INT - CAR
"Can you stop taking pictures of me?" His voice was flat, but his glance—no, that was definitely a glare. Then his eyes snapped back to the road.
"Stop looking at me!" I shot back, beaming. "Eyes on the road, mister!" I mocked, phone still raised.
He was reluctantly my model tonight. Why didn't I think of this before? When he's driving, he can't escape!
I sat in the passenger seat, nodding like a queen claiming her throne—victory mine! Somewhere in all the chaos, I'd even managed to make him drive me home. Of course! He had to atone for the great crime of hurting my delicate, fragile heart. Justice served!
And then the car stopped—oh, just a stoplight!
Okay, now he was glaring at me, full-on Iceberg Death Stare. I instantly leaned back into my seat like a coward in defense.
Outside, the intersection buzzed with horns and screeching tires, but inside the car it was eerily quiet. He just kept staring—no, burning holes into me. That look screamed: "You'll regret this."
Scary!
So, naturally, I did the only logical thing…
Click.
The flash lit his face.
"Stop!" he barked, flinching against the light.
"You—!" His glare sharpened, wild, like some beast about to tear me apart.
Oops.
Green light. Car roared forward.
"Yay, saved!" Oops… I said that out loud.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him shaking his head.
My chest twisted when I remembered that for a moment, I thought he might cut me off completely. That thought alone nearly brought tears.
It sounds dramatic, but this is Ice. He could slice people apart like a samurai with one glare. If he really chose to cut me off… how would I even get back to him?
A passing headlight briefly lit my face.
"You look awful," he muttered. Probably caught me sniffling.
The car swayed as he turned right.
"I cried all night, you know!" I huffed, arms crossing. Puffy eyes and all.
"Your fault for talking to Mister Perfect Ex."
"It's not about Ace! Stop accusing him." I slumped back in the seat—it was way too comfortable for my own good.
"Stop making him sound like a hero." He hissed.
"He is a hero!" I shot back, puffing my cheeks. "If he hadn't called yesterday, I probably would've cried a whole river into your shirt!" Of course I didn't say the last part.
"Yeah, right." His tone was flat again, switching moods like an anime character.
Click.
"Are you not done with that yet?" he grumbled.
"Nope! You deleted two hundred fifty-six photos of Ace and me with Ace! You owe me that much!" I scrolled through today's shots of him instead.
"So you have to pay me back one by one!" I scrolled, triumphant. Click—angry face. Click—still angry. Click—wow, even angrier. Aigoo!
"Some of these are actually good pictures of me, you know."
"Shut up," Ice replied like he was announcing the weather—flat, cold, and absolute.
Scroll. Another glare. Scroll. He looked like he was about to summon a curse straight from the underworld.
"Oh~ wait…" My thumb stopped. This one's… cute.
It was the very first photo I took—Ice caught off guard, his expression candid and unguarded. No scowl, no annoyance. Just a rare, natural softness.
I zoomed in slowly. Ice is… handsome.
I always knew that, but I never really stopped to appreciate it. How could I, when he was constantly angry all the time? Yet here—just here—he looked almost… sweet. Why does he look handsome-er? I mean more handsome.
Without realizing, a smile crept across my lips. This photo is mine. Only mine. The one and only proof of Ice's secret cuteness.
"Hey, are you even listening?!" His sudden bark made me jump. Guilty, I hugged my phone to my chest. If he saw… that'd be too embarrassing.
"Yes, yes!" I nodded seven times like a bobblehead.
"What did I say?" he challenged.
Uh-oh. The car wasn't moving.
"…We're… here?" I said vaguely.
His face didn't move a muscle.No clues, no mercy.
I fumbled with my seatbelt, hoping to ease the tension—or maybe just escape it. The faint rustle behind me made me glance back, ready to throw out a casual goodbye…
But Ice was already leaning toward me.
The car was swallowed in shadow, the only light trickling from the streetlamp outside, painting his face in a soft glow. He was so close, just inches away.
His scent;sweet, like strawberries and cream.
It wrapped around me, and my heart skipped a beat.
In love? No. Absolutely not. Not love.
It was fear. Pure fear.
Because those eyes staring into me weren't soft, weren't kind. They were sharp, blazing, the kind of eyes that could cut straight through me.
"Last warning," his voice was low, eyes sharp as fire. "No talking to HIM."
Then, like nothing happened, he leaned back and faced forward.
…No fair! I pouted, plus rolled my eyes.
But, somehow, I was relieved. Back to ruining my fantasies, as usual.
I clicked the door open and started stepping out.
"Maybe give me your phone number too, to replace what you deleted!" I joked, half-smirking as I stepped out of the car.
Seriously, he did delete his number.
I reached for the handle to shut the door and say goodbye—when suddenly, the door was yanked back.
And then, right before it clicked shut, I caught his low murmur.
"I already did."
Thud Door closing.
Wait—what?!
My head shot up, ready to demand clarification, but all I got was the scorching scream of tires as Ice's car bolted into the night.
I just stood there, phone in hand, staring at the disappearing taillights.
"…Are you for real?"
Next Chapter:
It was just a name on my screen. Just a dumb contact photo. Nothing special.
So why does my chest feel like a marching band just set up camp in there?!
His stupid storm-gray eyes? Ugh, stop it! None of that means anything!
Nope. Not happening.
...Right?