The Enemy I Hate To Love

CHAPTER 14! India

Emma’s POV

The day had arrived. The day I had been silently dreading yet anticipating with a strange excitement. India. It should’ve been exhilarating, but the lingering tension between Michelle and me dampened any sense of excitement I might have had. Laila had already flown to India three days ago, leaving Sophia and me to travel with Michelle. And as much as I wanted to stay calm, I couldn’t ignore the knot in my stomach that tightened every time I thought of him.
When we reached the private jet, Michelle’s cold demeanor was evident. He gave me a curt nod as I stepped inside, his blue eyes as icy as ever, offering no warmth, no familiarity. He immediately settled into his seat, pulling out his laptop, his fingers gliding effortlessly across the keyboard. Without so much as a glance in my direction, he was lost in his world of word. Not even a "hello."
I sighed quietly, feeling a sense of awkwardness settle over me. Sophia, of course, was completely oblivious to the tension between Michelle and me. She was already excited about the jet’s luxurious bedroom and declared she would take a nap before we arrived. “See you in a few hours,” she said with a wink before disappearing into the back of the jet. Just like that, I was alone. Alone with Michelle.
I tried to distract myself, looking out the window as the jet’s engines hummed to life. But the discomfort within me grew stronger as the plane ascended higher into the sky. Michelle remained glued to his laptop, typing away, clearly engrossed in whatever work demanded his attention. Occasionally, he spoke on a virtual conference call, his deep voice a stark contrast to the silence in the cabin. His tone was professional, almost cold, as he discussed business strategies and future projects.
As time passed, I began to feel the familiar dread settle in as the plane prepared for its descent. Landing always made me nervous. My pulse quickened, and the walls of the cabin seemed to close in. I glanced at Michelle, who hadn’t acknowledged me once since we boarded.
With Sophia still sleeping, I had no choice. I needed something—anything—to distract me from my rising anxiety. So, I swallowed my pride and approached Michelle.
“Michelle?” My voice was softer than usual, shaky, even.
He didn’t look up immediately, and when he finally did, his expression was impassive. “What?” he asked curtly.
“I... I’m feeling a little anxious,” I admitted. His eyes narrowed slightly, clearly wondering why I was coming to him with this.
He sighed and shut his laptop slightly, his annoyance barely masked. “What do you want me to do about it?”
The bluntness of his response stung, but I wasn’t about to retreat. “Maybe distract me?”
There was a pause, and for a moment, I thought he was going to send me away. But then, unexpectedly, he shifted in his seat, allowing me to sit next to him. I hesitated, unsure of how to navigate the tension between us, but I was desperate for some sort of comfort.
Sitting next to him, I noticed his strong forearm resting on the armrest, the veins slightly visible beneath his skin. A wild idea crossed my mind. It was childish, maybe even ridiculous, but I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and lightly ran my fingers over the veins in his arm.
He glanced down at my hand, then back at me, his eyebrow arched in confusion. “What are you doing?” His voice was laced with irritation, but there was a flicker of something else there too—curiosity.
“I’m... distracting myself,” I replied, trying to keep my voice light.
For a moment, I expected him to pull away, but instead, he watched me, his gaze dark and unreadable. The intimacy of the situation wasn’t lost on me. I could feel the warmth of his body so close to mine, the tension between us almost tangible.
Then, with surprising gentleness, Michelle shifted me onto his lap, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The movement sent a rush of heat through me, and my heart began to pound in my chest. I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but it wasn’t this. My entire body tensed, acutely aware of how close we were.
He ended his virtual meeting with a dismissive gesture, and suddenly, the cabin felt very small—just the two of us in this intimate space.
“You okay now?” he asked, his voice lower, softer than before.
“Yes,” I breathed, though the truth was far from that. The close proximity of his body to mine, the feel of his arms subtly cradling me, was anything but calming. It was exhilarating, confusing, and... dangerous.
Our faces were inches apart, his breath warm against my skin. For a moment, I wondered if he could hear my heartbeat because it was deafening in my ears. Our eyes locked, and I could see the flicker of something deep in his gaze—something I hadn’t seen before. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he leaned in, and my breath caught in my throat. Our lips were so close they brushed against each other, a teasing touch that sent shivers down my spine.
I leaned in closer, my mind clouded by the intensity of the moment. His hand gripped my waist, pulling me ever so slightly closer, and I could feel the tension building between us, thick and undeniable. I closed my eyes, ready for whatever came next, my senses overwhelmed by the intoxicating scent of him, the feel of his breath mingling with mine.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening shattered the moment.
“Hey! What’s going on here?” Sophia’s voice rang out, full of amusement and surprise.
I jumped up so fast, I nearly stumbled over myself, quickly moving to a seat on the opposite side of the cabin, my face flushed with embarrassment. Michelle immediately returned to his cold, unreadable expression, his attention fixed back on his laptop as if nothing had happened.
Sophia, of course, wasn’t about to let me off the hook that easily. She sauntered over to where I sat, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. “Looked like something was happening over there,” she teased, her eyes sparkling.
“Nothing was happening!” I shot back, though the heat rising in my cheeks betrayed me.
“Right, sure. I just happened to walk in at the wrong time, huh?” Sophia winked at me, settling into the seat next to mine. “You two looked pretty cozy to me.”
I groaned, covering my face with my hands, trying to erase the memory of how close Michelle and I had just been. “Can we not talk about this?”
“Oh, we’re definitely talking about this,” Sophia laughed, nudging me playfully. “You’ve got some serious explaining to do, missy.”
Despite my best efforts to brush her off, Sophia continued teasing me as the plane finally landed. I let out a sigh of relief as the wheels touched down, though the awkward tension between Michelle and me lingered in the air.
After we landed, I felt myself growing more tired. It wasn’t long before I dozed off, the exhaustion from the flight finally catching up with me.
When I woke up, I wasn’t on the plane anymore. I was in a car, my head resting against the soft leather of the seat.
“Where am I?” I asked groggily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.
“We’re in Delhi,” Sophia said, her tone light and teasing. “You slept like a baby, and guess what? Michelle carried you to the car. You missed all the fun.”
My eyes widened, and I felt a fresh wave of embarrassment wash over me. “He did what?”
Sophia grinned, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Oh yeah. Full-on prince charming move. Carried you off the plane like you were some kind of princess.”
I glanced at Michelle, who was sitting in the front of the car, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside. He hadn’t said a word, and I doubted he would. But the fact that he had carried me—after everything—only added to the growing confusion in my heart.
“Well,” Sophia said, leaning back with a satisfied grin. “This trip is already more interesting than I expected.”
I didn’t respond, my thoughts too jumbled to form any coherent reply. All I could think about was the moment we’d shared on the plane, how close we had come to kissing, and the unresolved tension that still hung in the air between us.
India was going to be more complicated than I ever imagined.