Burned (Hate at First Flight #2) ✔️

42. He's My Century Old Whiskey

Only about 2-3 chapters left for this book before it ends 😭😭

SONG : STAY WITH ME - CHANYEOL FT. PUNCH (도깨비 GOBLIN OST)

•••

Douglas remained fixated on me, like a lion that had just caught sight of its prey.

He was the lion.

I was the prey.

And time was a stagnant reminder of just what I'd gotten myself into.

Douglas' eyes glistened with something close to hunger and unbrittled emotion that made me want to look away instantly. Not just want. I needed to look away instantly before I could get lost in it.

But I couldn't. I couldn't look away. I couldn't even begin to explain why I couldn't.

I was like a cobra being mesmerized by music. I was like an alcoholic mesmerized by century old whiskey. I was like...like a girl staring at a guy she had hopelessly fallen in love with.

That thought, however short and sudden it was made me break contact with Douglas' eyes. That stray thought hit  me like a bulldozer careening in through the air, endlessly hoping for something to break my fall.

But in this case, there was no safety net, no anything to break my fall.

I didn't even know why that thought was the one that helped me break eye contact with Douglas.

Maybe it was because I was worried Douglas would see the realization in my eyes and he would realize just to what degree he affected me.

Or maybe it was the fact that that thought was so sudden it made me want to draw into myself and ponder over it for a little while longer before I let everyone know just by looking at my eyes and the obvious jealousy that I knew was there.

Or maybe I was just caught off-guard.

That would explain it. After all, before then, now, today... I didn't realize just how far my feelings for Douglas went. I didn't realize that what I'd many times written away as a passing crush on Douglas wasn't just a passing crush anymore.

I didn't realize that between the endless bickering, those surprising little moments he let me see the real him and those days that I realized that we were more unlike than I cared to admit, I had somehow fallen for the person I was sure it wouldn't fall for before I started this job.

But here I was, having just witnessed him in the figurative arms of another and all I could feel rushing through me was wild, unruly jealousy for the raven haired girl that had stolen Douglas' smiles and kisses for the day.

"Krystal," I felt Alex's hands hesitantly touch my shoulder before I pulled myself away from my thoughts and looked at Alex. "Is everything alright?"

She hadn't realized just what had transpired in the last couple of minutes. That is until I instinctively looked over at Douglas again, my eyes like a honing beacon to him, unable to draw or look away.

Douglas' attention was back on the raven haired girl now who was tracing her fingers lightly against his arms and giggling quite loudly.

"Oh," I heard Alex breath out beside me, also witnessing what I myself was.

I stood up suddenly, wanting nothing more than to leave this party right now. "I gotta go," I mumbled out. "I'm... I'm sorry. I just gotta..."

"Krystal, wait," I felt Alex's fingers clasp themselves over my wrist just before I left. Her words were firm and held understanding. "Just wait, okay?"