Chapter 140 How to win her heart

Chapter 140 How to win her heart
Chapter 140

DARIUS

As we left the mansion, I noticed Dorian staring at me. Not just glancing. He was actually staring at me. His eyes were fixed on my face like he was trying to read my thoughts.

I turned to look at him directly. "What?"

He immediately looked away, suddenly fascinated by the stone pillars of the mansion entrance. "Nothing."

"You were staring at me."

"No, I was not."

"Yes, you were. What is going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Dorian insisted, still not meeting my eyes. "Can we just go?"

I frowned but did not push it. We walked to where I had parked my bike in silence.

I kicked the engine to life and waited for Dorian to get on behind me. The moment we started moving, he wrapped his arms around my waist.

That was normal. He always did that for balance.

But then he squeezed tightly. His arms wrapped even tighter around me until I could barely breathe properly.

I frowned and shifted my body, trying to create some space. Dorian just held on harder.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled over the roar of the engine and the wind. "Let go a bit!"

"No!"

"Dorian, I am serious! Stop this right now or I swear I am going to push you off this bike!"

"You would not dare!" he shouted back. "I am your best friend!"

"That will not save you if you keep this up!"

I actually tried to elbow him backwards whilst still driving. It was stupid and dangerous, but I was getting genuinely annoyed.

Dorian yelped and gripped even tighter, which only made things worse.

When the bike started swerving dangerously close to a tree, I gave up trying to push him off.

But the desire to kill him the moment we stopped did not go away. If anything, it got stronger.

The moment I parked the bike at the academy, I spun around ready to tear into Dorian.

But he had already jumped off and was standing several meters away, well out of my reach.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, pulling off my helmet. "Why were you cuddling me like some kind of—"

"I thought you needed it!" Dorian interrupted.

"Needed what? A man cuddling me on a motorcycle? Are you completely insane?"

"It is called emotional support!" Dorian defended himself. "Guys hug each other all the time, Darius. It is normal."

I twisted my face in pure disgust. "Eww! No fuck! We do not do that."

"We literally just did."

"That was not a hug. That was you assaulting me whilst I was trying to drive!"

Dorian laughed like I was some sort of amusement.

"Is Samantha giving you cold feet or something? Is that why you are being so weird about physical affection?” I asked.

Heat rushed to his face. "I think that question should be directed at you considering you just attacked me for hugging you."

I turned to walk away, but he rushed after me and grabbed my arm.

"Let go."

"Not until you talk to me."

"About what?"

"About whatever is going on in your head." Dorian's grip on my arm tightened slightly. "You have not been yourself lately. I can see it. Everyone can see it. Are you coping with everything that is happening?"

Something in my chest tightened painfully. "I am fine."

"No, you are not."

"Yes, I am."

"Darius—"

"Drop it, Dorian." I pulled my arm free from his grip. "I do not want to talk about it."

Dorian stared at me for a long moment. Then he sighed heavily, defeat written all over his face. "Just know that I am here if you need to talk, about anything. I mean that."

"I know," I replied quietly. "Thank you."

We started walking again, neither of us speaking. The silence felt heavy and uncomfortable in a way it never had before.

After several minutes of navigating through empty corridors, we rounded a corner and jumped over a low wall into an abandoned classroom.

Dorian went straight to the back and opened what looked like a supply cupboard. Inside was a hidden door.

I locked it behind us. Dorian turned on his phone torch, and we descended into the tunnel.

The narrow passageway smelled like dust and damp stone. Our footsteps echoed in the confined space.

We had discovered this tunnel in our first year and had been using it ever since to move around campus if we didn't want to go through stress of dodging security officials.

Halfway through, I could not stand the silence anymore.

"Dorian," I started hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

"How do you do it?"

He glanced back at me; his face confused in the dim light of his phone. "Do what?"

"How do you do that with Samantha? She was furious with you and age you cold shoulders all these while. Then suddenly she warmed up to you again. I want to know how you managed that."

Understanding dawned on Dorian's face. "Oh. You want relationship advice."

"Yes. I want to know how to fix things with Ravenna."

Dorian was quiet for a moment, thinking. "It is simple, really."

I shook my head. "It cannot be that simple. If it was, Ravenna would have forgiven me by now."

"Your situation is more complicated than mine was."

"How so?"

Dorian stopped walking and turned to face me properly. "Think about it, Darius. From the very beginning, you were an asshole to Ravenna. You two were at each other's throats constantly. Then just when you both started warming up to each other, your father came in and destroyed everything with that engagement announcement to Selene."

Pain shot through my chest at the memory. "Do not remind me."

"My point is that Samantha and I never had that kind of history. We started on better terms. She had less reason to be angry with me."

"So there is no remedy? No way to fix what I broke with Ravenna?"

"I did not say that." Dorian's voice softened. "You just need to try harder. Be natural around her. Be persistent but not pushy. Be genuinely nice to her instead of just acting nice. And maybe..." he paused. "Maybe get her gifts."

I frowned. "Gifts?"

"Yes, gifts. Girls appreciate thoughtful gestures."

"What kind of gifts?"

Dorian laughed and started walking again. "Do not worry about the details right now. I will help you figure that out. Consider me your relationship coach."

"Goddess help me," I muttered.

"Hey, I am excellent at this."

"You cuddled me on a motorcycle."

"That was emotional support!"

Despite everything, I found myself smiling slightly.

We reached the end of the tunnel. I unlocked the door and we stepped through into our shared bathroom, then into our room.

"I am going to make us something to eat," Dorian announced, heading towards the small kitchen area.

"Alright. I need to take a bath again."

I did not mention my father's threats about Ravenna to Dorian. He had enough to worry about. No need to burden him with Richard's manipulation and cruelty.