Iridescent

11| Vel

It took me exactly five hours and forty-three minutes before I understood what Jaxton meant by 'distracting', and since then I could not take in any study materials at the library. I had a quick dinner and returned to my dorm with homework on my mind. I was behind on my readings and all I wanted to do was get them done so I could go to sleep. Except, when I flipped on the lights in my room, I knew who I had to deal with first.

"Evening, gentleman." Without even needing to look, I could sense him standing somewhere near the balcony.

"I'm glad you still think I'm a gentleman."

"Get over yourself, Jaxton, and state your business."

"Well," his eyes followed me as I moved around the room, grabbing my water bottle, cleaning my desk... "I gotta make sure little Miss Snitch here didn't go and snitch on me." 

Ha, I almost did. 

I ignored him. "It sounds like an excuse for wanting to be here. Guess I wasn't the one distracted during the fight, was I?"

"Of course not," he followed me to the counter, plastering a sly smile on his face, "I was so entranced by your beauty that... I won."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I see, here to rub your victory in my face. Let's make this clear... you can't just pop in my room whenever you want. I might be getting changed, sleeping, taking a shower-"

"Or inviting your boyfriend over?"

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Ah, declaring your relationship status, I see." He crossed his arms, amused.

"So what? Are you going to confess your love for me?" I stifled a laugh and lifted my chin. "I reject in advance."

He gave a short whistle, "touché." He looked to the empty wall. "What happened to your mirror?"

"It broke. I threw it away."

He raised a brow and shifted his gaze to the wardrobe, "it's in there."

"You've been looking through my stuff!" 

"I need to know who I'm dealing with," he crossed his arms, brows-furrowed, "it's not everyday you meet someone who carries a sword called Iridiscent."

And there goes his subtle warning – I have your leverage, Cassandra.

"It goes by Reflecta now," I warned. "I'm flattered you think I'm the dangerous one here."

"Right back at ya."

"On a serious note, why are you here?"

"On an even more serious note," he threw his leg over a chair and leaned on the backrest, "I already told you."

"On a second serious note, Jaxton, I don't want any part in your business." I said, and I was serious. I could hear it in my stern tone; the tone that I reserved for situations like these. "You have danger on your heels, and I'd still like to live a long life and die only when I'm old." My expression faltered when I recalled briefly of my near-death experiences, "because, unlike you, I might not be that lucky."

There was a moment of silence as we stared at each other, I saw his furrowed brows break apart and the falter in his demeanour. I instantly assessed the harshness in my words, but it was too late by then.

Finally, eyes shifting away from mine, he muttered, "you're right. It's a fair point."

I watched him get up and there was an urge to ask him to stop, to... give me a chance to explain things over. But there was nothing that needed explaining. He was keeping secrets. He had no duty to tell me these secrets, and I shouldn't pry into them. Don't you want to live, Cassie? So stay away from him!