The Next Chapter: Twisted Series Next Generation

Chapter 11: Charlotte Larsen

Scalding tears streaming down my cheeks as if they are crimson rivers. They have not stopped for the past hour since I ran out of the house. I could not bear it, everyone was staring at me as if I was some heartless villain.

The moment the basket striked Maverick and his eyes dropped while a monstrous gleam filled in them, guilt layered into me and I wanted to immediately turn around and apologize.

However, at the moment I just wanted to run and cry. Just as I am doing now. Burying my face into my knees as I hug my legs to my chest. Shaky breaths escape me as I struggle to catch my breath.

A soft gasp escapes me as a sudden touch cups my shoulder. My head yanks up as I catch a gaze of piercing hazel eyes staring back at me.

A debate between un-amusement and empathy, for the life of me I could not decide which he was staring at me with.

To my unfortunate situation, I feel my breath catch in my throat at the sight of him. Butterflies pirouetting in my stomach. However, not a single piece of me wants to speak to him. Instead of staring at him with my blurred, tear streaked vision. I bury my face into my knees again as I curl into a tighter ball.

All I hear from his side is an exasperated sigh as silence dances through the brisk night air. "You know you're pretty much asking to be kidnapped." He speaks briskly.

My reaction is to bury my face deeper in my knees as the watering in my eyes intensifies all while shaky breaths escape me. Instead of some quippy remark, I speak in a gentle voice, "I'm sorry." The trembling in my voice causes me to internally groan.

Silence overbears the atmosphere, causing my shoulders to tense more. Making me want to curl into a tighter ball and fall off of the face of the earth.

"For what." His monotone voice spills shivers down my spine causing me to irk at the conversation.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"You do multiple idiotic things a day, specify what you are apologizing for." The moment I lift my head to meet his gaze, his lip quirks up in the middle of his statement. To my utter dismay and heightening the sinking feeling in my stomach.

"I'm sorry for throwing the basket at you earlier-"

"Don't" His stern voice cutting me off causing a strange sensation of displeasure to cloud my entire being. "Stop treating me like I'm fragile."

Confusion wracks my brain causing my heavy breathing to halt, "What?"

His eyes narrow, his long lashes fanning his face as he tilts his head and examines me.

"I never called you fragile. You're a douche but fragile isn't exactly the word I would use for you. I'm just apologizing because in general what I did was mean, without looking at..." My voice trails off, swallowing a lump in my throat praying that he understood what I meant.

Instead, a shocking sequence of events unveil as he reaches over and wraps his arm beneath my knees and the other wraps around my waist. A gasp emerges from me as he hoists me up into the air and begins to carry me.

Heat crawls up my neck as I feel myself gape at the sight of him. "What are you doing?" My brain mentally slaps me at the small trembles in my tone. My gaze slowly travels over the sharp lines of his face, constructed as if God took his time to sculpt this masterpiece of a human.

"It would be bad press if a princess got kidnapped." His words are stiff and unamused as I feel his fingers curl further into my legs.

A part of me feels an uncensored joy swell in my chest at the thought of him worrying and thinking about me. Excitement whirls in my stomach as I attempt to ignore it.

His skin resembles a complexion more similar towards Uncle Christian whereas Callum resembles more Aunt Stella.

However I got the short end of the stick and inherited pasty skin that looks like I refused any sighting of the sun. It most certainly is not fair as Annie got dad's brilliantly tanned complexion that looks golden in the sun.

"You're staring at me." His voice snaps me back into reality causing my eyes to widen in an unsightly manner.

"No I wasn't. I was thinking and apparently my gaze halted on you."

My stomach jumps at the sight of his lips slightly twitching upwards whilst his nails slightly dig into my legs.

"I'm telling the truth, Maverick." My voice fighting to mimic my eldest sister's tone, being the prime picture of professionalism and seriousness.

"You didn't call me Mav."

I feel my limbs loosen at his words, my head slightly falls back, "That's your take away?" I speak with utter disbelief.

All I receive is a small shrug as he continues to carry me in a tight hold.

Heat crawls up my nape and I readjust my hair to hide the fact my ears are fading into a crimson color by the second. "So, how long do you think we'll be in this awkward phase?"

"We were never considerably close, you were just always following me along like a blind puppy, and you're still underage."

My ears heat even more as I move my head and fight the urge to drop away from him. "You aren't even the legal age." I retorted back.

"In Europe I pretty much am." He stifles a low chuckle from escaping him from his own comment.

My own reaction is to bite back a scoff however my lips slightly twitch upwards before returning them back to their original frown. "I can walk by the way." Preferably it would be nice if he continues to carry me, I am sure he will but I needed to create that humble persona for me.

However, a squeal escapes me, as he in a swift movement removes his arm from beneath my knees and causes me to almost collapse onto the ground.

He makes no effort to support me as my legs wobble and my feet twist back from the sudden impact. Standing there with pursed lips and his hand smooths his shirt using his free hand.

A grunt follows from his sequences of actions as I narrow my gaze into a sharp glare directed towards him. Pushing away from him in a frustrated motion yet he makes no effort to seem the slightest bit sympathetic as he begins walking away and expecting me to follow along.

And unfortunately. I do.