Chapter 123 123
Damien sat in class, his patience wearing thinner with every passing minute.
They were supposed to submit their damn assignment together today. If it had been up to him, he would’ve handed it in alone and spared himself the inconvenience of relying on her. But the professor had made it clear there would be questions. Detailed ones. And both partners had to be present to answer for the research.
And of course, today of all days, she vanished.
He waited through the entire lecture. Every time the door creaked or footsteps echoed in the hallway, his eyes flicked up instinctively.
Nothing.
She didn’t show.
If this was one of her stupid games one of her little tactics to get under his skin then she had just signed her own death wish.
The second class ended, Damien headed straight to the cafeteria. His strides were long, controlled, but there was an edge to them. He stopped at the table where Jacqueline usually sat with her group of equally abnormal friends.
Honestly, he sometimes wondered if she was the most abnormal of them all.
The blonde girl noticed him first. Her cheerful expression vanished instantly. She elbowed the muscular jock beside her and subtly nodded in Damien’s direction.
“Where is she?” Damien asked, his voice flat and cold.
“She didn’t come today,” the curly-haired guy with tan skin replied cautiously.
Damien’s jaw tightened.
He knew it. She had done this deliberately. Just to annoy him.
And now she was officially getting on his nerves.
“Give me her number,” he said.
The entire table went silent.
They exchanged looks hesitant, conflicted.
None of them wanted to hand it over. If Damien contacted Jacqueline, she’d get his number too. And that meant she’d win whatever ridiculous bet she had going on within the time limit.
Laurent, being the soft-hearted one, finally sighed and gave Damien the number.
Damien turned without another word and walked out of the cafeteria. Behind him, he could hear them arguing voices rising as they scolded Laurent for giving it away.
Jacqueline was sprawled lazily across her bed when her phone began ringing. She frowned at the unknown number flashing across her screen and answered it anyway.
“Where the fk are you?”
Damien’s deep, furious growl blasted through the speaker.
Her jaw dropped. She shot upright in bed so fast she nearly dropped the phone. Pulling it away, she stared at the screen again to confirm what she had just heard.
“Well, well… what a pleasant surprise,” she mused, a grin spreading across her face.
Where did he even get her number?
Then it hit her.
She squealed silently and threw a fist into the air in victory. She had gotten his number before the deadline without even trying. She and her friends had made a bet to get his number within two weeks. Tomorrow was the final day.
And she had it.
This alone made her entire week.
“Where are you?” he bit out again, each word dripping with irritation.
“At home,” she answered quickly, hearing the fury in his tone.
“We had to submit the assignment today and you fking disappeared on me,” he growled.
She flinched. He sounded dangerously angry.
“I couldn’t make it. I’m sick,” she replied honestly. After everything that had happened the previous night, the assignment had completely slipped her mind.
“And what exactly am I supposed to do now?” he hissed.
“Wait. I’ll be there in twenty to thirty minutes.”
She hung up before he could argue further.
True to her word, Jacqueline freshened up and headed out. Within half an hour, she arrived at the university looking pale and drained but she showed up.
She spotted him leaning against his locker, arms crossed, irritation written all over his face.
“Let’s go,” she said once she reached him.
He didn’t even look at her.
They walked in silence to the professor’s office, submitted their assignment, and answered every question thrown at them with confidence and precision. When it was over, they stepped back into the hallway.
Damien immediately started walking away.
Naturally, Jacqueline followed.
“So… is Noël single?” she teased playfully.
That was apparently the wrong thing to say.
Before she could blink, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom. He shoved her inside, shut the door behind them, and turned to face her.
“What is wrong with you?” she winced, rubbing the spot where his grip had been painfully tight.
“What do you want?” he demanded through clenched teeth.
“Since you’re asking,” she began thoughtfully, “I want chocolate waffles. Donuts covered in chocolate. A lot of chocolate. Hot chocolate shakes. Chocolate forest cake. Chocolate lava cake. And wait, there’s more”
She started counting on her fingers, pretending to think deeply.
Damien’s patience snapped.
She noticed it when he began walking toward her slowly. Deliberately. Like a predator closing in.
Why did he look like he was about to commit murder?
“I want you to stay the fk away from me,” he growled.
His voice was icy low and lethal.
She instinctively stepped back. Once. Twice. Again.
“Okay, okay… calm down. No need to go full beast mode,” she laughed awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.
It didn’t work.
“Jacqueline,” he rasped her name.
She froze, suddenly attentive. “I’m listening. Go on.”
“I want you to stop irritating me,” he said, more controlled now, though tension still radiated from him. He stood only three steps away, looming.
She scrunched her nose.
“But I like irritating you,” she admitted shamelessly. “You’re cool. And mysterious. And guess what? When you called me this morning, I got your number. You won’t believe it I had a bet with my friends to get your number in two weeks. Tomorrow was the deadline. And today, I got it. Isn’t that awesome?”
She kept talking, words spilling out.
“And for once, stop being so broody. I might even like you if you lost that permanent scowl. I mean, you’re handsome don’t get me wrong but you act like someone important dumped you and left you to suffer alone for the rest of your life”
His jaw tightened sharply. His fists curled at his sides.
She noticed the shift too late.
Her eyes widened. “Wait… really? So someone did leave you? Oh my God, I was right! It’s okay, though. There are millions of girls in this world. If you want, I could even help you find someone better. Forget the girl who broke your heart and left you like this. I’m here for you. I can”
Her breath hitched.
His large hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist, rough and unyielding, and he yanked her straight into him.
Her heart skipped.
And for a split second, the world stopped moving.