HIS FROST BITE (A MICHAL MRÁZIK FAN FICTION)

Chapter 7: Sorry?

Tara

I had spent the entire week confined within the walls of our home, a self-imposed exile that did little to quell my father's inexplicable anger. The tension hung thick in the air, an unspoken storm cloud between us. I kept my own counsel, biting back the words that threatened to spill over, questions that yearned for answers. I spent the entire week drawing and painting away, in a way focusing on my art brought me comfort. It was on one of those silent, brooding afternoons that I found myself lingering outside his study, the murmur of his voice seeping through the crack beneath the door. Curiosity did not gnaw at me til I heard the mention of my name. Now who the hell was this man gossiping about me to?

I stopped at my heels to try and listen closely but fate had other plans, my phone suddenly rang and fear gripped me so I ran up the staircase and answered my cellphone there. Nitra's voice, a familiar comfort, floated through the line, and before I knew it, I was agreeing to her proposal of a dinner out between the two of us. I could not refuse, I practically had been rotting away in my bedroom this entire week. I mustered the courage to ask my dad if I could go out, and to my surprise, he nodded in agreement. I didn't dwell on his sudden change of heart or the mysterious phone call. Dressed in a daring white dress with a plunging neckline and clear heels, I met Nitra, who was a vision of contrast beside me, her tattoos a vivid tapestry against the skin-tone and black bodysuit that hugged her form. Her hair, too, was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her silver abstract earrings were a bold statement that matched her unapologetic presence. We headed to a fancy restaurant downtown, a world away from my troubles, and as we caught up over delicious food, I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders.

"I know I've been off lately, going on and on about Nick." She started , her expression earnest and apologetic.

"So I wanted to use this night out as an apology. I just cannot wait for him and I to stop this long distance thing. You know it has been killing me. But that doesn't mean I should put you last," she said and I rolled my eyes.

"Does he still think I'm mean?" I said and she chuckled.

"He actually thinks you think he is mean," she admitted over her meal.

"So can we end this with a movie night?" Nitra added and I thought about it. I knew I did not want to go back home and be around father but it meant I had to tell him I would be home late.
The response was unexpected - he suggested that I stay over if we were going to be out late. I was surprised by the offer, but eagerly agreed, already looking forward to a cozy movie night in.

After dinner, we took some pictures, chatted for hours, and before we knew it, it was already nine p.m. Deciding to head to Nitra's house, As we stepped into Nitra's house, the sight of Stassie and Michal together sent a pang of unease through me. My heart raced at the sight of Michal, and I couldn't help but admit that I had been avoiding this house because of everything that had happened between us back at the ice rink.

Watching Stassie put her arm around Michal, I couldn't deny the hurt I felt. Of course she was supposed to do that; they were boyfriend and girlfriend. And I was just a girl he accidentally kissed because he was caught in the moment  and that was not the worst part. The worst part was that I did not regret that kiss and that made me feel like a shitty person. Stassie has always been so good to me and i loved her so much.

"Seriously, where does your mind go all the time?" Nitra suddenly asked as she handed me her clothes so I could change.

"Nowhere, just thinking about what movie we should watch," I said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Liar, your pants are on fire. Is it the man from Starbucks?" She asked, and I gasped.

"Eew, he used to suck his fingers in high school, no," I said, and she laughed.

"You should join a dating site, the last guy you dated was Steve and I cannot hold it in anymore. Whenever he picked up that guitar to sing, I always felt like I wanted to punch him. Whoever convinced him he could sing deserves punishment," when she said that, I burst out laughing. Gosh, I missed my best friend. I thought and jumped to her for a hug, and she hugged me back.

I changed into a grey sweater and her black leggings. She changed into her pajamas, and we set up a movie station in the lounge. We laid down a heap of blankets and set up the projector. Nitra brought the snacks from the kitchen, and we started watching Tangled, a cozy Disney movie to give us the feels. Halfway through the movie, Nitra was already texting Nick, and then Stassie walked in. She had dressed down into a knit sweater and sweatpants.

"You should totally get a boyfriend or you'll feel left out with this one," Nitra said as she made herself comfortable on our makeshift bed.

"I don't even know why she chose this movie if she won't watch it," I said, and Stassie changed to something different.

"Time for some Salvatore shot," when she said that, Nitra moaned in annoyance. Stassie would always watch this show back when we were all still in high school, and her obsession did not seem to go away.

I fiddled with my phone and saw a few TikTok videos when someone walked into the room. My heart stopped for a while, and I tried to hide my panic. Why was he here? I thought, and Stassie opened her arms for a hug.

"Are you watching with us, baby?" Stassie asked, but Michal shook his head and told her he was leaving. A part of me felt kind of sad that he was. I stole a glance at him and found him heading for the door already. Did the kiss really mean that little to him? I thought, and I was suddenly no longer invested in the movie. I felt the kiss on my skin again, like it had just happened yesterday. The way he looked at me with those green-grey eyes. Today he seemed to have forgotten all about that.

I shut the memory out and decided to stop torturing myself with wanting something that I knew could never be mine. I left the room and headed for the kitchen to grab something to drink. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan were out. I swore they hated being around their own home. As soon as I walked into the kitchen, I smelled the scent of cigarette, and immediately I knew who it was. It was Derek Duncan, and I had no idea he was back home. As soon as I saw him, he was leaning back on the kitchen counter, smoking. He had one leg down and the other was helping him lean back on the counter.

D. Duncan, as he called himself, was New Falls's man whore. I was probably sure he slept with half of the women in this town. He was twenty-six, graduated university years ago, and was an ethical hacker. I wondered how he even got the job with all the tattoos on his body. And oh, did I mention, I had probably only seen him wearing a shirt like twice in this house. Disgusting! A kitten sat on the counter, licking some of his tattoos.

"You're allowed to touch," he said, and my mouth drew open from the nerve he had. Never one with the clean mouth.

"I'd rather faint, thank you," I said, and this time he blew smoke from his mouth. I walked towards the kitten and carried it up.

"Hi," I said, giving the little fellow a cuddle. "What's his name?" I asked, and he walked towards me. He was an attractive man, his sweatpants hung low on his v-line, and I always said I did not want to look, but my eyes always landed there.

"Not sure yet, you think the chicks will dig it?" He asked, and I gasped when I figured out what he meant and burst out laughing.

"You're using this as a chick magnet?" I could not help but chuckle. The man already had a bustling muscular body that rippled with muscles as he moved and a jawline to make the Greek gods jealous. If that was not magnetic enough for the chicks, then I did not know what else this man wanted. Greedy bastard!

"Well, I need your tricks up my sleeve," when he said that, I burst out laughing again. Suddenly, his eyes moved to the door, and I realized someone had just joined us in the kitchen. I looked back only to find Michal standing there. When he looked at me, this time it was different. It was the same way he looked at me back on that ice rink when we kissed. His eyes shifted away from me and he said something to D. Duncan that I could not hear because I was suddenly trapped in the shackles of my own thoughts. He suddenly disappeared out of the room again and this time I decided I would leave this boy alone. He was for Stassie and not mine to desire because clearly that kiss meant nothing to him!

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What do you guys think?
Do you trust Michal??? Do you guys think he genuinely likes her or was just using her?

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