THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 15: A CHARMING ENCOUNTER

Chapter 15: A CHARMING ENCOUNTER

He saw something in her eyes. Something so fierce, it scared him away. The same man who had just confronted one of the deadliest businessmen in the entire country was scared by a look.

Not just any look, it was desire. He could tell it confused her, and it was because of that, he retreated into his shell. He didn’t want to be her first of anything. All he wanted was a clean break, when it was all said and done.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked, with his face turned to the side.

She wanted him to look at her, but he wouldn’t. In her head, she tried to think of what she had done to piss him off again. Perhaps, her response to his ex. If he could just tell her, she would apologize.

"I really wanted to taste the food here, but it’s okay if you want to leave," she said.

He took a deep, calming breath at her response, before speaking. "I asked you if you wanted to stay," he said as if he was speaking to a child.

"No." She shook her head, careful not to step on his toes.

He whipped his head towards her, the expression on his face, nothing like the one he had, when he kissed her. It caused a cold shiver to run the lengths of her body, as her head reflexively went to her toes.

"Do you enjoy testing me? Is that what this is?" With every word he spoke, his voice grew colder.

"I—I’m so–rry," She stuttered, hugging her hand around her body. In her head, she thought; he had just kissed her. A kiss like nothing she had ever experienced before. Gabriel was her first kiss. They were in their early teenage years when it happened. It was sweet, and clumsy, with a lot of teeth. This one was different. It consumed her. Made her legs tingle. It was why she was so confused. How he could be so aloof, when her entire body was excited.

"Again with the apologies. You know what? I don’t have the patience for any of this. Let’s go home." He walked over to the table, grabbed his wallet and keys, before turning around, and walking to the door.

She sniffled, holding back tears, as she went to the table to pick up her purse. If only he’d tell her what she did wrong. It was the one thing eating her up the most. And now, she couldn’t even apologize. Because even her apologies were like poison to his ears.

Dazed, she sauntered to the door. Raising her head, she discovered he wasn’t standing there anymore. He had left her. This time, the tears didn’t shy away. A single one dropped down her eye, another following right behind it.

She didn’t know what to expect as she continued walking down the stairs. Maybe he won’t be waiting for her when she gets downstairs. If he wasn’t, she was pretty much screwed.

But as she heard a couple of voices down, she realized she was getting closer to the lobby. Quickly, she wiped off the tears with the back of her hands, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

She burst into the lobby, but the girl and boy from earlier were nowhere to be found. In their place, were a couple of identical looking girls.

"Good evening." She bowed her head slightly, and continued on her way to the exit.

They didn’t respond with words, instead, burst into a feat of laughter. A rush of shame wrapped around her, unable to stop the voice in her head telling her they were laughing at her.

It wouldn’t be the first time. Against her will, she had a brief flashback of her cousins making fun of her.

They poked fun at her statue. Said she looked too sickly. With clavicles that popped out like a malnourished infant.

"Gabriel left because he couldn’t bring himself to love a stick. If I were him, I would sue you for loving me, cus how dare you?" One said, and laughed.

"He’s such a prince, and you? You’re a witch. Flaming hair like witches. Green eyes like the mother of all witches. An unlovable witch!" The other added, and cackled to show just how much of a witch she represented.

She closed her eyes, fighting to wade off their mocking voices ringing in her ears. She didn’t know she had gotten to the door, and took a step out of it, until she bumped into a hard surface.

Her eyes flew open, a frightened shudder running through her. In a flash, the voices disappeared, and reality set. She took a step back, her eyes widening. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there," she began to plead as her head rose up to see who it was.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the face of the stranger she had bumped into. He was tall, and muscular, with hazel eyes and chestnut brown hair. He looked regal, like actual royalty, and he was staring at her with the weirdest look on his face.

"I’m sorry," she repeated, just in case he didn’t hear her before.

"I heard you," he chuckled. "Was kinda taken aback for a moment there. Has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you are? You look like you should be an art piece in the finest museum, where people actually have to pay to take the slightest glance at you," he said in the most polish British accent.

"Are you royalty?" She blurted the first thing that came to her head, ignoring the compliments he heaped on her. He obviously was either joking, or describing someone else.

The suddenness of her question had him wheezing. He was about to respond, when someone approached from behind.

Before she could step out of the way, he grabbed her hands, and gently pulled her to the side. "Sorry for the inconvenience," he said to the couple, as they made their way into the restaurant.

His hands were still on hers, seconds after the door closed behind them.

"Wow, your hands are really soft too," he said, raising it to his eye level.

The movement made her jerk into reality, and she dragged it away. "I’m sorry, but you can’t touch me like that," she said, shivering internally.

"Pardon my manners darling. I overstepped, and I’m truly sorry. I hope you accept my apologies." He grabbed his chest, the lines of his face creasing to show his sincerity.

For a moment there, she was almost swept away by his charms. Not like in a love at first sight way, but in a truly intrigued way.

"It’s okay. Truly, it’s fine," she said.

"Can I at least buy you some sweets to show my sincerity?"

She looked back at the sign on the door, wondering if she was at a different spot. "Sweets?" She asked, turning her head back to him, when she saw the playful grin on his face. "You’re joking." She nodded, chuckling.

"You have a sense of humor too. Could you be any more perfect!"

She couldn’t help herself, as her face turned a deep shade of pink. "You’re a flatterer," she said in a way that seemed like it was the worst thing in the world to be.

"Or am I just really honest?" He raised a mischievous brow.

"Debatable." She tilted her head from side to side.

He laughed, but grew a little serious seconds after. "So tell me, why’s a gorgeous lady like yourself, all by herself?"

The second his words hit her brain, it rebooted, reminding her why she was there in the first place. She gasped, as her gaze shot past him, going round the lengths and width of the parking lot in a millisecond.

She was inching closer to the path of relief, when her gaze fell on his car. Her head lifted a little bit more, and she found his eyes staring directly at her. She could feel the burn of his fury all the way, smothering her with its intensity.

"I— I have to go," she said, her legs already moving forward.

"Wait, can I at least know your name? I’m Alexander by the way!" He called out, thoroughly confused.

She ignored him, and broke into a run. In no time, she was beside Ace’s car, knocking on its door.

It slid open, and she jumped in, shutting the door behind her. She fastened her seatbelt, and held her breath, as she awaited his judgment.

However, and to her utmost surprise, he didn’t say a word. Quietly, he started the car, and began to drive.

His silence tore at her, eating away every inch of her conscience. She couldn’t bring herself to fully look at him, so she settled for staring at him through the corner of her lashes.

As the car made the round, her face turned to the side when she felt someone beckoning on her. She looked, and saw it was the royalty looking guy, waving at her from the spot she had left him.

She quickly looked away, and in the process, found Ace looking past her, all the way to the guy.

He still didn’t say a word, but his silence spoke volumes. Even his hands, as they moved to a button on the dashboard, and punched on it.

Slowly, the glasses turned tinted, and in response, her heart momentarily stopped beating.