Dark Paradise

Chapter 7

ALEXANDRA

After Gabriel finished cleaning my wounds, he moved silently around the room, preparing the tub so I could take a bath and change clothes. Everything about him seemed calculated, but I couldn't help but wonder what lay behind that façade of control.

—Seriously, why are you being nice to me? —I asked as I gently made my way toward the bathroom, feeling his eyes on me.

—I feel guilty —he replied straightforwardly—. You got hurt because of me, and although it might not seem like it, I can be a gentleman with those who are weaker.

His answer made me stop dead in my tracks. I glanced over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

—¿Do you think I'm weak? —I asked, trying to understand what he really thought.

—Yes —he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

—Look at you; you scraped your knees from a simple fall.

He dropped onto the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on me with a mix of mockery and something else I couldn't decipher.

—You're a delicate girl — he added, with a smile that barely disguised his condescending tone.

I fell silent for a moment, trying to process his words. There was something in the way he looked at me, as if he were challenging me, but at the same time, he seemed to be searching for something else in me, something he perhaps didn't even understand.

—So, you like delicate girls? —I finally retorted, crossing my arms with a defiant expression. If he wanted to play, we could both play.

His smile widened, but he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied me with those blue eyes that seemed to be trying to unravel each of my thoughts. The tension in the room was palpable, a subtle but undeniable current that made me feel curiously attracted yet confused.

—If I like delicate girls, — Gabriel replied with a tone that seemed almost mocking. — but I don't like you, if that's what you're referring to.

His words left me blank for a second. What was that supposed to mean? He was calling me delicate while also saying he didn't like me. Confusion mixed with a feeling of anger, but before I could respond, he stood up from the edge of the bed with a calmness that irritated me even more.

—Rest, delicate girl; take a bath to get those crazy thoughts out of your little head. —he said, shooting me one last glance before leaving the room.

I stood there, with the door closing behind him, feeling the pink color rise to my cheeks. Who did he think he was to say that to me? I stared at the door, almost expecting him to come back, though I didn't know if I wanted to shout at him or do something much more irrational. But he didn't return. And the echo of his words resonated in my mind; I couldn't decipher whether he was trying to provoke me or if he was truly that arrogant. I brought a hand to my temples, trying to clear my thoughts.

The water in the tub was starting to cool, but I remained seated on the edge of the bed, unable to move. Why did I care so much about what Gabriel thought of me?

Finally, I got up and headed to the bathroom, but I couldn't stop thinking about how he had looked at me. There was something in those eyes that made me feel exposed, as if he could see beyond what I myself understood. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

I slowly undressed, submerging myself in the tub. The water enveloped me, helping to relax my tense muscles, but my mind kept running in circles. I closed my eyes, trying to block out my thoughts, but the image of Gabriel kept resurfacing, challenging me, provoking me.