Blooming Iris | ✓

-Blooming Iris Chapter 14-

Iris' POV~

I stood there in shock, staring at Richard. Why is he even here? Isn't he supposed to be at work or something? I thought he didn't want to see me...

"Iris-"

I didn't hear what he was going to say next, since I took off and started running down the street, trying to get as far away as possible from him. I just couldn't see him right now, I just couldn't. If I do I might want to run into his arms, never let go... and I couldn't do that.

"Iris! Wait!" Richard shouted in desperation, running after me.

Looking over my shoulders at Richard, I saw him catching up to me - only a few feet behind me. A few more seconds and he would probably be able to pass me. Shaking my head, I turned back around looking in front of me, putting more power in my legs, and started to run... slowly increasing in my pace.

"Please Iris! Please slow down so we can talk!" I heard him scream, his voice coming closer to me.

I was about to turn the corner when a hand shot out at me and grabbed me. Spinning me around, the person pinned me to the nearest wall, which happened to be the building of a small cafe.

Staring up at said person, I saw bright blue eyes staring down at me, flashing bright with hurt and... confusion?

"Please Iris, just let me explain. Please?" Richard begged, pleading with me.

"I-I-"

"Shh... don't say anything just listen alright?"

I nodded, not being able to speak.

"Remember that letter I sent you?" he asked, his breath tickling me…. he was so close to me that I could feel his hard chest against me and hear his beating heart.

I nodded my head slightly, waiting for him to continue.

"Well forget about it, I don't even know why I even wrote that in the first place. Just know that I would never let you leave without saying goodbye in person, that's why I had Adam follow you after I heard you left."

Wait, that means the guy that was following me before was Adam? I was about to ask him that question, when he started talking again, cutting me off. "But of course he lost you, but while I was talking to him on the phone I saw you in my rear-view mirror, so I started following you to make sure you were okay."

"So the person that was following me was really Adam?" I asked after he was done talking.

"Yes."

"And you'd been following me this whole time as well?"

"Yes."

"How come you didn't talk to me before?" I asked.

"Because even if I tried, I couldn't."

"Why not?" I asked confused.

"Because I knew you would run away, and guess what? You did," he said, backing up a little bit, finally realizing we were a little bit too close to each other.

"I didn't mean to though..." I whispered, staring down at my feet like they were the most amazing thing in the world.

"Just tell me Iris, do you hate me?" Richard asked, voice cracking a bit, awaiting my answer.

I stared at him shock. He thinks I hate him? Why? How could I hate him? In fact it's the opposite.

"I knew it, you do hate me," he said after a moment of silence, blue eyes swimming in hurt.

"What? No I-"

"No it's alright. It's alright if you don't like me. You don't have to say anything," he said slowly before letting go of me. He turned around heading straight for the car he was hiding behind when I first found him today, not even turning back once.

Go after him! My inner voice yelled at me.

But I can't.

Why not?

He hates me.

No he doesn't. Go after him or you won't be able to talk to him ever again.

But-

GO!

"Richard!" I screamed out loud, giving in. A few people walking up and down the street stopped and stared at me, giving me weird looks - I didn't care. All I cared about was Richard. I ran towards him, grabbing his hand, turning him around to face me.

Looking at him, I saw a single tear rolling down his left cheek. He's crying? Richard's crying? But why?

"Richard, please don't cry," I whispered.

"I-I'm not crying," he said, turning his face away from me, trying to hide it, even though I already saw it.

"Listen Richard, I don't know where you got the idea that I hate you, because I don't."

Richard snapped his head around so fast, I thought he would have broken it, of course he didn't though. "You don't? But then why did you want to leave my house so badly?"

"It's not a matter of I want to leave your house per-say, it's more that I can't stay at your house."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Richard, I can't stay at your house forever. I'm taking your food, your money, and your bed from you, and for what? For free, I can't do that."

"Iris, trust me, you living at my house for free isn't a big deal for me."

"But it is for me. Don't you get it!" I asked. "I can't live at your house for free! I feel guilty enough for living at your house for a week for free, that's why I had to leave as soon as possible."

"So let me get this straight, the only reason why you wanted to leave my house was because you fely guilty using my stuff for free?" he questioned.

"Yes exactly, it isn't because I hate you. So don't even think that," I ordered, a grin over-taking my face.

"Alright," Richard said, his whole face doing a complete 180 turn, showing a smirk and sense of mischievous.

"Richard... what's that look about?" I asked, scared to know the answer.

"Since you don't like living at my house for free, why don't you pay me to?"

"What?" I asked confusion written all over my face.

"I said, why don't you pay me money to stay at my house- like rent."

"But I don't have money. That's why I was living in the streets when you found me." Did he forget about that or something?

"I know," Richard said, his smile growing bigger. "That's why I'm giving you a job."