fucking a girl I myself had to fight with because she insulted you!" she added tartly.

The tension between us was palpable, and our sharp words flew around the room.

"You know very well it's not the same, Valentina," I retorted, my voice thick with frustration.

She shook her head dismissively. "Oh, sure, Mattheo, your male pride would take a hit if you didn't have a host of girls at your feet."

My patience was reaching its limit. "Stop playing the saint, Pierce."

She glared at me. "Then what? After calling me boring and insufferable, now I'm a whore?"

The tension between us was at its peak, our eyes shooting lightning bolts at each other.

"That's not what I said," I replied, trying to keep my cool despite my growing frustration.

I didn't really know why we were shouting at each other in the first place, but I was feeling so much frustration.

She crossed her arms, her incisive gaze never leaving mine. "Maybe you should think about what you're saying before you open your fucking mouth, Riddle."

I couldn't help smiling, even though I was annoyed. It was typical of Valentina, this way of taking me from frustration to mild exasperation mixed with amusement.

It wasn't the first time we'd argued, and we both had our own tempers, so I knew it wouldn't last.

She, for her part, had a puzzled look on her face, her arms crossed in defence. She had this way of unsettling people, and I liked it when that happened to me. It reminded me that she wasn't the type to let anyone walk all over her, no matter what the situation.