Dangerously Tempted

Chapter: 5 Breakfast

Isabel

Two weeks, Odile hadn't spoken to me for two weeks. At first I'd believed it to be that she was working, however, the staff enlightened me that that wasn't the case. Her work schedule was never busy enough to be gone as long as she was. So where had she gone? She did not sleep in our room. She did come from time to time to get clothing and then she was gone. It irked me. Maybe I should have apologized, or something to that extent.

I asked Emily about it. It did take some time before she would do more than make eye contact and leave, I had to catch her like a mouse to actually have a conversation with her only for her to tell me that Odile liked keeping to herself. Though most of her time was spent in her garden or library. I hadn't stepped foot in that library since our very heated moment. That's where I found her though, couped up in a small nook like space at the far end of her massive library. She wore a beige wool sweater and looked tired. The sound of my footsteps alerted her of my presence and she looked up, not placing her book down but holding my gaze the entire time I walked towards her. I felt awkward and my skin felt itchy. I resisted the urge to scratch at the fantom feeling.

She waited for me to stop at her desk before speaking.

"What can I do for you Isabel?"

The weight of her question made me realize I hadn't prepared for what I'd actually say. And it also annoyed me. Where the hell had that person I'd met at the masquerade ball gone?

"Are you avoiding me?"

"Should I be?" She questioned back. She closed her book and placed it down letting a small thump fill the space between us.

"Just answer the question Odile." Standing here in front of her made me feel self conscious. I had no real reason to be though.

Odile leaned further back in her chair and held my eyes with hers.

"What would give you the idea that I am?"

What is it with her and averting from questions?

I stepped closer to the desk, noticing the quick shift her eyes made from my eyes to lower down and back up.

"You haven't slept in our room. You grab your clothes, leave, and vanish. At dinner, you don't even look at me."

"Do you crave my attention that much Isabel?"

I scoffed, "I do not crave anything from you, I expect for you to at least speak to me dammit. I understand if our argument didn't end so well, but this is childish."

A sly smile creeps onto her face, pushing me further.

"Are you disgusted with me or something? After your little experiment here did you decide that I was not what you were looking for? Did our disagreement cause you to lose interest that fast" I had pondered that reason so many times, it had etched its way into my head ever since.

Odile's smile faltered.

"Excuse me?" Her dark brows pulled together.

"Are you disgusted enough with me that you can't even bear to speak to me or see me other than to eat our meals?" I could hear the built up anger in my own voice. Why did it even matter to me? Why was this so important for me to have the answer to? I needed to keep my mind made up about where I stood, but goodness, this was all so frustrating.

Odile's chair scraped against the floor as she stood, but I barely registered the noise. All I could focus on was the space between us—the space that was disappearing, fast. A second later, she was in front of me, so close I could feel the warmth of her breath on my skin. My heart kicked up a notch.