The Beast

Chapter 9

Tucked into the passenger seat of his beautiful car, I pressed myself against the door, trying to maintain as much distance between us two as possible, as I tried not to hyperventilate. I had thought about jumping out of the moving car more times than a self claiming sane person should, and we hadn't even pulled out of the university grounds yet. I felt his gaze on me from time to time but I kept looking straight out the front windshield.

"What classes are you taking?" He asked casually as if we were fast friends.

"Business and social sciences, I-I'm not sure what I want to be yet." I answered, this was my customary response to anyone who asked. He remained silent looking at me from the corner of his eye. I snuck a glance at him, to see a knowing look in his eye. It were as if he could see right through me, see that I was lying, it only made him more intimidating. I knew I wanted to go into the social sciences, I was just afraid that the job opportunities were far less than something like business. Although job finding fir any job nowadays was a struggle, I was lucky to have gotten a job at the cafe.

I bit my lip nervously wishing I had managed to turn down his offer to drop me, not only was this ride terrifying, but I kept making a fool of myself by stuttering. He was just so intimidating I could barely focus on what I was saying.

He turned towards me and I looked up at him, my mind going numb as I looked into his eyes. He said something to me but I couldn't make out his words, how was it possible for someone to have eyes like his? Solid steel encased in thick black lashes, and his eyes even seemed to change colours, mine were always dark brown. He stared at me for a moment longer before he suddenly leaned towards me, stretching his arm out.

I let out an embarrassing squeak cringing further into my seat and squeezed my eyes shut. This was it, he was finally done playing whatever game he was and was now going in for the kill. At least it was with his bare hands though, and not a carving knife. I kept my eyes shut waiting for the feeling of his large hands wrapping around my throat, but it never came.

Hesitantly I opened my eyes looking towards him and to my surprise, he was leaned back into his seat, he had parked the car and was intently staring at my face. The very eyes I'd been admiring whirling with emotion, the crease between his brows telling me he was upset.

"You're afraid of me." He said his voice calm and steady a clear contradiction to his eyes.
"No." I said immediately, but it was too fast.
"You are, how else do you explain flinching away when I tried to grab a CD from the dashboard? I just don't understand why." He said, clearly struggling to keep his voice levelled, I could practically feel his frustration. It made me flustered, and I didn't know if I wanted to apologize for making him that way, or rant about why I was scared, but instead I did something far worse.

"I know who you are." I blurted out, immediately slapping my hand to my mouth. The crease between his brows grew deeper and for a moment he even looked confused before his jaw clenched as he came to the realization of what I had meant.
"You believe everything people tell you." He stated, looking straight out the window his fist clenched so tightly around the steering, his knuckles were turning white.

"No but gossip does come from somewhere too, especially when it's so incessant." I said. The stubborn cloud that had clouded my judgement passed as fast as it had come as I thought over my words. I had opened my big mouth and indirectly insulted the most dangerous and to misfortune most powerful man in North America, now I was definitely dead. If I wasn't dead, I'd definitely been rude, and no matter who he was, he'd only been kind to me. He was undeserving of this kind of treatment. Maybe I should offer him a free latte next time he goes to the cafe. Perhaps an accompanying apology would be best

I opened my mouth to apologize, but immediately clamped it shut as he turned away from me, letting go of the steering wheel, and stretching out his fingers. He looked so angry I couldn't get a word out even if I tried. Perhaps he didn't want to get blood on his seats, it truly was a beautiful car he would probably come after me at night.