Chapter 21: Chapter 21

The school chime rings, indicating to the students that it’s time for lunch. They enthusiastically pack up their things, which is the precise inverse of mine. I ascent a deep sigh then inertly gathered my notes from my table. I waited for them to induce out some time recently. I trailed behind a swarm of students hurrying towards the school’s famous cafeteria.

Luckily, I survived and managed to get out of that place without getting crashed or hit by someone. As my vision stayed on the ground, I bit my lip, watching my feet step forward. I’m back at the university again. Some of my professors asked me how I had been because they had heard I was gone for a week. I just stated I got hit by a bus, and I managed to live.

Carls was unrefined quiet. There are times he would look at my way, but the minute our eyes locked, he’ll look away as if he had seen something horrendous. The colors of his face depleted, and whenever I tried to talk to him, he would thrust me away. I don’t get why, since I’m the one who got attacked by Ethan and not him, I saved his life, but it appears like he’s not buying it.

I murmured when I stopped in my tracks. I look at my locker for a minute, caressing my stomach where there are some stitches. I haven’t seen him for a while now. Is it been like almost two weeks? Even in the hospital, he never showed up. Mrs. Johnson was the one who picked me up. She was stunned that she shouldn’t stress around the bills, and Ethan paid for them, which I have no idea where he got the money.

Everybody knows he’s Nathan Jones Davis. They don’t have any thought he’s the wicked twin brother, Ethan Ajax Davis. They have no idea we’re breathing the same air with a serial killer, a cursed human, a manipulative man who needs you to bow down for him, or hell will rise if you don’t.

The minute he crossed in my mind, I clenched my hand. My knuckles turned white with wrath. I’m glad our ways didn’t cross yet. I don’t need to see him wandering around, even though we study in the same school. I don’t care if we live within the same city. If I saw him, I won’t waver to run. He’s not worth my time.

It doesn’t matter any longer. It’s not indeed meriting to think of him. I breathed out and opened my locker. I did the combinations and opened them. I was about to put my books inside when I halted dead on my spot when I saw what was inside my locker. I looked around since I suddenly felt like somebody was observing me closely from its gaze. When I saw no one, I gradually turned to my locker while gulping escalation. My fingers were shaking when I held a lunch box wrapped around a ruddy lace. It’s like a present for me.

My heartbeat was so quick and hard when I found a note. How did somebody know my locker combination? My palms are sweat-soaked when I read what it says. As my eyes were taken after each letter and word, I couldn’t breathe properly. I shut down before I could even finish the paragraph. I closed my locker, and I shouted in shock when somebody stood close to it. My heart nearly drops on the ground as my eyes widen.

“E-ethan!” he’s here. I frantically looked around. No one is here aside from us. That’s good. I can’t deal with paparazzi if they find out he’s not Nathan.

His jaw fixed as he inclined on the locker outline. His eyes are analyzing me. They landed on my chest, where I secured it firmly. I wouldn’t say I like his presence. I turned around was around to walk away when he suddenly showed up right before me. I let go of the lunch box, but he rapidly caught it without a sweat.

“I’m looking for you.”

Oh, that’s nice, I thought sardonically. I forced out a smile to him.

“I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry I need to-”

“-to?” he raised his eyebrows, asking me a question while his eyes were shooting daggers. My mind went blank suddenly, and I couldn’t think of any excuse to tell him. I lowered my eyes on his massive chest.

“T-to…” I’m panicking, and I fake a coughed and smiled at him. My eyes are squinting.

“To the mall because I need to buy something.” I breathed out a sigh of relief. I know Ethan hates crowded places, like the mall, so I figured he wouldn’t force himself to come around.

“I’ll go.”

“NO!” I clasp my hand over my mouth. His left eyebrow raised in disarray, asking me what was wrong. I breathed out and put my arm on his bear. I felt he flinched in his spot, and his eyes gleamed.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t need to involve myself with you anymore.” I shook my head to him, telling him it was over for us even though there was nothing between us. He just happened to be my ex-boyfriend’s twin who used me for his playtime. They both used me for fun, and I couldn’t acknowledge it. I know to myself I have told him I wouldn’t leave his side, but that was all just because of sympathy I felt for him.

There’s nothing more than that.

“Leave me alone,” I told him recently, walking away. He didn’t follow me as he just followed me with his gaze. I didn’t acknowledge his gift for me. I know he made an exertion to cook for it, but I don’t need to lead him someplace without a legitimate goal if this thing between us can work. I don’t love him, and he just sees me as his prey. His servant. His sex toy. I can’t offer my body to him any longer. It’s time for me to love myself.

In any case, the following days are freakish. Each time I open my locker, distinctive gifts are displayed to me. There's even a teddy bear that's popping out with the same penmanship. This is getting out of hand. A few students are perplexed and want to pry why I have so many gifts every day. They even concluded that Ethan and I were in a quarrel, and he needed to win my heart back again. I wanted to yell and inform them it was not Nathan, but I controlled myself. I don't need to make things more complicated than it is now. Besides, I always throw them away.

I opened my lockers, and flowers popped out of them. I closed my eyes, moaning. Another day, another gift. And guess what? It’s a red velvet box this time. My jaw moved when I saw it was a necklace. It shone so bright in my eyes it twitched. I heard gasps from behind. Before I may even comprehend what happened, the velvet box was gone.

“OMG! This is one of the rarest gems I saw!”

I turned around and paused when I saw Natalie. She’s assessing the necklace I received from Ethan. When she looked up, a cunning grin shaped on her lips, she stood up straight and towered over me. She’s alone. Non of her flunkies are following. That’s great since one bully for today is enough for me.

“So you two are still dating?” she asked as she looked at me from head to toe.

“It’s none of your business, Natalie. And give that back to me-” before I could snatch the necklace from her, she stepped back, making me stagger on my spot. She held me by my hair, forcing my head to look up. Whispers invaded the corner of the halls as the student attempted to look at what was happening.

“What? It’s not like you love him. I saw you throwing his gifts away. Why do you want it back?”

I struggled to slap her hands away from her grip on my hair, but she didn’t bulge. Instead, she dragged my body unto the hallway. Students followed us as I yelled and tried to punch her to let go of me. What is her deal?! Why is she doing this? If this is about Nathan, he’s dead! But I can’t tell her that. I don’t know why I’m fighting to say something about Ethan’s secret, maybe because no one would believe me that he’s a werewolf.

“STOP! PLEASE!” I begged.

“Shut up! You stole him from me! He’s never yours in the first place! You whore!”

She halted in her tracks, but she pushed me. As if my soul has left my body when I felt myself flying over towards the end of stairs. I closed my eyes when my head hit the thick cement, and my body rolled down. I heard cries and yells from the audience, who just watched me fall to the ground. I winced in pain, and my vision was spinning when I looked up and saw Natalie’s face filled with horror. She must’ve thought it wouldn’t end like this, so she ran away in fear. Other students pretended nothing happened as they scattered away. No one helped me. They left me here.

I stared at the ceiling, laughing humorlessly. This is pathetic. I survived the pain I felt with Nathan and Ethan, but I can't walk away from other people's judgment. If it weren't just for my scholarship here in this school, I would run away from this city. I can't take it anymore. I wanted this to end. The endless pain, the eternal misery, agony…it’s too much.

And it’s all because of that stupid necklace.

Before I could even close my eyes, I felt someone walking towards me. His heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway. I tried to breathe in calmly because it might be someone who would throw my body on the ocean, or I was just overthinking? The stride of steps stopped, and I felt someone looking at me. When I look up, I’m face to face with the man who’s been nagging me all week.

I don’t have the energy to argue with him. I just let him carry me. I can hear him murmuring something underneath his breath like curses, murders, and body.

“They will repay what they did to you.” he menacingly said, his voice is desperate. He sounds hungry for blood as he lets out a low howl.