Pulling Strings - Theodore Nott

5. Obsessed

Once inside, he released her and sat down, making himself comfortable. She followed, sitting in front of him and taking the opportunity to reach for the cage of her cat to free her, now that the girls weren't around. She honestly didn't care if it annoyed Nott.

"What do you want?" she asked him, noticing the boy was not looking at her, but to the door.

"Listen...we didn't get a chance to speak after..." He made a gesture with his hand, probably to avoid speaking aloud about their engagement party. She understood the feeling. "But I wanted to make some things clear." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on top of his knees. "I'm not suddenly going to start acting like your boyfriend or anything like it. I don't like you and I would appreciate it if you could contain your obsession with me because—" Her eyes opened twice its size and she couldn't contain the laughter that made way from inside. For his part, Theodore didn't look amused. "What are you laughing for?"

She forced herself to stifle it. "Oh...you weren't joking just then?"

"No."

Suddenly she was standing up, her cat falling from her lap in the rush. "Are you kidding me?" She tried not to raise her voice but the mixed feeling of anger and surprise were not a good combination. Was he for real? He couldn't possibly be so dense, so...conceited, so...so...she couldn't think of more words to describe him, her mind clouded by all the repressed feelings from days ago.

"Well, it is your family who are after our money so..."

"And what is your family after?!" she was shouting before he could finish his sentence. She didn't care right then if someone heard them. He had given her, without realising it, the perfect opportunity to see if he knew anything about why his grandfather had agreed to this arrangement. What did he get out of it?

To her disappointment, he didn't take the bait.

She watched him shrug, then grabbed her hand and forced her to sit once again. "Let's wrap this up Selwyn, I don't have all day and my friends are waiting." She scoffed." What?"

"I didn't say anything." she faked cluelessness.

"You know you're really tiring me, I'd much prefer it when you don't speak at all."

"Well, I didn't speak just then, so..."

"Don't try to be smart, It doesn't suit you." He rolled his eyes.

She scoffed, once again. "Who are you to tell me what does or doesn't suit me?"

He leaned closer then, taking her by surprise. Their faces were so close she could feel his breathing and she did not like it, at all. But she wouldn't be scared off so easily this time around. She stood her ground and for the first time she didn't try to back away, no matter how uncomfortable she was feeling right then.

The eye contact was the hardest part. There was something in Nott's eyes that unnerved her. It wasn't anything physical, from a technical point he did have pretty eyes, but it was the feeling behind them. She felt like a bug about to be squished by a boot.

He seemed to be studying her, time stood still and she had to fight the urge to stand up and leave this compartment as soon as her legs allowed it. The anticipation was killing her. Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed a lock of her hair and fixed it behind her ear.

"I'm to be your husband so...you'll do good to start doing what I say."

She opened her mouth to shout at him only to close it right away. She was at a loss for words.

"Finally." He took that opportunity to stand up, not bothering to spare a last glance at her before leaving the compartment. Then, as if finally able to speak, Ophelia covered her mouth with her hand and let out a frustrated scream, hoping that no-one around was able to hear her.