Haven And Chaos

44) Gale's back

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MAYA'S POV
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I clenched my jaw squeezing my eyes shut as the rage from the previous night bubbled in the depths of my chest.
I couldn't believe Gale had made me turn on the lights and wash my face for him. He then asked me to show him the fading hickeys on my neck and shoulders just to remind me of that night all over again.

"Bastard!" I mumbled opening my eyes.
I'd have my revenge someday. Just had to bear a little more of this embarrassment for a short while before I could figure it all out.
"And where the hell is that damned driver? Even the spy he left to watch me is not around." I was frustrated, disappointed, and edgy...blame it on the mood swings caused by my ovulation.

I sighed and walked closer to lean on the wall of the building overlooking the parking lot. The afternoon sun was still a menace. If I continued waiting under its fierceness, I'd melt before the driver showed up.

As I watched the other students come and go, I spotted Nikolai from a distance as he walked over to me. He looked different, but I couldn't tell how.
We hadn't talked much since the accident, and I couldn't call or text him with the phone I had been graciously, gifted. Pfft! It only served Gale. Everything was for that horny nobleman. Even...my body.

Ngh! I wanted to slap myself for that stupid thought but held in due to the person approaching me.
My body was my own. Our wild sex had been out of mutual lust and anger. I didn't sorely blame him for that passionate night for I had damn much enjoyed every bit of it.

"Nikolai." I smiled peeling my back from the wall to stand by myself.

He smiled back, but not as vibrant as I expected.
"Maya, how have you been? You've been avoiding m-"

I pulled him from the sun and into the shade the building cast down on a part of the parking lot. His eyes dropped sharply on our contact, making me snap back my hand.
"Sorry."
I looked away, a tinge of embarrassment crossing through my head. I had interrupted him to divert the conversation, just in case Gale or his team had planted a bug in my phone.
The more Nikolai would have asked for information, the more it'd have been harder to answer.

"I've been busy... What about you, how have you been lately?" I asked as my gaze floated to meet his.

He was still frowning, wordlessly asking for a believable explanation.
I broadened my smile but felt like shit on the inside. He seemed like a good boy who cared about the people he held close. Dragging him into my mess would be villainous of me.

"Let's go out for ice cream."

"Huh?!" That had caught me unprepared.

"Or perhaps that drink we never got to-"

*Honk*
A car horn blared through the parking lot, causing an uproar of disapproval from the students around.
"You were saying?"

"Oh, um...maybe we could go out for a drink, or maybe shopping. Anything you want to-"
*Honk*
It was blasted again.
As much as I wanted to ignore it, I found myself searching for the dumb idiot causing such a ruckus. It must have been one of those spoiled playboys trying to attract the attention of his crush.
But with so many cars standing still, it became impossible to find the idiot and the other students grew unbothered by the seconds.

"Let's talk somewhere else, shall we?" Nikolai requested hiding his irritation towards the person honking.

I paused to ponder through his request. If the driver showed up and couldn't find me, he might report me to Gale or Angel. That would spell bad news for me.

I looked up at Nikolai. "I'm afraid I can't today. But I promise I will find-"
*Honk*
"Fuck you !" I whipped my head screaming at the bastard I didn't even know.
This was growing more irritating, making my blood boil harder and harder till I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to find and punch him a few times before he called the cops on me and had me drag Gale into trouble. That didn't sound like a bad idea at all.
Anything to cause the archduke stress was very much welcome.

I only made my first step when my phone began ringing.
Shit! Right now? In front of Nikolai?
There was only one person who'd be calling me. The only person I was allowed to contact with the device.

"You...your phone," Nikolai spoke, his tone dim and disappointed.

Our gazes joined and I saw his jaw clenching. "I'll see you arou-"

"I didn't have a phone that day!" I shot an explanation, afraid of the only friend I had made misunderstanding me.

"And now?"

"It's... it's complicated to-"

"It's your business Maya... I should get going now." He was about to walk past me when I grabbed his arm with one hand as the other got rid of the annoying ringing phone in my butt pocket.
"You should answer that. Might be from SOMEONE important."

He was mad. There was no denying it.
His little jealousy bubble was cute, made me want to pop it by telling him that I had approached him out of my selfish reasons.
But that would be too selfless. I just wanted his help from the shadows without Gale suspecting it.

"It's not important. Don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Nikolai asked with his right eyebrow raised. "I'm sure whoever was calling might be...right-" his eyes grazed over my head, "-behind you."

My brows wrinkled. There was no way in all the nine hells that the devil was behind me. He was too busy to bother coming here in person, especially due to his title and status. And yet, my insides had completely frozen up.

The phone began ringing a second time, startling me to gasp as I spun around.

Standing only a foot and a half from us was a man dressed up in casual clothes; a pair of black sweatpants, a gray t-shirt, a pair of black-white slides from Nike, sunglasses, and a black cap from which the edges of his blonde hair peeked from.

In his hand, he held his phone which was still trying to call mine.

My hand slowly let go of Nikolai's arm as dread began attacking the walls of my stomach.
Gale clicked his screen and my phone ceased buzzing and ringing before he slid his in the pocket of his pants.

"What, what a-are you doing her'?" I thought I had always been a strong character. Only then did I realize that Gale still terrified me even with everything that had happened between us.

He scoffed.
"Do I need your permission to visit the school which I pay tuition for you to attend?"

"Oh, then me and my friend will be-" I was densely tense on the inside as I mustered the courage to take Nikolai's wrist, "-out of your way."
Though hesitant, Nikolai let me drag him wherever I wanted as long as it was away from Gale.

I was panicking and my heart was about to explode from its cage. With so many people around, Gale wouldn't cause any drama, right? Or so I thought.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The elbow of my free arm was gripped and tugged hard. I squealed lowly as my body swung to the side, smacking Gale's solid frame. His action had made me release Nikolai's wrist without planning. And if that wasn't bad enough, he placed his hands on my shoulders and held me in place with my back pressed on his front.

I swallowed, clueless about how to handle the situation.
What would Nikolai think of me after this?
"We're going, HOME," Gale half whispered and half hissed in my ear, letting me know that I didn't have a choice.