The Heart She Hid Away

CHAPTER - 6

"I will ask so many questions to you, but don't answer them," he said, his voice low and commanding. "Don't even open those lips of yours. Got it?"

His words were clear, direct, and his gaze locked with mine as if daring me to defy him.

I couldn't even bring myself to nod, let alone speak. The pressure of his stare held me in place, making my throat tighten as if the very air between us had thickened. I wanted to say something, anything, but my body wasn't listening. It was like I was frozen in time, unable to move or react, though my mind was racing.

He must've seen the hesitation in my eyes, but before I could process what was happening, he leaned in slightly—just enough to close the distance even more.

I couldn't help but feel the heat of his breath against my skin, and the smirk never left his lips. It was like he enjoyed the power he had over me, the way my uncertainty was unfolding in front of him.

He didn't wait for me to respond. He took my silence as his answer.

"Good," he murmured, the word hanging between us, thick with unspoken meaning. His voice was steady, but there was something about it—something in the way he spoke—that made my heart flutter in a way I didn't understand.

"Don't you have any favorite cousins?" he asked, his voice serious, but the intensity in his eyes never wavered. He was still looking at me, and I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to.

I felt a chill run down my spine. How did he know? I hadn't said a word about my cousins. I hadn't even thought about them, but somehow, it felt like he was getting closer to something personal, something I hadn't planned to share.

He smiled, that same enigmatic, knowing smile that made my heart race, and my stomach churn.

"Great. So you do have a favorite cousin."

I opened my mouth to deny it, but I couldn't. He was right. How did he know?

His gaze remained locked on mine as if he could see straight through me, straight into the thoughts I hadn't even fully formed. The weight of his stare felt like it was pressing down on me, suffocating me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. I just sat there, paralyzed.

"I'm gonna guess their name, alright?" he said, the words sliding out with a teasing lilt to them, but there was something beneath that tone—something more serious, almost like a challenge.

He didn't wait for me to answer. "How many letters? Four? Three? Two?"

"It's four, isn't it?"

The way he spoke it made my heart skip. I wasn't sure if I should be impressed or terrified. I didn't answer. I couldn't.

I could feel my pulse quicken, my palms sweating. The air felt thick and suffocating, and I was shivering. Under his gaze, I could feel the fear creeping in, making my body betray me. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't.

"Does it start with A? H? B? L?" His voice dropped slightly with each letter, as if savoring the moment.

"I? P? S?"

I barely had time to think before he smirked, a mischievous gleam lighting up his eyes. "It's an S."

I swallowed, my mind spinning. How did he know? I could barely hold on to my thoughts as he rattled off the names in my head, one by one, faster than I could react.