Tamed by the Bad Boy Next Door

“What else would I approach you for?” the girl asked with a frown. The boy she was talking to was behind her, so she allowed her sadness and hurt to show in her expression before she continued, “I know how much you hate me…” “I do not hate you,” the boy immediately said in denial. “What are you talking about?” The girl scoffed. “Oh, please. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” “I do not! Listen here, you. ” Losing his patience, the boy walked around to stand in front of her. Then, he unceremoniously held both sides of her head so he could make her look right at him. Their gazes became locked with quiet intensity. Shocked, alarmed, and affected, the girl could not stop a blush from creeping up her cheeks. “You keep touching me without asking,” she said in a breathless voice. Try as she might, she couldn’t seem to get herself to look away. “I know…” the boy answered, his voice just as quiet. His mind had stopped working. The girl asked, “Is that because you don’t hate me…?” The boy was jolted by the question. “What? No. I mean…” He nearly stammered while coming up with a response. “Yeah, I don’t hate you, but that’s not why…” “…Then what’s the reason?” The girl’s question was met with silence. She pushed on, “You asked me to listen. Well…?” Growing even braver, she reached up with both hands to cover the boy’s, then lowered them so her ears would be freed. As a result, he was now cupping the lower part of her face. She didn’t let go of her hold on his hands. “I’m listening…” The boy was not about to be shown up. As he looked at her staring right at him, three words presented themselves in his suddenly clear mind. “I like you.” The girl blinked in surprise. “And before you ask, no. Not just as a friend.” When the girl’s lips parted, his eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to them. Upon looking up again, he saw how much her blush had deepened. He smiled into her eyes. Didn’t she just complain about him not asking before doing things? Well, then… now he was going to ask. “May I kiss you?” It was the girl’s turn to draw blank as she froze further. Her body suddenly felt so hot. She couldn’t breathe properly. Unable to trust her mind or voice to answer, the girl let her body decide. In silent permission, she found herself closing her eyes… *** A few days later— “What?” The boy’s voice was low and flat as he spoke into his phone. Unseen by the one he was talking to, his eyes showed not only anger but also growing helplessness. From the other side of the call, his clueless mother answered cheerfully, “I said I’m thinking about marrying again. I really think this man is the one.” The boy swallowed. “And which man is that?” he asked, hoping his emotions couldn’t be heard in his voice. His mother laughed. “Who else would it be, silly? It’s your cute neighbor’s father, of course—the same one letting you stay in your apartment for free. Doesn’t that just show how great he is? Oh, but the matter is not yet set in stone, so don’t let his daughter know about it just yet. But! If everything goes well, you’ll be getting yourself a new sister! Isn’t that nice? Make sure to continue getting along with her, okay? Just not too well, of course.” Laughing again, the boy’s mother soon ended the call, quite unknowing that in her wake, what she had left behind was devastation.