Chapter 23: Chapter twenty three

Arielle

I had failed in so many in the past months but none of them had stung the way this one did. The glance my father threw at me just before he stepped out flashed across my mind, my chest tightened in a painful way.

I had poured out my heart to him. I had said every word that'd been burning inside me for years, seventeen whole years, but he didn't even flinch.

“...tell your mother to quit her tantrum…”

Tantrum? He'd thought we were acting like rebellious children throwing tantrums hoping to get “Daddy's attention”. He'd made us suffer for years only to undermine our suffering.

I tried to summon the hot rage that was burning inside me few moments ago. Tried to stop the tears from flowing and making a mess of myself. Rage was better than this awful feeling. But where there was a burning pit of rage, only an ember remained.

I was still angry, but the disappointment I felt for myself overrode the anger. I had failed to get through to my father. I had failed to make him see what a monster he was. I tried to tug on our nonexistent father daughter relationship, hoping it'd make him see reasons, but he'd just walked away.

It was expected. He'd turned a blind eye to my suffering at the hospital, I didn't know why I expected him to care now. But it had hurt regardless.

It had severed the illusion I had of our relationship. That maybe he had cared. Maybe at some point he'd cared about his family. I just learnt how wrong I was.

I wrapped my arms around myself, curling in on the cold, tiled floor. I should get up and go to class. The principal could walk back in any minute.

But I couldn't muster the courage to move. Couldn't do anything except stare blankly. The ground seem to sink, or that was me. My head spun as we went lower and lower, the familiar office of Givens far at the top.

I was…in the ground. And it didn't seem like I'd be hitting the bottom very soon. It was dark here, very dark. The darkness reeks of despair and death. The kind of darkness in my nightmares at the hospital.

But I wasn't in the hospital now. I wasn't asleep neither was I in a coma. This was…real.

It was real. It was real. It was–

Breathing suddenly became difficult. I opened my mouth and closed it but couldn't get any air in. The darkness had robbed me of air and sight again.

This was real.

I tried to scream but only rasped breaths came out. I tried again, the results were the same.

No, I'm not gonna die. I'm not gonna die. I'm not gonna–

I slammed against a hard wall, a strong scent of mint and sandalwood hit me. No it wasn't a wall. It was…a person? Death? I didn't know.

Whoever that was, the darkness seem to fear it as it peeled away slowly revealing the interior of Givens office. I pressed harder against the scent, not caring who it belongs to. It saved me from the darkness.

I raised my hand to clutch the person closer to me. It was then I realized I was shaking vehemently. The person, whoever he was, only tightened his hold around my body. He held me so close that there was no space between us, the only thing I could breath in was his minty scent. But I didn't mind. It was better than having no air to breathe.

Gentle fingers stroked my hair. Not in the way I was used to receiving my mum. This one was gentle, but firmer. Almost as if the person had done it several times. As if this was completely normal for him.

Now that I think about it, this scent was familiar. It tugged at the back of my mind, urging me to remember. But I didn't have the strength to browse my mind in search of a scent.

After a lot of stroking and snuggling closer, I finally calmed down. I slowly disengaged from the person, my body screaming at the lack of warmth, but I couldn't be greedy enough to take more of their time.

I beheld the mess I made on his white school shirt and opened my mouth to apologize.

“I'm sorry I ruined your… Holy mother of dragons!” I screamed, jolting back as I beheld who had been on his knees, holding me close all these while.

“Just because you watched one season if Games of Thrones doesn't give you the right to invoke her like that, Frozen.” He groaned, but there was no bite in his tone.

My mouth hung open as I continued staring at the male, kneeling in front of me. Because there's no fucking way in hell I had just cried into Drayton fucking King's arms like a baby.

I had cried and trashed, judging from the mess on his shirt, I'm sure I look way worse.

Now would be a good time for the ground to swallow me if such a thing was possible. Red stained my cheek and I refrained from chewing on my lower lip.

Yes, I was embarrassed, but I wasn't going to let him figure that out easily. I held my chin high.

But I should have known. Drayton King in all of his assholery chuckled,

“I'm the one on my knees before you, Frozen, why are you embarrassed?”

Sure enough, he was still sitting on the floor. I didn't know why he hadn't stood up yet.

As if reading the question in my eyes, he rose to his full height, dusting off the nonexistent dust with unearthly grace. While I still looked like a girl who had been dumped on valentine's day. I still had my chin high.

“I don't think I've ever seen you get on your knees for someone.”

He could have easily dragged me up if he wanted. I wasn't exactly aware of my environment then. I didn't even know when he arrived.

A smirk tugged at the corner is his lips.

“Did you enjoy the sight of me getting on my knees for you, Frozen?”

The smirk grew into a full blown grin as he towered over me. I didn't realize he was so tall until now.

“Bet you were wondering what I could do in that position.”

Maybe it was because he'd just helped me in a way no one else has, but I didn't have any snide remark in me now. But I wasn't going to let him off easily like that.

“Oh please, I'd sooner sleep with a bum than drop my panties for you, King.” I rolled my eyes, trying and failing to flip my short hair for dramatic effect.

Well, fuck you, chemo.

Drayton's eyes flickered with dry amusement as if sensing what I was about to do. I braced myself for the insult that was sure to come after I made a fool of myself, but he simply smirked.

“Never say never, Frozen.”

Then he breezed past me towards the door. He didn't seem to care about his ruined shirt.

“When did you come in?” I blurted out.

I had to know if he heard anything and what he was going to do with the information.

His eyes flickered with an emotion I couldn't quite place before he said, “I was in the bathroom all along.”

I swallowed hard. He's been here before I arrived? Which meant he probably heard everything. My fist curled as the information threatened to send me into another panic attack.

“I won't say a word. I promise.”

I saw the sincerity in his eyes and shoved the panic down. I loosed a breath and said the words I've never said to him in all the years we've known each other.

“Thank you, King.”

His only reply was a slight nod before he walked out.