Chapter # 108

My mind was hazy, I was barely able to hold my cognition together so to force myself into thinking because initially, the idea of being ignorant was taking its toll.

‘How embarrassing, me forgetting my lover,’

I was growing enraged, frustrated over time so I decided to bathe in the lake to help myself relax.

‘I wonder who he must be and what he must be doing? Is he missing me?’

My heartbeats were growing by each passing second, a mellow sensation gradually drew within me.

Humming to myself, after I was done, I wore my pants and was about to button my checked shirt until I heard a sound of a branch cracking.

“Huh?”

Turning my attention fully there, I saw a silhouette.

“Who’s there?!” 

Distressed slightly, I decided to call out, picking a few pebbles to throw them in order to defend myself.

From the dark, gloomy forest, emerged the eye-catching man, hands waving defensively in the air.

“I am sorry! I am so sorry!”

Apologizing loudly, he gradually approached me and surprisingly seeing him didn’t displease me. 

Throwing the pebbles away, I placed my hand over my exposed waist since I forgot to close the buttons and furrowed my brows.

“Denzel? Were you peeking?” 

“No!” He gasped, shaking his head in denial.

“Then what are you- Ah!” 

I walked forward angrily to stand in front but slipped accidentally but thankfully was caught by him.

“Careful,” He whispered tenderly, enhancing my heartbeats at our proximity.

His hand smoothly snaked around my back, refraining me from falling, sending a satisfactory shiver down my spine.

Instinctively held his shirt, blushing when my body was too close that I could feel our heartbeats moving in rhythm as he helped me to stand but declined to release me.

“Are- are you okay?” He asked temptingly, arching an eyebrow that enhanced his handsome features.

“What are you doing here?” I asked breathlessly, pressing my hands harder into his strong muscles.

“... On a survey but heard a sound so I came to check and found you…” 

Licking his lips, he swallowed hard before those charming eyes cascaded down.

“Like this,”

“H- Hey! Don’t look,”

My blush deepened, realizing our position and ended up gasping, hitting his chest with a failed attempt to push him but my hands refused.

So instead I placed my hand over my chest to cover it.

He smirked, locking our gazes, pressing our lower together that made my breaths stop when his both hands gripped my sides.

“Why not? You are undeniably beautiful, do you know that?” 

Shaking, a blushing mess, I looked down shyly when he leaned down to my ears, whispering seductively that induced strange but intoxicating sensations.

“I could stare at you all day,” 

Smirking back faintly, I whispered playfully, poking his chest.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Hundred percent, I am, and why shouldn’t I?” He murmured, biting my earlobe.

My body reacted to the unforeseen rapture, arching my back at his hot breath, doubling my breaths. 

Almost closing my eyes, I almost melted in the sensation until I noticed him closing the buttons of my shirt.

Blazing a fire in my body I was unable to resist. Although he was buttoning my shirt, intentions displayed the contrary. 

“What are you doing-”

He acted innocently, knitting his brow with our faces extremely close, “What?”

“Nothing,” 

Suppressing a chuckle, he raised his hand in the air, releasing me and unknowingly my body required more of his vicinity. 

“I can do it myself,” Muttering, I closed my remaining buttons with a puff.

“I never said you can’t. You are grown enough to close the buttons of your shirt,” 

He laughed a little, blowing a kiss towards my ear as I found a jasmine there, surprising me. 

“When did you…?”

He winked, “A pretty jasmine for a pretty lady,” 

Becoming abashed, I was about to take it off but he waved his hand, voice softening that blinded me in the gentleness of it.

“Ah, please don’t. My fragile heart will shatter if you won’t accept my mere offering,” 

And I couldn’t take it off anymore, holding my elbow, my lips formed a thin line, barely suppressing my smile.

“I think you should leave,”

“From here, I will. From your shadow, I won’t,” He winked again, feeling proud when I didn’t remove it. 

And then it clicked me.  

His affection, the brimming euphoria and softness spellbinding me as I gasped, staring at him in admiration.

“Are you the one-” 

“Oh, what’s there?” He pointed to the left seriously, so suddenly.

“Where-”

The second I turned my head, he kissed my cheek, stopping my whole being with a thrilling sensation. 

“Good night, Eliana,”

With this, he left after inducing a beautiful sensation into my core. 

Heartbeats were pumping madly, drying my throat in anticipation as I returned back to the mansion where I saw Armiz smoking.

“Oh, welcome, where were you?”

“... At the lake,”

“Don’t go out at night, it’s dangerous, for you especially,” He hummed.

“Okay,”

“Are you okay? Did something happen there?”

“No…”

Later that week, I hoped to suppress what happened but couldn’t, it was repeating in my mind, inducing a fairly symphonic feeling.

And I couldn’t believe it… I actually wanted to see Denzel again. 

His smiles, his flirting, everything about him was making me smile.

I bashfully ended up grinning, covering my face in my hands, I let out a soft tittering that was noticed by Armiz.

“My, my, what’s with the glow on your face?”

“Armiz, listen,”

“Yes?”

“Denzel if your brother, right?” I asked vaguely, having a firm feeling that Denzel might be the one I was looking for.

Else why would he do this without a reason.

“Yes.”

“And for how long do I know you?”

“For years,”

“Naturally I must have known Denzel too.” I asked delightfully, my hopes rising as well. 

And this thought relieved me. 

Arching an eyebrow at my smile and the constant glow, Armiz chuckled a little.

“Shall I consider him the reason behind this shine?”

I only smiled shyly in return.

“Ah, I see,” 

“But, I don’t get it. Why are you guys angry with each other?”

“Leave it.” He sighed to which I asked ambiguously.

“Do you… hate him?”

Armiz became serious, staring at his hands.

“If I had hated him, I would have killed him but my hands… Eliana…”  

Ending in a defeated chuckle, he made them into a fist and averted his gaze

“My hands are incapable of physically hurting my brother and it infuriates me. I want to hit him but couldn’t,”

“So you use other means to hurt him?” I paused, not liking how it sounds but it was their personal matter.

“I want him to suffer too to realize how painful it is when the only person you consider family, when the only person you love the most betrays you,” He hissed, a hint of anguish flashed in his eyes which he concealed instantly.

Probably refusing to display agony before me and inhaled sharply to suppress the merest drop of sorrow.

What did he actually do?

“Did Denzel betray you?”

“He… did something horrible that ruined my life and since then… we are apart,”

“Where am I involved in all this?”

“That is for you to find out, no?” He smirked again, changing the topic.

“Is it Denzel?”

“What if he is not?”

Taking a pause, their hatred and distances, me being here or Denzel’s approach, all of that baffled me so I ended up asking.

“...Then you?”

“Who knows?” 

Laughing a little, he got up and left. 

Just when I was about to hold the resolve that it could be Denzel, he threw me into questioning. 

Argh, what should I do now!?