Maisara's pov
I've been driving for what feels like hours. I don't know where I am going, don't know how much speed it is right now, and don't even know what time it is. I'm just driving and driving and driving until it starts feeling like floating, until it feels like letting go and never bothering for anything.
I've done this before. It's kind of a defense mechanism for me when I feel something too strongly. It's like I just want to drive past them, leave them behind, and move forward.
It has been a while now since I have left the apartment and started driving. By now, I should feel better. I usually do. But I still feel nothing even close to better. And I know exactly why this is happening.
Because Felix Fucking Reyes is following me.
He has been following me since I have started driving from the apartment. At first, I don't notice, of course. When I have noticed, I have thought maybe his direction is the same way I'm going. Later, I realize his destination is actually me.
I don't actually know what his deal is but judging by our previous encounter, my random guess is that he is doing this just to annoy me. And I must say he's doing this in vain. Because I'm already more than annoyed. He's just signing his death wish at this point.
I turn another corner to the right and through the rearview mirror, find his black Civic seconds later turning the same corner. Rolling my eyes, I step on the accelerator. For a second, he falls behind but then again matches my speed.
Blood starts boiling in my veins as my fingers tighten around the steering wheel. I need to get rid of him seriously. It seems like the only way to do so is to stop the car, go up to him, and talk to him directly. It doesn't seem like he's going to leave me alone. And the last thing I want to do right now is talk to him.
I don't want him to keep following me either.
Actually, the best thing to do right now is to run the car over him. It's a shame that I can't do that since he's only behind me and never gonna cross me.
After taking more random turns, increasing and decreasing the speed, and finding no improvement in the situation, I finally have had enough and pull the car to the side of the road. He doesn't expect that which is why his car almost bumps into mine when he steps on the break.
I get out of my car shutting the door behind me with a loud thud. We are in an alleyway, so the road is technically empty. Nonetheless, I turn around and stride towards him. By the time I reach him, he’s already stepped out of his own car. My voice comes out low but sharp as I snap, yelling straight into his face, "What is it?"
He squints at me and I realize it has nothing to do with me. It is because the harsh sunlight is hitting straight on his face and his eyes. His golden-brown orbs have taken such a light shade now. They look...different. Luckily the sun is behind me. I feel a little bad for him but the slow smile on his lips immediately makes me want to slap him across the face. I resist the urge with every inch of willpower I have. He glances around us before fixing his gaze back on me. "You tell me."
I glare at him, crossing my arms and leaning forward in annoyance. "Felix, I'm not playing any game."
He lifts his shoulders in a slow shrug. "Neither am I." The playful glint in his eyes, narrowed against the harsh sun, is betraying his words. He is finding some sick amusement here, just as I have expected.
A car whooshes past behind us, the rush of wind ruffling my hijab. Pushing the fabric away from my face, I take a step to the side, putting space between us as I inquire, "Why are you following me?"
He doesn’t answer right away. The ghost of a smile dances at the corner of his lips, perfect for fueling my anger. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he leans back against his car and shrugs. "I'm not following you. I just have the same di—"
"Don't give me that crap! I told you already. I'm in no mood for playing any games. Why the fuck are you following me, Felix?" I can feel my blood rushing upwards more with each passing second. The sane side of me is continuously whispering the warning into my ear as the rage keeps making its territory all over my mind and my senses. I ignore the warning even though I know damn well what a terrible idea it can be.
Felix stares at me for a second. There is no change in his physical expression but I see how the look in his eyes changes. The playful glint changes into a serious one. I can even feel the sharpness in them as he looks into mine.
He licks his lips and brushes his hair back with one hand before speaking, "Listen, Maisara. I didn't want to say it like this. It might sound rude but you have a really bad habit. You cut people off most of the time in the middle of the sentence. That's highly inappropriate and insulting and a really bad manner. You don't have any right to do that. If you have anything to say, let them finish talking first. Then you say whatever you need to say."
I feel the heat rising to my face. The tone he uses is strong and highly unlike him. He pushes himself off of the car. Step by step, he starts closing the distance between us.
"Secondly, yes, I was following you." Another step. "Because you looked like you were gonna lose your mind any moment when you left your apartment." Another step. "And got into that damn car." Another step. "You should know you're not supposed to drive with a hot head." Another step. "I was just making sure you're not dying."
And he's right in front of me and towering over me like a fucking skyscraper. He leans closer, not close enough to touch but close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body, close enough that the scent of his rich cologne hits my nostrils and close enough that I start seeing the black borders and the black dilated pupils of his honey-brown eyes. His lips now forms a full teasing grin as he whispers, "Is that really a major problem?"
As a reply, I take a respectable step back and a deep breath. Glaring at him, I hiss. "Believe me when I say this, Felix. Out of all people, you're the last person in the world I need to protect me or anything like that."
The smile falls off his face. His eyebrows furrowed as he leans back. "Oh, and why is that?"
I open my mouth but he stops me with a gesture of his hand. Licking his lips again, he continues, "Correct me if I'm wrong, Maisara, but I've been noticing since our very first encounter that you hate me passionately for some unknown reason. You even called me a name. I don't particularly remember doing anything to piss you off that much. Not in the past and not in the present. So I would love you to tell me—"
"Bullshit." I scoff looking away.
"Don't cut me off!" He snaps, sounding closer to a yell.
"Don't tell me what to do!" I counter back.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm himself down, it seems. Then he opens them and looks back at me. I notice a much softer look in them. "Sure, I won't. I don't even care what you do as long as you don't die."
I almost let out a mocking laugh. "I bet you won't care even if I die."
He raises his eyebrows, amusement returning back in his eyes. "Oh, yeah? You bet?"
I nod, confused at his sudden change of expression. "Yes."
"How much?"
I blink. "What?"
He explains, "How much are you betting on?"
I feel the heat raising inside me again, my ears ringing.
He's playing again. Don't do this. Don't do—
"On everything I have." I know it sounds stupid and childish but I don't care. If he's playing stupid, I can show him who's the master of the game.
His smile grows at my answer. He takes a step back before saying, "Well, then, sorry to disappoint you but I will mind if you die." He lets out a small laugh. "So congratulations, you lost the bet as well as all your properties."
I feel the heat spreading over my face as I stare back at his smirking face.
He's lying. He's lying. He's lying.
But damn, that is some smooth lie he has uttered.
He has been always good at lying.
"I'm not doing this." I step back, shaking my head. I feel the heartbeat increasing with a knot forming in my throat.
Calm down, Maisara. Don't lose your goddamn mind over him. He's not worth it.
I move another step back. My heels scuff the edge of the curb. I speak slowly this time, tired of all the yelling and snapping all of a sudden. "Just leave me alone."
"I won't," he responds immediately, as if he has been waiting to say it. I narrow my eyes at him. "Until you answer my question," he finishes.
"Which question?" The words slip out sharp, even though I try not to grit them through my teeth. He doesn't mind it. Instead, he repeats the question calmly, "Why do you hate me so much?"
I stare at him blankly trying to understand whether he's joking or not. His eyes are showing curiosity and I'm not really sure whether he's faking it or not. Whatever it is, it doesn't stop the blood from finally exploding in my brain and leaking the darkness contained in them all over my body, spreading until I become fully absorbed by it, until my mind, my body, and my soul become that darkness.
I let out a bitter laugh, darkness sprinkling out with the sound. "As if you don't know that already."
"I'm afraid I don't," he responds, his gaze sharpening.
I raise my eyebrows, lips forming a smirk, pouring the darkness out with it. "Seriously, Felix? After doing everything to ruin me, you are still saying you don't know why I hate you so damn much?"
He raises his eyebrows silently in question. I ignore that. This time, it's me who steps closer to him. "You have some guts, darling. I must say I'm impressed. Okay, let me break this down for you again, word by word, since you 'can't remember'."
I take a deep breath and pull out the small box of secrets that I buried deep inside my heart a long time ago. A small little black box containing all my darkest secrets. I pull open the lid and take out the one secret that still hurts me the most. Then I close it back and bury it again praying secretly so that I don't have to use it ever again.
And then I hand it over to the shameless, irritating jerk standing in front of me. "Three years ago, you, my dear Felix, lied to your dearest younger brother, Ryker, saying that you caught me cheating on him with some random ass dude. You also told him that I 'begged' you to keep your mouth shut and that being the best big bro you are, you told him everything and saved his ass from me. Did it ring any bell or do I need to explain more?"
He stares at me for at least one good minute. Then, as if the realization has finally hit him, his eyes widen and lips part slightly. His light orbs reflect surprise as well. He shakes his head saying, "What are you even talking about? I said no such thing. Why would I do that?"
Besides lying, he's also super good at acting, it seems. I shrug simply. "That's your business. Now you should remember why I hate you so much. So leave me alone."
I turn around and walk back to my car. Felix's voice follows after me. "No, Maisara, I'm serious. I didn't tell him any of that, I swear. Heck, I didn't even know you that much back then. How would I even know if you cheated on him or not? And why would I even—"
I shut the car door behind me cutting his voice off. He gets that there's no point in talking anymore. He closes his mouth and presses his lips into a thin line as he squints at me through the tainted glass of the window. Holding his gaze, I step on the gas and revive the engine. He doesn't bother me anymore as he has promised. I only feel his eyes on me till I turn the corner and get out of his sight.
I notice the red stain on the steering wheel as I move my hand and realize that's blood coming out of my palm where my nails have been digging all this while. It hurts but not as much as my heart.
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