| torn up

~ chapter 27 ☁️

'No! B-but it's not like I just did it for no reason.'

He tilts his head at my answer, hard gaze peering into my own brown eyes as if he's trying to decipher whether or not I'm telling the truth.

'What do you mean?'

'I didn't block you until the day I saw Alexander and Dominic together, I promise. I did it because I was scared that Alexander might have told you.'

And it was true, I hadn't even thought again about the fact that I had him as a contact when he had first put his number in my phone until the night I barged in on the two kissing. And then I remember blocking him in my state of paranoia and fear because the last thing I wanted was to be getting hassled by Eli about having accidentally barged in on Alexander's private moment every time I turned on my phone. It honestly had been such a small and spur of the moment thing for me to do that I had completely forgotten about it until just now.

He keeps his hand wrapped around my throat for a further second, dark eyes still searching my face until he finally seems to find reason to believe me and releases his grip. I uncertainly watch him take a step back, appearing to think of something as his eyes suddenly start searching my bedroom. He seems to find what he's looking for a moment later when he heads for my desk and immediately returns to his position right in front of me, now with my phone in his hand.

'Unblock me then.' He demands as if that will prove anything, pointedly throwing the phone in my lap and gesturing towards it.

'...Okay?' I mumble and shrug as I cast him a strange look, not really getting why he's being so weird about this when it's not exactly like we're besties who are texting each other every minute of every day anyway.

In fact, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even have any intention of texting me anytime soon- which is kind of ironic considering how relentless he's being. The only way I can see him voluntarily texting me first is either to send me an insulting message for his own amusement or to ask for something.

'Erm... Are you just going to watch me?' I ask incredulously when I proceed to unlock my phone and go to my contact list only to notice him hovering over me in observation.

He looks surprised for a second, head snapping towards mine as if he really hadn't been expecting my question before he quickly recovers himself.

'Yeah. Is that a problem?' He snides, looking right back at me as if I'm the one acting suspicious.

'Fine, don't shout at me though then.'

'Why- Why would I shout at you?' He unsurely asks after a moment of silence passes, a look of what can be only described as pure confusion on his face.

I don't reply to him, instead just looking back to my phone and causally scrolling to his contact to tap the unblock option.

'There, done.' I dismiss as I shrug my shoulders, about to put my phone down when he suddenly rips it out of my hands.

I'm not actually surprised at his rude behaviour for once, considering I had completely been expecting this reaction from the second I saw him lingering around above me instead of walking away like I had initially expected.

'What the hell, why do you have me saved like this?' He barks in outrage, scoffing in disgust at my phone. 'And what's up with the fucking devil emoji?'

He seethes at my phone for a further second before suddenly turning it my way so that I can see his contact name- as if I'm not the one who set it in the first place.

'Because I wanted to.' I innocently shrug at his earlier question, raising an eyebrow as if ask what he's getting so worked up about and letting my gaze drift over to the screen.