We hurried to his office. Stella was about to knock but stopped hearing Mr. Nelson’s voice.
“It is such an honor to have you here, Andres. With you leading our soccer team, the platinum cup will be ours.”
“Shit!” Stella cursed as she pulled me into a distant corner. “I didn’t expect that prick to win the match.” She shuffled from one foot to another restlessly. “Everyone knows that you are Cassius’s girlfriend. If you tell Mr. Nelson that Andres assaulted you in the alley, he might not believe you.”
A defeated sigh left my lips, and I leaned against the wall. Mr. Nelson would probably think I am cooking up stories out of jealousy. “What will we do now, Stella?”
“We can go to the cops….” Stella suggested, her forehead creasing with lines of worry. “If you want, I can talk to my Uncle….”
“No, that won’t do…” I shook my head vehemently. “If we go to the cops, my parents will find out about this and… I don’t want to worry them, Stella. They have already done a lot for me.”
She nodded, the lines on her forehead deepening. “Do you really think he came to this college to stalk you? What if all this is just a coincidence and we are overthinking?”
Her words hit me hard. What if I was overthinking; attaching too much importance to myself? It was just possible that he was here just to study and would leave me alone. A long, suffering sigh left my lips. “There is only one way to find out the truth.”
“What?”
“I have to confront him.”
“Are you shit crazy? How can you even think of meeting that psycho?”
“That is the only way to find out about his intention, Stella.” I massaged the back of my neck. “I can’t just sit here and wait for him to make his move.”
“Fine, but I am coming with you.”
My lips pressed into a thin line, “I don’t think that is plausible, Stella. He might not show his true colors if someone else is with me.”
“But….”
Having caught a glimpse of Andres leaving the dean’s room, I started walking after him. Stella rushed close behind. He walked down the corridor to the secluded section before walking into the boy’s locker room.
I looked around warily. There was no one in sight. All the boys had already changed and left. I held Stella by her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Wait for me here. If I don’t come out in five minutes, you can come in.”
“This seems far too dangerous, Miraya. It is better that I come with you….”
“Stella, please….” I begged again. It was important to meet him alone. I wouldn’t be able to get any information unless he lowers his guard.
“Fine, go and die.” Stella snapped in annoyance. “What do I care?”
I just couldn’t put up with this restless anxiety that was eating me from the inside. I had to talk to Andres and find out his intention as soon as possible. As for Stella, I could make up to her later.
Drawing in a deep breath, I stepped into the boy’s locker room; my gaze wandering around warily. My eyebrows furrowed. Where was Andres? I had seen him walk inside with my own eyes.
“Andres….” I called out, my voice shaking with apprehension. My heart beat accelerated and my body broke out in a cold sweat. At this point, I didn’t even know whether I wanted him to appear. I gulped and managed to call out again, “Andres, are you here?”
Clank! A gasp left my lips as I was slammed into a locker. My breath hitched and my heart stopped beating. Andres was standing in front of me, barely a foot apart. His gaze bore into mine. “Are you here to tell me that you have accepted the offer?”
My eyes widened and my lips parted. His words…. Did that mean he was really here for me?
I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to feign pretense. Drawing in a few deep breaths, I stuttered, “I… I don’t know what you are talking about.”
He pinched my chin roughly and drew me closer; his gaze taking a sinister edge. “There is no need to pretend, Miraya. I tend to leave a lasting impression on people. Nobody can forget me that easily.”
I winced as his fingers dug into my flesh. His expression softened, and he released me. “I will give you one more chance to correct your mistake.”
My temper flared as a sudden surge of anger, and annoyance coursed through me. Who in the world did he think he was? I don’t know where or how I found the courage to snap at him,
“You are either too arrogant or plain crazy. Why in the world would I or anyone agree to be with a madman like you?”
Once those words were out, my confidence surged. I pushed him away, putting some more distance between us. “You are not my type, anyway.”
“In that case, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” His words dripped like acid into my ears as he grabbed the back of my neck and drew me closer with a rough jolt
His expression hardened and his eyes turned bloodshot. The veins around his eyes popped, revealing a dendritic pattern. His gaze was so intense that it made me flinch and look away.
The hair on my neck bristled, and I gasped as he dipped his head into the crook of my neck. Something sharp pierced through my skin and a pang of intense pain jolted me. A heart-wrenching cry left my lips as the pain intensified, searing through my shoulders and then radiating all over my body.
My knees buckled, and I dropped to the ground, convulsing in agony. The pain was so blinding that everything around me faded. I was drowning in a sea of fire and ice with no anchor to support me.