Again (PUBLISHED!)

Chapter 21.1

He was startled to find me there but a split second later, a lopsided smile made its way to his lips. I immediately glanced sideways. I didn't want to be affected by his hot biceps or his broad muscular shoulders or even his manly chest and his flawless structure of six pack abs which were in full display but my pulses were heating up under my skin.

"If you've come to confess your feelings for me, I'm all yours," Devon spoke in a deep husky voice.

"I was only keeping your present!" I blurted out in defense. Okay, that wasn't supposed to be said.

He gave me a quizzical look then looked over my shoulder to spot the gift wrapped box sitting on his desk.

"Now now, what do we have here?" Devon walked past me over to the desk.

I was still standing there when I could have just walked out. But guess my urge to know if he liked my present was more powerful than my legs.

My heart was pounding loudly behind my chest as I heard him unwrapping the gift behind me. My breaths slowed down in nervousness when the sound ceased to exist.

"What if I tell you I didn't like your present?"

My heart sank when I heard his grim voice from behind. Images of how he had destroyed all the artwork on his birthday flashed in front of my eyes. Would he do the same with this watch.....?

I spun around to look at him with a pale face. I was hurt and I knew I wasn't scoring high with hiding it.

Devon held my gazes and advanced towards me with solemn features. As he neared me, he held out the watch in front of me. Was he returning the watch?

"Fasten it around my wrist," he said, looking serious and stretched out his other hand at me.

"But you didn't---"

"There's no way I wouldn't love what you've given me. I'll take care of this amazing watch more than my life."

My heart missed a beat. "But I...." I trailed off, feeling hesitant.

"C'mon, I didn't tell you to undress me completely but to just wound this watch around my hand," he smirked.

I scowled at him. He should now honestly put a shirt on or something!

My thoughts must have been too loud because there was a smug smile on his face.

"Wait, let me check," Devon said in a cheeky tone and looked down at his chest. "No, I've got no boobs. So yeah, I'm fine this way."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. But I put the watch around his wrist anyway. Just as I was done with it, Devon caught me off guard as he grabbed me by the waist and pinned me against his chest. A gasp escaped my lips as I felt my body melt into the sinful heat of his bare torso. One of my hands held on to his biceps while the other went behind his back as he brought his face close to mine and caressed my nose with his.

I found it hard to look into those dark intense irises of his so I shut my eyes.

"You care about me, Eleanor," he breathed about my shivering lips. "You care enough to notice my likes and dislikes. You care so much that my words affect you. You care enough to take the pain of organizing a special birthday for me which I ruined...."

I felt his grip loosen around me and he released me soon after which made me open my eyes. Finding him staring at me, I looked down trying to calm my racing heart.

I held on to my breaths as Devon walked to my back. "It's only I who's doing the talking today," he whispered intensely in my ear from behind. He continued further in my other ear, "Your silence, your nervousness, you aren't even able to look me in the eye today. Basically everything about you is telling me that there is someone who is spread all over your mind and heart. And I'm talking about the guy who loves watches, not a pig."

I couldn't concentrate after I got back to read with Jackson. I one again felt cornered and tortured by the turmoil and confusion. As I was leaving the house after the reading session, I passed a door behind which I could hear muffled voices. I stopped instinctively. I wasn't really proud of my bad habit of eaves dropping but I was at it again. The door happened to be ajar. I pushed it open a little bit more to see Cheryl and Mr. Parker.

"......anything to him!" Cheryl was yelling. "It's high time you stop giving in to his demands! Look how much of a spoilt brat he has become! His recklessness even got him arrested last week, yet you didn't ground him!"

"Cheryl, please! I don't want to hear a word against Devon," said Mr. Parker.

"You're blind. You cannot see the monster your son is turning into," seethed Cheryl. "I fear for my darling Jackson's safety in this house now."

"He's no monster, don't dramatize," Mr. Parker said quietly. "And honestly, I feel that Devon is more concerned about Jackson than you are."

That pissed Cheryl off so much that soon the couple started yelling, accusing and arguing again. I noiselessly shut the door. Jackson should see or hear his parents fight.

I was disturbed by everything I heard back in there. Was Devon arrested? Why? What did he do? Was he really at fault? Was he hurt? Or did he hurt someone?

I had all those questions burning my head. When I got back home, I found Gran sitting on the sofa in the living room going through an old album of photographs.

"I was going through these the other day when I was missing Papa a lot after talking to him," I said nostalgically as I plopped down next to Gran leaning fondly on her shoulder.

Gran closed the album and looked at me. "Relationships are the best thing in the world and they are not meant to be broken," she said, looking unhappy. "Everybody has imperfections. It's not right to try and change someone but we must accept them just as they are with all their faults. That's called being a good human being."

The words came crashing down upon me like thunder. I dragged my feet upstairs to my room as pain and regret stabbed me like poison. My heart grew numb and so did my skin. I was shivering from head to toe with guilt and there seemed to be no end to the ordeal....

Tears spilled down my eyes in no time. I couldn't be faithful in my relationship. I couldn't give it everything I had. I got close to another guy inspite of being committed. I'm a cheater. I'm a bitch....I don't deserve anyone....

I squeezed my eyes tight shut but the guilt got worse and tears kept on falling....

It must have been quite a few hours when I heard the sound of the doorbell. When I got to the door and opened it, I found Luke standing with a bouquet of roses looking remorseful.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor....you can be mad at me for as long as you want but...but don't leave me like this. Don't walk out of my life. I feel as though I've lost everything....."

I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight. "It's—It's okay...everyone makes mistakes..." I whispered, threw a cracked voice.

Luke looked at me as we parted and kissed me softly on the lips.

He treats you like shit! And yet you-you kiss him.

I pushed Devon's words out of my head. He had no place in my life now. I would be entirely loyal in my relationship this day onwards.