Hard of Desire

Chapter 4

I took down my notes diligently as my professor explained about the Roman Empire. Physically I was here but mentally I was so far away. It was very hard to concentrate on this lecture when I am meeting Declan's family tonight.

And it is draining my energy. Mentally, physically and spiritually. I felt really gloomy.

I looked at the slides as the professor explained them thoroughly, not really looking at them and sighed. The girl who was sitting next to me for the past few weeks threw me an annoyed glare for the umpteenth time.

I wouldn't blame her. I may or may not sighed for about a thousand times since the class started. 

I smiled sheepishly at her. What was her name again? Jane? June? Jenna? I knew it started with J but I forgot about it. I wonder how people find soulmates in college. I don't even know my classmates.

I frowned when the lecture came to an end. I purposefully gathered my things slowly as if it could buy me time to escape from tonight. My frowned deepen when I saw Jeremy approached me. I started to gather my things quickly when he stalked towards me.

Jeremy is someone I knew from high school. He was trying to get with me since last year. He is cute. Jet black hair with round blue eyes. His jaws are sharp. Long story short, he is handsome and girls throw themselves at him.

"Hey babe, you still single?" Jeremy winked at me, grinning like a fool. I just wanted to punch his stupid face so badly right now.

But am I even single?

"First of all, don't call me babe. Second, I am not the kind of person who wants to mingle with you. Now get your face somewhere else" I waved my hand at him dismissively, restraining myself from punching him.

"No, are you free this weekend?" He asked me, not giving up.

God, he is so desperate. Doesn't he get the message that I am not interested and leave me alone? Stupid.

"Sorry Jeremy, but I am not free this weekend or any other weekend for you. Adios" I didn't give him a chance to reply to me. I turned and literally broke into a sprint to my next class, desperately wanting to be away from the man who wants to get in my pants.

I sat in my next class, doodling aimlessly as I waited for my lecturer to make her grand entrance while thinking about different scenarios that could happen tonight.

I was forced to broke out from the train of my thoughts when my head felt ice cold and I was suddenly dripping wet, cold, and shivering. I looked up, stunned to find Anna smirking down at me smugly with a bottle of an empty water bottle in her hand.

"Oops" She faked being shocked, "I didn't see you there," She said in her highly pitched faked girly voice and smiled sickly sweet at me before taking a seat behind me.

I looked around and saw a few students watching me with amused eyes. A few more watched me with pitiful eyes. Some of them even snickered at me. I felt my eyes well up in humiliation.

To make things worst, I wore a cotton white blouse with denim jeans today. The water made my blouse see-through and my bra was visible now. I let out a screech and took my bag and hugged it against my chest to cover myself.

I gathered my things and I ran off from the class just as the class erupted into laughter.

Jerks.

I found myself a sanctuary in the library. I hid myself in between two tall bookshelves. Sitting there huddled, I shivered as I rocked myself to calm my nerves. Hot tears ran down my cheeks and I wiped it with the sleeves of my shirt. My hair was dripping wet, I wore it down hoping it will air dry.

I felt humiliated.

Anna.

Anna the girl who used to be my best friend. Anna the girl who used to hang out with me and Aishah. Anna the girl who used to date Harry. Anna the girl who is now hating me as she believes that I am the reason for Harry's departure. Anna the girl who sworn to make the rest of my life a living hell.

Harry.

My heart clenched painfully at the thought of him. Why does he leave us me when I needed him the most. I missed him.

I missed him so very much.

After some time, I sighed and left the campus. I promised my parents that I will be with them as soon as I can today after they gave me a hefty amount of warnings of the consequences if we failed to reach Declan's house at 6 pm today.

I drove the car with my thoughts far away, again. This time, my thoughts mulling over about Harry. I pushed the thoughts away and tried to focus on my driving instead.

I decided to have a cup of tea at my favorite cafe nearby to get rid of my mild headache. I spotted a vacant parking lot in front of the shop and decided to reverse park my car. For some reason, I love reverse parking.

But again, luck was not on my side. Due to my miscalculated move, the back of my car hit the front of a car that was parked next to the spot I chose. I let out a string of colorful words and got down to inspect the damage I made as the car blared alarmingly.

I felt the blood in my face drain when I saw what I did to the innocent shiny black Range Rover that was scratched on the front by myself with my car. Then I turned my head to look at my own car and I cringed at the damage.

My father is going to kill me.

"You!" A familiar voice boomed accusingly at me and I whipped my head around to watch the man I met at the restaurant yesterday, "Such a trouble maker aren't you!" He accused me, as crouched down and examined the damage I done to his car.

Yesterday I ruined his shirt. Today his car. It felt like I brought only misfortune to him.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" He asked me, still inspecting his car. I just stood there stupidly, watching him in horror.

"I-uh-I am so-ver-very sorry!" I cried out, stammering.

"You kissed my car with yours," He said dramatically as he ran his hand over the scratch I made, "Do you know what's the worth of my car?" He hissed through his teeth making me flinch away from him.

"Uh, 75 000 dollars?" I blurted out without thinking.

That's when he really looked up at me, his eyes visibly softened when he noticed how scared I looked, "Smartass aren't you" He said, his voice lightened, "Now what am I going to do?" He asked me, standing up. He looked at me knowing and I started to shake my head in frantic.

"No-" I disagreed before he could even suggest it.

"Yes," He said firmly.

"Heck no! I am not buying a brand new Range Rover for you!" I cried out in horror.

He looked at bewildered for a split second before understatement flickered across his handsome face, "That's not it" He said now looking amused, "I was thinking if your car is insured or not" He said making me confused.

"It is?" I answered him but it came out like a question.

He sighed and put his hand on his hips, "Then I guess there is no problem" He said still looking at his car.

"What about your car?" I asked him guiltily.

He looked at me and smiled, "It is insured but I think I will just send it to the workshop now. It's just a scratch anyway" He said making me let out a sigh in relief.

"So you're not angry?" I asked him, watching him uncertainly.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "I want to be but I guess you already had a very bad day" He said looking at my face, "So let's not push it" He crossed his hands against his chest with a lazy smirk.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused.

"Well, it looked like you cried," He said, running a hand through his hair.

That's when I noticed that unlike yesterday, he wasn't dressed formally. He had a simple black hoodie and jeans on. His hair wasn't styled yet it looked so soft that my fingers are itching to feel the texture of them. He looked so much younger than yesterday.

"I did not" I huffed, lying through my teeth, looking somewhere else.

"Sure" He scoffed sarcastically.

We stood there in silence not knowing what to say to each other. "Why not come and have a cup of coffee with me?" He invited me, with a small smile playing in the corners of his lips.

I had to bit back a smile, "No" I said with a shake of my head and his smile dropped instantly.

"Why?" He asked, frowning.

"I hate coffee," I told him, my face scrunching in disgust and he nodded his head, "Okay what about a hot cup of chocolate?" He pressed, not giving up.

"Nope" I refused again and despite my efforts, I smiled a little.

"Tea?" He tried again and I grinned, "Yes, it will clear up my mind a bit," I told him, accepting his offer. He gave me a full-blown grin, dazzling me momentarily.

He volunteered to park my car and I accepted his offer. He parked it while I waited at the sidewalk. Once he was done, we walked into the cafe together.

He ordered a cup of coffee and some cakes while I ordered a steaming mug of tea. We chatted about cars a little bit until our drinks arrived. Turns out, he is not as annoying I imagined him to be.

"Feeling better now?" He asked me with a lazy smirk, his face remained impassive but I could make out a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Yeah" I breathed and added two more sugar cubes into the cup of tea. My eyes shot up to meet his captivating hazel orbs. I blinked when I noticed him staring at me in disapproval.

"I like my tea sweet," I told him before he could ask. He nodded still looking displeased.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked me before taking a sip of coffee, "Nope" I answered him, popping the 'P'.

His lips quirked at my answer, "I figured you'd say that" He said as a plate with a piece of cake towards me, "I see that you're a very closed private person" He said.

I smiled at his observation, "That I am" I agreed with a nod, "Even you are a private person too" I remarked and he raised his perfect eyebrows at me in question.

"You didn't tell me your name" I pointed out, keeping my eyes on him as I stirred the tea, dissolving the sugar cubes.

He just gave me a genuine smile and shook his head. Taking another sip of tea, I watched him as he watched me with his hawk eyes, daring me to keep staring at him.

I flushed when I broke my eye contact from his captivating eyes, "So, have you lived here all your life?" I asked him as I looked outside the window. It was drizzling slightly now. Just the perfect time for a hot cup of tea. I smiled to myself.

He seemed taken aback by my random question, "Nope. I did had most of my childhood here but I got into a boarding school in Europe when I was fifteen" He said and paused to take a sip of coffee, "Then college and stuffs pretty much kept me busy" He frowned, probably taking a walk down a memory lane.

"You're back now?" I asked him, a little curious.

He nodded, "Well, I am here for the last two years" He informed me, "I have a business here," He told me proudly.

"I see" I took another sip of tea.

"It seems like I bring great misfortune to you," I told him after a few moments.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He raised his eyebrows, confused.

I sighed sadly at him, "Yesterday I ruined your favorite shirt given by someone special. Today I ruined your car" I said looking down at my hands in shame, "It seems like I bring bad luck to you" I lifted my eyes to meet his.

He shook his head in disagreement, "On the contrary, I think you bring me good luck" He watched me with an unreadable emotion again, "With the shirt you brought me-" He said but I interrupted him.

"Forced to brought" I corrected him, pretending to glare.

He bit back a smile at that, "Alright, forced to brought" He corrected with amused eyes, "I managed to secure a million-dollar deal during that meeting" He told with a victorious smile.

I grinned at him, "Maybe you're just too talented" I praised him, "But still sorry for that shirt. But today I couldn't bring 'good luck' to you as I ruined your car" I apologized again, feeling so guilty. 

"Yet. You didn't bring good luck to me today, yet" He said, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

I smiled at that. We settled into a comfortable silence after that. Enjoying our drinks as the rain poured down mercilessly.

"Where is your friend?" He randomly asked me, making me freeze on the spot.

"Aishah?" I whispered and looked at my watch, "s**t!" I cursed and started to dig into my bag for my phone.

"What?" He asked stunned, "I left her at my college. I was supposed to drive her back to her home"

"s**t s**t s**t s**t s**t" I repeated again and again in frantic as I checked my phone. I missed seventeen calls from her and she left several messages on w******p, "She is going to kill me" I said to myself, probably loud enough for him to hear because I swore I heard a low chuckle.

I gathered my stuff and gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I have to go" I said a little disappointed that I couldn't spend more time with this mysterious person.

"That's okay. Be careful when you drive" He grinned but I could see that he meant every word he said.

"I'll try" I nodded with a smile before dashing out from the restaurant to pick up my best friend.

After fetching Aishah from my campus, I drove her to her house and after she made me apologize for about a hundred times, she finally dropped her angry facade and smiled at me.

"Good luck for tonight," She said before hopping out from my car.

That's what I needed desperately. Luck. Especially for tonight.