“You can hate me now, Belle. Hell, I care! There, are you happy now?” Rubick growled at her. “Why did you have to do this to me? I've been trying hard to change. I've been trying to fix my doomed life, Lahynna Belle. But doing this to me made me remember that I can’t fix my life anymore. I'll never be the better version of myself. I am always the fucking beast everyone knows!”
He was a broken man. She could see the bitterness from Rubick’s eyes. His wrath. She doesn’t know whom that fury is for. Is it because she provokes him? Now, she’s regretting it.
And what the hell was he saying? Lahynna was confused. What is he talking about? Ever since she met him, he has been a nice man. And she continued admiring him as times went by. She hasn’t seen anything wrong with him aside from the rumors she heard before. But none of it did, she believed.
Even his scandal with Eina hasn’t changed how she looks up to him. She knew her cousin better. She knew Eina’s reputation was terrible.
The only mistake he made is he let himself fall into her trap. But he was just a man. She understands he has needs, and Eina was too willing to give herself, just like how she did with the other guys in their group. Eina is every guy's woman.
She believes that Eina was the one who seduced Rubick.
Or so she thought?
Did she think about it wrongly? Is that what Rubick was trying to tell her? That she was a real asshole?
Lahynna tightly closed her eyes. She didn’t know what else to think of. Here they are, doing such a thing. She admits she provoked him. She provoked him to act like an asshole.
Rubick harshly sighed and started the engine. They were both silent as the car moved.
What the heck?!
It’s all her fault. Why did she do that? Why did she provoke him?
Her actions made Rubick treat her coldly. But still, she didn’t resent being kissed… being touched.
The kiss… the kiss was definitely incredible she could trade anything she had just to have that mind-blowing kiss again.
Yes, she admits she likes it, even though it was wrong. They were friends.
Lahynna wanted to slap her face. What is she thinking?
Lahynna sighed and fought the fire building inside her once more.
“I love the way you kissed me, Rubick.” Closed eyes, she proclaimed.
Her fcking brain was shouting at her. There’s this boundary that she shouldn’t be breaking. But she could not stop herself.
Why does it seem the DJP building was very far? Until now, they were still driving up there.
“Open your eyes, Belle. And then, you can tell me those words.”
Just like an obedient kid, Lahynna opened her eyes. She met Rubick’s caring gaze.
“I love what you did, and I didn’t see anything wrong aside from the fact that we were friends.”
“That’s the catch. We were friends. And I just crossed the line. I just only prove to you that I still haven’t changed. I am still a fucking asshole.”
His words pained her. It seems to her that Rubick resented kissing her.
But she tried hard to dismiss the idea. They were here already. They did it already. It’s too late to resent, anyway.
Rubick harshly tossed his head and decided to keep his eyes on the road.“You know the stories about our family, right?”
Lahynna didn’t know how to answer. Yes, she knew, but she never believed any of those.
“I am a good-for-nothing asshole. We may be rich, but that was not enough. That didn’t change the fact that I did horrible things in the past.”
Rubick’s voice was full of insecurities and resentment only now that she heard him like that.
Aside from the rumors that his parents separated and his father chose his new family, she could not see anything wrong with Rubick. At the age of twenty-six, he was everything a woman would dream for a man. He had a stable job by managing their food business. He was such a stunningly handsome guy, and being a reserve type just added to his charm. She believes in the thought that silent types of people were those who loved so deeply. She was sure the woman he would love would be fortunate to have him.
So what is he saying that he was such an asshole?
Why did he keep on turning himself down?
“What does your family history have to do with kissing me?”
With the delicious kiss, you gave me…
She was about to add, but she refrains from doing so.
“Why did you keep on telling me that I would not like to know the old you?” She curiously added.
“Don’t you get it?” A deep sigh came out from him before turning to her. “I hate relationships. Serious relationships didn’t stay long. Do you see? My parents didn’t last long. I might be like my father.” He bitterly said. “Don’t act like you don’t know the rumors. This town isn’t that large. And who knows, they might be right about who they really am.”
Why the bitterness sliced her heart… They had been together for years. And she never thought that he was too affected by the rumors circulating around their place. But didn’t he have any faith in her?
“But don’t get me wrong. I never turned my back on obligation. If ever Eina proved that her son is mine, I'll take the responsibility. But she declined the DNA test. Besides, I know to myself that the kid is not mine.”
She believes him.
Lahynna didn’t know why but she believes Rubick. His words weighed a lot more than the others. Despite the fact that she could see how complicated of a man he was.
But why were they together? Why were they this close?
Darn! You were friends, remember.
“So, help yourself not to cross the line between us, Lahynna Belle. Because I can’t offer you anything. I fuck, but I don’t do love.”
Lahynna felt like a part of her was broken into two. She could hear and feel Rubick’s bitterness.
What kind of people turned him into a beast?
They arrived at the DJP building without even talking. On her part, she didn’t know what else to say. She had this feeling that things between them will never be the same again.