14. Bruised

Innessa let out a groan sleepily as her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a couple of times. Instantly taken by awe at the sight of magnificent stars gleaming in the dark, inky sky.

"You're awake," The deep voice, thickly British-accented, had her head snapping to the person sitting three steps from her and her eyes widening in surprise.

She abruptly jerked up in a sitting position only to wince when her head throbbed.

Innessa noticed a coat on her legs, which belonged to him, and just like that, everything came back, which happened a couple of minutes ago, and her heart sank. Stomach twisting up in knots.

Her fingers lingered on her lips, feeling them swollen as her heart constricted in her chest.

He took her first kiss.

Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she tried not to cry and bottled up her emotions. She was scared. Innessa couldn't even describe in words how she felt when he kissed her.

"Innessa?" His voice startled her. Pulling her out of her muddled thoughts.

She had no courage to look him in the eyes as she aggressively fidgeted with her fingers.

"Are you alright?" He asked, rising from the chair enough to drag it closer to her as he sat back on it, peering at her with that dark gaze that made goosebumps rise on her skin.

Alright? He almost killed her with that kiss. She thought she'd die because of a lack of oxygen.

Issac was so scary.

The Issac she witnessed a couple of minutes ago was completely different from the gentleman she knew. The person who pounced on her wasn't a gentleman at all.

He could've simply pecked her lips, but the way he kissed her... Those memories flashed in her head, causing her neck to turn a bright shade of red. It felt like he would eat her alive. Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine.

"W... Why?" She forced the word out of her parched throat.

"W... Why did you do it?" Her voice was small and shaky. Innessa wanted to hug her knees to her chest and hide away from his burning gaze. It was as if he could see right through her soul.

"I..." A thick silence engulfed them before he sighed.

"I apologize," he said calmly.

Innessa hesitantly peeked at him through her lashes, her face was cast down, with her hair veiling half of her face.

Where she looked so flustered, scared, and in a loop of malfunctioning glitches. Issac sat there calmly, his broad frame taking most of the space as he looked deadly intimidating and casual. As if he didn't just try to eat her alive.

Why did it feel like he wasn't sincere? The apology felt hollow. It was just a feeling she couldn't pinpoint or name.

"I was mad at Henry for stalking me for the last few days. I wanted to drill it in his head that we were dating so he'd leave us alone. It worked, though. I saw him leaving angrily," he said, leaning forward, his fingers intertwined while his elbows rested on his wide-spread thighs.

"But I stepped out of the line. I apologize. I know it was too sudden for you, but this was the best way to make Henry leave you alone," he said calmly.

She expected him to explain more so she could properly understand why he accelerated the kiss and involved the tongues and all those sinful things. But Issac remained silent, peering at her fiercely, which had her fidgeting on her spot as she glared at her lap.

"I... I want to go home," Her small voice filled the silence.

A couple of seconds passed, and for mere seconds it felt like she angered him, but that wasn't the case.

He quietly got to his feet and walked out, leaving her alone.

Innessa blinked at the door cluelessly from where he left.

The girl pulled herself to her feet as she swallowed thickly. Her throat was parched. Innessa grabbed his jacket and ambled to the table. Pouring herself some water, she chugged it down in thirsty gulps.

Her eyes darted to the door. Waiting. Her eyes turned glassy just at the thought of him leaving her at the restaurant alone. She didn't even know where she was and how to get back to the dorms, and the time-

She retrieved her phone and stared at it, horrified. It was past midnight. The dorm must be locked, and they won't let her in. Panic flooded her senses as she tried to remain calm, but the worst possible scenario raked her mind.

She didn't want to be alone with Issac. He... He was scary. What if Henry showed up again, and Issac kissed her again? No. She would not give her second kiss to him or anyone else just to make Henry believe it.

"It'sokayhewassorryhewouldn'tdoitagain-" Her mumbling came to an abrupt halt when the glass doors opened, and Issac showed up.

"You, okay?" He asked, coming to stand in front of her. She didn't meet his gaze before nodding her head lightly. He smelled like cigarettes. He must've gone for a smoke. But he should've told her. She was scared that he would leave her alone.

When he didn't say anything for the longest time, the girl meekly glanced at him only to find his blazing eyes glued to her face, specifically on her lips, which instantly made her skin hot and feverish under his scrutiny.

She felt conscious all of a sudden.

"Let's go," he said, swiveling on his feet as he trekked out of the restaurant, and she quietly followed him, still holding his suit jacket.

The valet pulled over his car. Innessa noted that the whole restaurant was deserted. It was so late. The valet opened the door for her as she politely thanked him and perched on the passenger's seat. Issac took the driver's seat and put the car in drive.

Thick, heavy silence fogged around them as she kept her eyes trained out of the window. The small space, his dominating presence, and that rich scent of his Cologne made her heady.

She was so overwhelmed by what happened today that her emotions were going haywire. The always-composed girl was a mess right now. She just wanted to conceal under the sheets and hide away from the world.

Isaac stopped the car at a red light, and all of a sudden, she could feel his heated gaze on her.

She timidly glanced at him to find him resting the side of his forehead on the wheel while his eyes were dead set on her.

Innessa stiffened when all of a sudden, he leaned over, prompting her to inch back with such speed that the back of her head hit the backrest when his face got dangerously close to her, to the point his hot breath caressed her face. She abruptly covered her lips with her palm, gaping at him with wide, alert eyes.

Haunting stillness clutched her heart when her gaze lingered down to his lips, which were in a thin line before meeting those cognac brown eyes again.

Issac cocked a perfect brow at her and pretended to be surprised as he pulled the seatbelt with ease and secured it in its place. As if her hands could stop him from claiming her lips if he wanted to.

"You forgot to put your seatbelt on," He rasped, looking deeply in her embarrassed gaze as she dropped her eyes. She felt him inhaling deeply before sitting back in his seat properly. The light turned green as he sped down the road.

He had already apologized. Why did she have to act like that? But it wasn't her fault, though; it was her reflex reaction. She thought he'd pounce on her again.

Issac pulled the car right outside the dorms, and to her devastation, the main door was closed. They wouldn't let her in. She broke the rule and wasn't back on time. This could affect her scholarship.

"They locked the door?" He frowned.

"They wouldn't let me in," she said in a small voice, her tone full of apprehension.

"Of course they would." He rumbled, stepping out of his car like a raging bull.

She panicked, thinking he was mad again because of something she said. Innessa put his coat on the back seat. Her eyes darted to the bouquet. She grabbed them because she didn't want to make him feel bad. He was just helping her all along. Issac wasn't gaining anything out of this situation.

But the kiss...

She shoved all those thoughts in the back of her head and stepped out of the car as she hurried after him.

He was standing near the small booth of the watchman, talking to him. Innessa swallowed thickly, noticing the dark look on his face, his thick brows were wrinkled, and his jaw clenched with a vein popping out of his neck. He looked murderous; the poor watchman looked scared of him.

If Issac ever looked at her like that, she might faint. Innessa was brought up with tender love and softness. Even her father never raised his voice at her, so she wasn't accustomed to people showing anger or raising their voices at her.

This was the first time she had seen Issac looking mad, and it was frightening.

She noticed that Issac pulled out a couple of bills from his wallet and tucked them in the watchman's pocket, who smiled, shaking and nodding his head.

Issac turned, and his eyes met hers. His features instantly softened, and she let out the breath she was holding.

When he came to stand in front of her, she said, "I'm sorry. Because of me, you have to bribe the watchman. I'll pay you back-"

"Don't worry about this. And I know you wouldn't have stayed at my place for the night, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable either, so it was good that the watchman agreed to let you in. Don't worry, he wouldn't tell anyone about it," Issac assured her, and her heart sighed in relief at his gentle gesture.

She liked this side of Issac. The kind gentleman, and she hoped never to see the scary side of him ever again.

"Now go inside and text me when you get to your dorm. I'll leave then," he said.

"You don't have to wait for that. You can go. Don't worry about me," She tried to assure him.

"You're still my fake girlfriend. And I always protect my people," he said as if they were in some sort of war zone and her life was at stake or in danger, but it felt nice to know that he cared.

"Thank you for every-" She stopped abruptly.

Her hold on the flowers tightened as she lowered her gaze.

"Thank you," She whispered as he tipped his head. The girl swiveled on her heels and hurried inside as the watchman let her in. Innessa took the elevator and hurried inside her dorm. She locked the door behind her and sighed.

Retrieving her phone, she toed out of her heels and scurried to the window. True to his words, he was there waiting while staring at his phone.

'I've got into my room without being caught. Thank you.' She sent him the text.

He instantly saw the message, and it showed he was typing.

'Good.'

She stared at the text when another message poppedup on the screen.

'Good night, Innessa.' She stared at the message and watched as he got in his car and left.

She put her phone on the charger and got rid of her dress. The girl stepped under the shower, letting the warm water soothe her tensed muscles.

The kiss kept replaying in her head to the point she felt like crying. The feeling that she lost her first kiss to her fake boyfriend was heavy on her conscience.

She dabbed her body dry when she noticed something on her waist. The girl stepped in front of the mirror in the bathroom and frowned, seeing red finger marks on her waist. She could still feel that rough hold on her waist; the way he squeezed her flesh caused a jolt to run down her spine.

Her eyes darted up to her face, and her eyes widened, seeing a small purplish bruise on her lower lip.

A chill ran down her spine as she tried to control the wild emotions.

It was... It was just an act, and he was so savage. She couldn't help but worry about his future real girlfriend.

Issac was like a feral beast.

She didn't want to see that side of him again.

Innessa must maintain her distance from him from now on.

Henry got his fudging evidence.

There was no need for her to be close to Issac from now on.

She'll stay away from him.

It was better for both of them.