14. Infatuation

14. Infatuation

Aria collapsed on the floor. She hugged her hands and cried silently. Her body convulsed with pronounced shaking. The air she had loved in the library was suddenly corrupted and cold. Her vision blurred as the tremors from being bullied again coursed through her body.

She shrunk into a snail. She was quietly crying when she heard the footsteps.

"Aria," She didn't look up when that voice, no matter how soothing it was, hit her ears.

Her heart skipped a beat when she sensed an alienated touch creeping up her shoulder and then under her chin.

"Aria, look at me." She felt her face being lifted up against her will and she met an ocean full of tenderness.

A sob escaped her chest. It made him frown before a soft look covered his face.

"I told her t-there's nothing between us. I told her the s-same thing last time she cornered me. B-but... but..." A lump developed in her throat, refraining her from speaking further.

Jake saw her wet lashes. He observed the redness under he