Her.

Chapter XIII

"Erik!" Haya protested as he pushed her away.

But they were kissing!

"No!" He said sternly, his hands out and his mind reeling to the point Haya thought she could here it. "Haya, you must understand that that was a mistake... Don't ever attempt it again!" He told her with a warning glance.

"Or what?" She shrieked, her heart aflame and her head hurting from the kiss he'd left. "Are you going to make me one of your casualties now?" She spit with anger.

Erik growled at her, shoving his hands in his black hair and swiping them through angrily. Next he threw his arm into the air and cursed the both of them.

"You obviously have feelings for me if you pushed against me and touched me!" She argued, hoping for him to come back.

"No, I don't... I can't, Haya you don't understand," Erik warned her.

He looked like something drastic had happened when they'd only kissed! That's all it had been, there was nothing more or less to it! Oh, but did Haya want there to be so much more.

So much more.

Yet, but by the crazy look in Erik's eyes she knew that wasn't what she was going to get.

So, taking a leap of faith and working off the alcohol, Haya grabbed Erik and kissed him again, this time thrusting her tongue into his mouth. She hit his tongue, intertwining them as he hesitantly placed a hand on her cheek and slid it down her neck. His cold, but tender, hand reached her collar bone and nearly the swells of her breasts when he stopped drastically, pulling away as though he was drowning.

"Don't you ever-" he breathed heavily and pushed her further, holding a dramatic hand over his heart, "Don't ever do such an awful thing again!"

"Awful?! Erik, you enjoyed it! I could feel you pull me into you!" Haya cried, her eyes red now.

It hurt to cry, and damn she'd cried a lot for Erik. She truly didn't want to think about how much she had cried over him, how often his refusal and denial had caused her tears that didn't stop.

"We're not having this conversation seven times so you can kiss me just as many! Haya, listen, that never should have happened!" Erik told her sternly, his arms out as if she truly frightened him.

"Erik, my father will be fine, he'll warm up to us being together, you don't have to be afraid! I have no fear of you or what you entail, for I'm ready to take such on!"

Erik looked at her as they both stood, his eyes scorning her very words.

"What makes you think I am even attracted to you?" He asked and then looked her up and down, as if his words hadn't been enough to make her feel insecure.

"E-Erik," she stuttered, reaching for her stomach and grasping it lightly because, hell, did she feel queasy.

"Haya, you're nineteen, very young, and filled with fantasies of settling down with some man that pays you a solid fancy... You're naïve no matter how you've been treated for your skin, you have not been treated as I have for mine. You don't know the world around you! You know music, and that I'm the first man who hasn't fallen down at your feet to court you. You are beautiful, Haya, but beauty is little. Where is your depth? You've none because you think I'll provide it for you," Erik suddenly snapped, "I cannot and will not be manipulated again."

Her breathing stopped. Everything stopped as Erik spoke such harsh words against her. Hammering in her chest, her heart seemed to be hindering her. It hurt her, and she wanted to rip it out of her chest so as to alleviate the utter despair Erik was causing her.