Chapter 21 CHAPTER 21: The Almost
Elizabeth's POV
I felt my throat close slowly.
None of it was supposed to get to this stage. Not with any of them. But there I was, acting like I was in love.
Things were going to get a lot more complicated than they already were. All I wanted was to know who I was, and graduate from the school somehow.
I had always wanted to work in a bakery. Considering the fact that I was so damn good at baking cakes. There was barely any of Marian's birthday, that my mom didn't ask me to bake cakes for her.
And even with the minimum appreciation that I got from the both of them, I still baked every year.
It was even more iconic that they didn't allow me to have access to any ingredients to bake one for my own birthday.
I felt tears prick the back of my eyes at the thought.
With everything that was currently happening, there was no way I was working as a baker anymore. Not with all the power that I was feeling underneath my skin.
The school wasn't even going to let me go. And if I managed to escape, I wasn't sure that my life was going to remain the same. What was going to happen to the three kings.
Hold on. Why was I thinking about the three of them?
I had just met them roughly about a month ago. I was going a little too fast, even for me.
But I liked the thought of having them around all the time. I didn't like the attention that we were getting, but it was glad to watch them want to be with me, barely giving me any breathing space.
It was safe to say that I kind of enjoyed them breathing down my neck.
“This is fucked up,” I whispered to myself. All of this was danger and proximity.
“Did you say something, Miss Siege?” The lecturer asked, and I shook my head.
Maybe in the past, giggles would have come from the front. This time, there was nothing.
Jasmine was still at the hospital, and her minions were doing a good job and staying out of my way. I was enjoying it a little too much.
Andy glanced at me for just a second too long. Of course, he was in the front seat as usual
I reached over to the empty seat beside me, where my bag occupied the space. I popped a candy into my mouth, and I didn't even know what I was thinking when I signed up for the evening classes.
Maybe I just wanted to do everything at once. I was overly excited. Especially since I heard that there was going to be some kind of prize money for anyone who graduated with the best grades.
And that was between me and Andy.
I barely made it through the rest of the class, and people were soon filing out of the class. I got up, stuffing my books into my bag.
I had just lifted my head when I saw Andy standing there, with his hands behind his back.
I blinked twice.
“Are you waiting for something?” I asked, and he cocked his head to the side.
“I’m waiting for you,” he said calmly.
I felt my heart quicken slightly. Was it time for the little lunch he said he wanted us to have?
“We need to talk,” he proceeded to say, and I felt my whole body stiffen slightly. Why the hell was I allowing this guy to have this much of an effect on me?
“No, we don't,” I said stiffly, and he cocked an eyebrow, before walking over to me. He looked down at my bag.
“Are you done packing?” He asked, and I gave him a small nod. He flung my bag across his shoulder, before leading me out of the class.
I didn't even argue as I fell into step with him.
“Where are we going?” I asked, and he looked down at me.
“I'm walking you back to your dorm.”
Oh, no lunch yet.
“And what did you want to talk about?” I asked in a squeak.
“About why you keep pushing yourself like you have something to prove.”
“I do,” I whispered, and he looked down at me again.
“Who are you proving anything to?” He asked, and I didn't even know what to say.
The silence stretched.
I just knew that I wanted to be the best. There was this zeal in me. Knowing where I came from, I couldn't do less than the best.
Andy stepped right in front of me, making me look at him, and blocking my path.
“You don't have to do this alone,” he said, and I froze.
There was that line again. Was it something he and Kae had practiced over and over again?
I wasn't sure that I wanted to even know.
It sounded nothing less than an offer. And a part of me wants to believe. A part of me already believes it.
I should, but I do. Just a little bit.
I took a step closer to him, and my shoes crunched in the gravel. He stood in place, with his hands fixed at his side.
My face was tilted upwards, like I was waiting for him to do something.
Maybe it was a bad decision. Because now, I could hear his heartbeat. I could feel him. All of him.
Neither of us looked away, and I could feel the suspense build. I noticed the way he leaned in just a little bit, and I let him.
I wanted him to.
My eyes were already starting to close, when we heard a group of students chattering in the background. That was enough for the both of us to step back immediately. Like it never happened.
Because it was the wrong thing to do.
Once again, I had to remind myself that I wasn't supposed to get too involved with any of the kings at school.
“We can keep walking,” Andy said, but I already felt awkward. And I didn't know what I was doing as I reached up, grabbing my bag from his shoulder. He let me.
“You don't have to worry. I can go by myself.”
“You don't have to act weird, Elizabeth,” he said calmly, bringing a hand to my chin. “Nothing serious happened.”
Maybe to him.
Except that to me, my heart was beating like a race car. And my feet had almost turned into jelly.
“I just want to walk alone.”
Andy smiled, like he was enjoying watching whatever drama I was acting.
“Very well then,” he said calmly. “You can go ahead, and I'll just walk behind you.”
I huffed, tipping my chin as I walked away.
I turned away a few times and just as I expected, he was just a few steps behind me.
I finally stopped right in front of my dorm, and my whole skin ached to actually hug him. But I could do that.
I was about to just walk in, when I heard someone call out to me.
“Elizabeth,” he called out, and I whipped my head in his direction.
He raised his arm in the air as he waved. I gave him a stiff nod, and I hurried inside before I could do more than I was supposed to.
Was he going to like it if I crossed boundaries? Did he like crazy girls who did crazy stuff? Well, he was still talking to me. So he must like crazy.
Even if I was inside, I could feel him smile.
Things were going to be normal between us eventually. But the damage had already been done.
There was something there between the both of us. More than we're willing to acknowledge.
And I could only hope it wasn't going to get worse.