Amy's POV:
We came way too early...
And now I was sitting alone in my last class of the day. Both Nanon and Joy went outside to make their IG story or something. I'm not interested in social media stuff. I usually click selfies or random pictures only for myself or to send my parents to show them that I'm very much alive.
I was still thinking about what happened earlier with Senior V. I'm sure he was still laughing at my folly. Damnit! I don't want to think about it anymore.
Suddenly the door opened and as soon as I saw his face I moved my eyes, trying to look somewhere else.
Vincent Hart walked in, taking long strides towards...me? He doesn't look like his normal self at all. He grabbed me by my arm tightly and pulled me up from my chair. At first, I was surprised to see him like that, then I tried to pull my arm away. But his grip tightened some more.
"Let go," I said finally. He glared at me and then pulled me closer to him.
"Who do you think you are? Huh?" He growled deeply. I never heard this voice before. His eyes looked fierce for some reason.
What happened? He can't be this angry at the bottle incident, is he?
"Let me go..." I remained calm as a cool breeze.
"WHY!"
Woah, my calmness makes him angrier.
"You are touching me. And I don't like it." I looked him in the eye just to show him that I was not afraid of his anger and I didn't want to fight him. Well, I don't even have any idea what makes him flip like this.
"Do you have any idea what you get yourself into!"
Out of all the tones of speech in the world, he chose a darker one.
One thing about me I don't do well with intimidation. Now I'm not that calm anymore.
"I. Said. Let. Me. Go." I tried to match his level of anger by pressing at each and every word.
He tilted his head and tightened up his grip some more. I felt a little stringy sensation on my skin beneath my sleeve. At this rate, he'll break my arm. I took a step away from him. But he pulled me back, this time closer.
Okay, that's enough I placed my free hand over his to make him let go of my arm. His hand felt warm against my colder one. His eyes went down to look at my hand over his. Then he stares back at me. His eyes become darker.
Now I'm afraid of...him.
I tried to pull my arm while removing his hand. But he's too strong for me to handle. I started to feel my arm going numb.
"LET GO!" I shouted at him. I looked at the door, waiting for someone to come and help me. I don't really want to shout, "Help, help!" That would be pathetic.
"How dare you raise your voice at me!" He leaned over me. "You have no idea what you've done, are you?" He said in a low but deep voice. "I was saving you from... and you freaking talk to him!!!!" He raised his voice.
"What are you talking about?"
"Playing dumb, huh?" He sneered a little "Why? Don't you find him handsome and charming! Or does he lure you with his sweet talk?"
I removed my hand from his. "What are you implying?" I don't like the way he talks. Who is he even talking about?
"Don't play dumb with me... I know girls of your kind." He stared down at me, showing a face full of disgust.
SLAP!
My hand landed on his face hard. For a second, he looked like he was struck by lightning.
The timing of my slap and door opening was the same. Whoever came inside, stopped in their tracks, looking at us.
"What is going on?" Joy asked.
"Hey man, what are you doing!?" Nanon came running towards us.
I kept looking at Vincent bloody Hart, his face started to turn red, showing my finger marks. Maybe I've hit him too hard. But he deserves that so no regrets.
Even after the slap he didn't let my arm go. He looked like a predator trying to intimidate his prey. But... I'm sorry darling, you've got the wrong person.
"Are you mad! Let her go!" Joy shouted at him while trying to move his hand away. Good luck with that!
"You can't do this... it's harassment dude." Nanon tried to reason with him.
My heart was beating like crazy because of anger...offensiveness...disgust... hurt. I lowered my eyes and stopped fighting back, fighting doesn't bring anything good.
"Amy, what are you doing! Pull your arm back. Nanon, get this crazy guy away from her." Joy was shouting at all of us. "What are you doing, Vin? Are you planning to break her arm?" She hit his hand to make me free, and only caused his grip even tighter.
Nanon was pulling him away, but he was too weak to do that. "Amy, say something, damnit!" He gave up pulling him and came to me instead.
I was looking down thinking over what he said earlier. No matter how I comprehend his words they directly hit my heart. I smiled a little at the pain he caused not by grabbing my arm but with his words.
He thinks so little of me? Everything seemed to stop as I smiled to myself.
"Amy...?" Joy's little voice came.
"He questioned my character," I said while looking at the faces of my friends who seemed puzzled. "He knows the kind of girls… like me." My voice breaks a little.
"What are you talking..." Nanon kept looking at me and him, back and forth. I continued.
"He thinks I'm a call girl...or something." I chuckled a little to hide my broken... whatever.
"WHAT!!" Both of them looked at me in awe.
"What! you guys don't know what kind of girls he was referring to? He was talking about the girls who can be lured by looks and money. They have many names too..." I speak in a little voice but louder enough to be heard clearly. "...call-girl, rent-girl, prostitute, courtesan... whore!" I start counting on my fingers.
Strangely now I don't feel anything on my arm at all.
"I DIDN'T SAY THAT!!" He yelled out loud and stunned both Joy and Nanon. Joy jumped back while I just raised my head.
"True. But I am not dumb. I know exactly what you meant. And deep down you know it too. Just so you know... whatever you were implying about me... I get it." I said too calmly and smiled at the end to assure him.
He was burning red with anger. I don't think he knows how to handle this kind of feeling. Should I help him? Or just tell him to sit down. Taking deep breaths helps too but I'm not in the mood to talk to him. I'm gonna leave this place as soon as he lets my arm go.
"Look guys, I don't have any idea what is going on here. But let's just sit and talk. Okay! And you let go of her damn arm. Why are you hurting her!" Joy tried to talk some sense here. Nanon kept nodding at us.
"Let him be, Joy. He too doesn't have any idea what he wants to do."
"But he's hurting you!" Joy's eyes widened.
"Does he?" I smiled at her, her jaw dropped down. Even the guy in front of him moved a little.
"Don't be so dramatic. You know me, I am not feeling anything. If treating me like this makes him feel good then... let him be." I look into his dark brown eyes. "Or should I help him a little…?"
His brows furrowed a little. I raised my free right hand in the air. He raised an eyebrow anticipating a slap or maybe a punch. But I don't want to hurt his charming face again.
Instead, I did something else, making his eyes widen with shock, and my friends shouted in horror.
THUD!
I hit my wrist on the back of the chair hard enough to break a... bone!
All eyes were on my wrist, an ugly blue mark appeared at once. I felt a little throbbing in my muscles. And my fingers visibly trembled.
"Are you okay?" Joy half speaks half shrieks.
"Yup! Ask him if he is feeling okay. Is he happy now? He was trying his best to hurt me for quite some time..." I smiled and stared. Challenging him with my eyes to see if he could still dare to hold onto me. His eyes change a bit, does it work? "Maybe one more time would do the trick..." I thought to myself and raised my hand again but this time it landed on something rather soft.
His hand!
I saw him wince in pain. I didn't realize it at first but when did he let go of my arm…?
"Are you crazy?" Vincent Hart shouted in his usual exaggerated high-pitched voice while holding my hand.
Finally, he's back.
"Not as much as you!" I retorted and took a step back. Shows over!
Joy was trying to make herself relax while Nanon sank into a chair near me. I don't want to talk to any of them. I grabbed my bag to leave.
"Where do you think you are going?" Joy makes me sit on my chair. "Show me your arm." Without hearing my answer, she starts folding my sleeves up.
A dark red bruise appears on my skin. I can see five thick finger prints there.
He bloody marked me! I turn to give him an accusing glare but his gaze is fixed on my arm, his legs given away and he too sinks back into a chair. He looked... scared?
"We need to see the doctor!" Joy exclaimed.
"Nahh, it's just a bruise, it'll disappear on its own." I tried to unfold my sleeve.
"What about your other hand?" She asked again.
I looked at my wrist. "Umm, this one looks ugly. I need to hide it for a few days, otherwise, people would think it was a result of domestic violence or something." I tried to joke but no one laughed.
"I didn't..." I heard his voice "It just..." He was looking down while trying to say something.
"I've never..." He was tapping his foot restlessly "I hurt you." He finally looked at me.
"...!" I was speechless to see his tear-stained face. He was... crying.
"Joy, Nanon, give us a second. Alone." I said without taking my eyes off him.
"Are you crazy? How can we leave you with..." Joy was saying but I interrupted her.
"Please."
She waited a second to think but Nanon took her.
"Okay, we're just outside if anything happens just shout," Joy said, making me smile.
They left but didn't close the door all the way.
We both remain silent.
I tried to think everything over in my head. Even though his actions and words hurt me I can't help being curious. Something triggered him, for sure. Now the question is what? I mean he was fine an hour ago when I last saw him.
After a minute or two, I made up my mind. He looked calm but panicked at the same time. He didn't raise his head but he was silently sobbing. I pulled my chair a little closer to him and sat down.
"So, are you gonna talk about... about why you were so angry at me?"
"..."
"Vincent Hart?" I called him by his name. He looked up at that. "Whatever happened earlier... Explain yourself!"
"...you talked to him."
"Who?"
"One of the persone I want to hide you from."
"..." I was speechless for a minute. All the texts that I've received in the last two days came to my mind.
"I don't want you to get... hurt." He whispered.
"Clearly." I didn't know if to laugh or cry.
"I... I want to say sorry but sorry doesn't heal the wounds." His voice breaks. "You can hit me back if that helps." He added, making me half smile.
"You were talking about something about girls and their kinds..."
"NO! I didn't mean that not even a percent. I didn't question your character. I would never. I don't know any kind of... I... I don't even know any girls."
"Alright. Alright. Calm down."
We both went silent again.
"You are different…" He said out of the blue looking sad. "...and interesting." He kept looking at me as if trying to find something.
"Thank you?" I felt awkward by his gaze.
"Different makes you special. Interesting makes you a target." He murmured mostly to himself.
Those cryptic words made me uneasy and I felt a chill run through my veins giving me goosebumps.
Soon the door opened and students started to come in. They looked at us sitting close and smiled thinking something inappropriate, I'm sure.
I stood up, put my chair back in its place and sat down. My cell phone shows a new text message. I glanced at him, he wiped away his tears with his sleeves. After reading the text message, I kept staring at the screen for a while.
What exactly did I bring myself into!?
Unknown: I had warned you.
____
Vin's POV:
I did something I can't undo. I won't be surprised if she doesn't talk to me ever again. I kept arranging sentences in my mind to explain myself to her. I think I should tell her about everything not just about Carl, but my famiglia, and business and everything black. She's smart so can decide for herself on her own.
I don't like the feeling I felt today. It was like something in my head kept pushing my limits. I have a bad temper, I know. It runs in Lucchese's blood. But I never lose my cool in anger.
I never got angry like my brothers Enzo and Nero. Now I know why they use their fists and guns in anger. I too wanted to break something to calm myself down. And the only thing I took hold of was her arm.
I saw the marks of my hand left on her. I deserve more than just a slap. My face still stung a bit because of her slap.
Carl was right about her... She's bold. She didn't cry like other girls would but she fought back. She looked me in the eye and kept challenging me without giving up.
She didn't shout for help. I kinda wish she had. So that my bodyguards could hear the noise and came in to help her... and me. At least, she would not be hurt then. I looked at my hand which hurt her arm, and then I looked at the other hand which stopped her from getting herself hurt.
Why does she do that? She could have broken her freaking hand!
My heart almost jumps out when she hits her wrist on the damn chair. Anger be damned I nearly carry her to the doctor.
What I feared the most was her... smile.
I shouted at her, and she shouted back. I talked to her rudely and she slapped me fair and square. I was hella angry and managed to make her angry too. But she was the first to calm herself down like nothing happened. She even managed to smile between everything. When she chuckled, I swear I felt a chill run down my spine.
That was the moment I realized... She didn't need me to protect her.
Psycho Carl came first in line… Now I can't hide her anymore.
____
Carl's POV:
"Erin,"
"Hm?"
"I think I have made Vin angry."
"What do you mean?" As soon as I mentioned my crazy cousin, she turned all of her attention to me.
"He looked at me like he wanted to punch me."
"Sounds normal to me..." She smiled.
"Erin, I'm serious!"
"Okay, tell me what did you do?" She sat in front of me. I think over everything and... Oh, shoot!
"Erin, I think I've messed it up." I said finally.
"What?" She looked at me confused.
Then I told her the whole thing that happened in college. She heard everything silently and then gave me an accusing glare.
"I didn't mean everything to turn out like this." I tried to explain myself.
"I need to go to the Lucchese's residence!" She left the room before I could even react. Crazy cousin was damn right when he said that if anything happens to him Erin would run to him at the speed of lightning.
****