Chapter 38: CHAPTER 37
"Did you...find out who was following her?" Anna was gazing out of the huge glass window, running her eyes over the city which was gleaming at that time of night.
"Mark tried hard but he could not." Raven stood up from the couch and walked to the other corner of the room. Pouring a glass of whiskey, he returned to Anna who was lost in her own thoughts staring out of the window. Silence filled the empty room as both of them had their eyes fixed outside.
"When.....When did you get married?"
Raven's eyes shifted to the girl beside him. She was still looking straight ahead, her face was as blank as before. Raven had the urge to stop and not say anything further but he knew he had to tell her everything, she should know. She must know.
"After dating for almost a year..." He looked away from her.
Anna nodded. "It must've been really grand" She smiled softly.
"It wasn't. We just had a registered marriage." He took a brief sip from the glass.
Anna's gaze slowly shifted on him and she almost zoned out. He looked so fine, just standing there with a glass of whiskey but had so many secrets and wounds, buried deep inside. No one, probably not even Anna herself would have known how vulnerable he was from within if he had not opened up about his past.
She placed her hand on his forearm and his eyes automatically met hers.
"Are you okay?" Of course he wasn't but she could not come up with anything at the moment to get him out of his unpleasant reverie.
He did not say anything but his eyes spoke louder than anything else he had said so far. It disclosed the hurt, pain he was trying so hard not to show and something she had never seen in those greens. Defeat. It seemed like he already gave up on being happy again. The silence terrified Anna more than anything.
"Say something, Please" She said softly looking deep into his green ocean eyes.
He blinked. After what seemed like forever, he blinked out of his trance. His lips pressed into a line and he gulped dryly.
The silence stretched between them and Anna felt him slipping away before their eyes locked. He placed the glass down near the window without looking away from Anna.
Say something, I can't take this anymore, she almost cried internally. A step after another towards her and he was close enough for her to feel the familiar warmth of his body. He leaned down to her and his face found it's usual place at her neck, inhaling deeply. He hugged her close with both arms wrapping securely around her waist and snuggled his face deeper into her soft skin. The usual chills and sparks were running around her body as her eyes closed and hands came up, around his shoulders.
It was not sensual but calming. Raven felt a strong force which was always driving him closer to her. She felt so familiar, like he always knew her. She felt so much like....home. Her scent could calm his throbbing nerves and erase the worst of memories in no time. She was so pure and innocent, and she did not even know it.
Her little actions would have so much effect on him. Like at that moment, her fingers were running through his hair so softly that he hardly felt it. Gentle. She was so gentle with him, she had always been.
"Raven.."
It was after a long time that he loved his name coming from someone else. She did not even call him, she whispered it and that voice fogged his mind. His grip tightened around her.
He won't let her go, not again.
"It's pretty late, I should leave" She caressed the back of his neck while his nose brushed across her sensitive skin making her shiver. They did not even realize the time and it just flew like that. It was so cruel that time would always run whenever they were together and drag all the more slower whenever one missed the other.
"Raven, I—"
"Don't"
Anna was startled by his sudden disapproval. It was past nine and only Elora knew where Anna was. She had to get back home but he wouldn't let go. She tried again by slowly caressing his hair, whispering a soft 'Please' but she did not know it was only making him more desperate to hold onto her.
After a couple of minutes Raven pulled back to look at Anna. She looked calm but he knew she had heard a lot to take in, in one night.
"Stay. Don't go," he pleaded, his eyes searching hers.
Anna was about to open her mouth to convince him but Raven was already concluding the conversation.
"It's too late to leave." He loosened his arms from around her and walked towards the door as she stood there dumbfounded at what he was doing.
"Ms. Jones!" He called out.
His voiced echoed around the whole damn room although he had hardly raised it. Within a minute, the lady who had welcomed Anna inside the Mansion appeared at the door. Raven told her something and she just nodded with a gentle heart warming smile. She reminded Anna of Hope; at least that smile did.
After a while, when she left, Raven came back.
"That's Ms. Jones. You can ask her if you need anything."
Anna nodded. Wait, Need anything? She did not agree yet.
"No." Anna blurted out and noticed how his brows ceased together.
"I mean..I can't. I have to get back home. Grannu will be worried." She looked at the ground, not being able to hold his burning gaze which was drilling right into her soul through the eyes.
"You can give her a call"
"No. That's not it. She won't allow."
"Then I'll talk to her"
What are you? My school principal? She thought with a growing frown. Why couldn't he just try to understand when she was being so patient.
"Give me her number" He took out his phone from the pocket.
"No." She frowned
"Why not?"
"Because I can't stay, Raven,"
"Tell me, why?"
"Why can't you just understand? I said I can't stay!" She yelled.
Maybe she shouldn't have, because the next thing she knew was being pushed against the wall behind her with the man hovering over her, pressing his body against hers. Irritation was evident all over his face and his jaws clenched.
"And why can't you understand that I don't want you to leave?" His voice was low, too low for any good.
Anna gulped and unconsciously licked her dry lips and his gaze shifted to her mouth. He leaned in slowly, filling the distance between them, enveloping her into his warmth.
'No. Don't do it' She could just scream it in her head and not out loud. His warm breath fanned her lips and she parted them for him. Her mind was saying something else but her body was reacting differently. Before she could understand her own actions, his lips were claiming hers.
It was as gentle as he had always been with her but this time there was something else. A request, to stay and be together. His lips pressed hard against hers and she pushed herself into his arms feeling breathless. Hold me, she did not have to say it because he knew and was already onto it.
Anna had never felt so certain, so sure about her feelings as much as she was at that moment. He sparked a desire in her. A desire to be with him, to be held like that and kissed so hard. She was certain about what she felt for him.
Love. She loved the man and it scared her because he might never be able to return it.
Weekly Power Status
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