Hold me Tight

Chapter 9

Victoria's POV

"What's crawled up your ass, Vic?"

Good question. Considering it's eight thirty in the morning and I was being the grumpiest version of myself. The pent up frustration building and finding an escape on anything or anyone who breathed in my direction.

The barista who sinned by mixing my coffee order with someone else was the first victim oof my wrath. Then, Jasmine decided to lighten me up after a phone call by coming to my house and sharing an amazing trip to some deserted island with Andre, her not-my-boyfriend. Which made my blood boil even more.

She was gloomy, glowing with freshly fucked face. I even asked if she had a facial with something sticky. Gross. But she blushed even more, and I got frustrated even more.

I did not get the release. It was not something I held against that certain man, but he made me crack up my shield. I gave into his magnetic smile.

That was five days ago.

"Fucking call him if you miss him so much or come with me to the club. Let's find someone good enough to give you a good release."

I walked fast to the class. "Don't annoy me, Jass. And to answer your question, no and no. Thank you very much."

He did not call me for any justification, so I was not going to knock on his door with puppy eyes- all innocent- to take me in and finish what he started. Because A) I was too horny to satisfy myself, and B) I had a big fucking self-respect. Okay, last one, C) I was acting not so fucking mature. 

It did not matter how bad I was feeling. Everything came crashing the day I saw him again in the class three days ago. And the day after that. And the fucking day after that. Which was today. I did not miss the white rose on my desk.

Sitting in the first row, blissfully looking like a sin wrapped in one, he didn't look at me.

Well, consider a fact. He crawled into my skin from the very second I saw him. Every day I felt his eyes burning my back, my neck shivering at his presence. My centre heating up as a threat on the short memory of his touch on my skin. The circuits of my brain explode.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked by the crowded cafe, my bag slinging to the side, coffee in one hand, my phone in the other. I walked to the hidden garden for some peace and quiet.

The company I had applied for an internship asked me to prepare a draft of one use case for consulting as an assignment. A chance. In the starting of my last year at college. Technically, I should have had a job by now, but I was waiting. For something big. Like, this. My dream company. Everything I put an effort into to make my resume look like golden shit, was for this.

I sat on the grass, back hitting the large trunk of the massive banyan tree. Two leaves fell on my lap. I picked one from the step, rolled it between my fingers.

Taking a sip of my coffee, I relaxed my shoulders. The peace and quiet around me once reached my heart. Like a drug it ran into my veins. I chugged down the entire cup of coffee and relaxed against the tree. Felt it with closed eyes.

"What are you doing here?" My breath caught in my lungs at the familiar voice.
Elliot.

Shit. I forgot that it was his secret place too, and I found him here a few weeks ago.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, and gulped. He was standing there, above me like the magnetic force to be reckoned with his bag hanging on one shoulder, a loose black shirt and baggy jeans. He never took off the black hair tie from his wrist.

"I- mm, give me a moment. And I will leave you be." I gathered my things and stood up.

I took two steps when his confession stopped me in my tracks. "I want you, Victoria."

My heart drummed inside me. Anger boiled and burned my skin. I gritted my teeth and said, "Excuse me?"

He came forward and stood in front of me. Eyes shining in the sunlight like the greens of the forest. I help my chin up. "I want you. I want to finish what we started."

"And why would I let you do that?"

"Because we deserve it. And I don't want to let go this time."

"Again, why would I let you do that?"

When you're dangerously close to the barriers of my close proximity. I refrained from saying because I would never let any man steal my heart. I locked it in chains and threw the key in the ocean years ago. And no man on earth will ever have the key.
"Fine, how about because you want me too. You want me to finish what we started. Don't even deny."

"I don't sleep with someone I don't know."
"Then don't know me. We can have plenty of time to talk."

I frowned. "Why are you so desperate?"
Pink tinted his cheeks. "I am not. I am just proposing that we should do it one more time. And because I have not felt this attractive to anyone since-"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. His hot breath tickled my nose. I didn't realise we stepped so close to each other that if I raised my toe I could kiss him. Which I wanted to do desperately. Who could deny those plump heart shaped lips. They felt like heaven to me. That kiss, that sweet whisper of pecks on mine, and the way he would suck on neck with them.
I blinked, gulped the lump in my throat and focused on my breathing. Anything to keep the thoughts of him away.

"Since when?" I narrowed my eyes. "Since you realised I could be a great fuck of your life, not to mention after you left me without explaining?"

"My sister. She is ill, and my mom freaked out. Things did not go up from there. Angie had a concussion, and she wouldn't stop calling out for me. Not even mom because Angie only needs me when things like these happen to her. I don't have an explanation other than that since my dad, I have been a father figure for her. Her safe place. I had to go."

A heavy weight lifted my shoulder, making me dizzy and nauseous. That explained a lot. I wanted to ask him why he didn't tell me or messaged me. I would have understood. But, it wasn't my place and I was in no position to demand anything from him.

I squeezed his shoulder a little, smiling. "God, I am so sorry to hear that. How is she now?"

I dropped my bag pack on the ground, and sat. He followed, tucking his knees with a knot of his palms. "She is recovering, like usual. It just gets so overwhelming sometimes to go here and there."

His face remained calm, eyes watching ahead. My heart itched for him to look at me. And tell me more about his feelings. Not sure where it came from, but all the anger vanished into thin air. All I could think about was how I judged him one sided. How I should have understood that it had been difficult for him to leave.
I snorted. "Now I feel mad at myself for side lining you. For not even considering that it would have been important."

"I didn't tell you all of this just to make you feel something." He finally turned toward me. His eyes held the storm at the edge. "I told you because I like you. I want you. I want you to like me, to give me one last chance and to finish what we started so we can start it all over again. Can you do that, Victoria?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Is it a sympathy trap?"

His face turned stone cold. "That is the last thing I want from this world, and from you. If you don't want this just say it and I will leave. I will not knock on your door ever again. I am not that desperate."

"I challenge you, Elliot."

He sucked in a breath, smirking. "Be precise, darling."

I leaned closer to him without breaking eye contact. "I challange you to fuck me until my knees go weak."

He lifted his face forward and laughed. The way his cheek muscles twitched, his Adam apple bobbed, and the veins on his neck reflexed, I died from the heat then and there.

"My place, tonight." He said.