“Umm...” I murmured as I tried to pull my arm back.
“Don’t just reject me like this, Diana. Why don’t you take some time to think about it properly?” he suggested as he closed the distance between us.
I sensed immediately that this guy wasn’t simply willing to back down just like the other guys that I’ve rejected. I could smell trouble coming my way, but I wasn’t sure how I should deal with it.
“I truly feel happy that you feel this way about me, but I don’t think that we can start dating...” I said while trying to remain calm.
“Let’s start again. Do you even know who I am?” he asked with clear displeasure.
I looked up into his face and had to admit that he didn’t look so bad. Most girls would probably find him quite attractive. He was probably a little older than I was. He was tall, well-built, and had attractive determined eyes. Since the love letter he sent didn’t have a resume attached, I didn’t quite know who he was in the sense that he wanted me to understand, and it wasn’t like I cared.
What’s his name again? Bob? Bryan? Ben...?
“Are you...” I began saying as I narrowed my eyes at him slightly.
I thought that he would help me fill in the missing words in the sentence that I started right away but that didn’t seem to be the case. The urge to roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation that I had found myself in started to feel increasingly harder to suppress. He must have thought that he was some big important shot if he thought that I should immediately recognize who he is. I stared at him with round eyes as I forced my lips to curve up into a sweet smile.
Now if you will just help us out by introducing yourself properly...
“I’m Bill, captain of the basketball team...” he said as he stared down into my upturned face.
Well, hello there, Mr. Captain of the Basketball Team.
No wonder he’s so tall...
“Oh, right. I’m not that into sports so it must have skipped my mind. I’ll make sure to turn up to some of your future games so keep up the good work,” I said as I tried to excuse myself.
The grip that he had on my wrist got tighter and I started to worry what this guy had in mind. It didn’t help that no one usually came around to the back of the building and that was why this place was used for secret meet ups and confession sessions like these. I let out a soft sigh while thinking that this felt like such a drag.
“Are you just going to turn me down?” he asked as he yanked me closer to him.
I hated to admit it, but he was strong. His grip on my wrist started to seriously hurt and I wondered if it would end up leaving a mark. This guy clearly wasn’t taking his rejection very well and that was probably because he wasn’t used to not getting his way.
“Bill, you’re an amazing guy, but I already have a fiancé as you’re probably already aware. Please don’t do this, Anthony might end up getting the wrong idea...” I said with a hint of warning in my tone.
The message was simple. If you mess with me the way that you’re doing right now, I’ll make sure to tell the Vulkan family and you and your family will have to deal with the consequences later.
“You think I’m scared of Anthony? You think I’m scared of them?!” he yelled at me so loudly that I winced.
I should have known that it was a gamble that might go wrong. His parents may fear the Vulkans but that wasn’t a sure assurance that this Bill guy was going to be in the right mind. I glared at him without hiding my apparent disgust. Nothing turned me off more than guys made of only muscles with no brain.
“Stop! Let me go right now. I’m going to scream...” I warned as I tried my best to yank my arm out of his grasp.
It was no use and there clearly was no way that I could overpower him. Although we were still on school grounds, I had no idea what he planned to do to me. Even then, I still hesitated screaming for help in fear that it might cause a scene. Bringing drama into Diana’s life over a loser like him hardly felt like it would be worth it.
“You’re engaged to him, but you don’t love him, right? Then why does it even matter?” Bill said as he leered down at me.
“That is none of your business!” I spat as I started to visibly lose my temper.
“We can date in secret if that’s what you want. I don’t mind,” he said while still sounding hopeful.
I sucked in a breath as I felt my body tremble from a mix of anger and frustration. I thought that I had told it to him straight enough that I wasn’t interested so why can’t he just take the clue and back off?
“Let go. The lady clearly said that she’s not interested.”
A familiar voice caught my attention although it sounded colder and more intimidating than I remembered it. Although I knew that it was Anthony, I was surprised nonetheless to find him right by my side.
“Anthony...” I whispered his name as relief swept over my body like a high tide rushing against the shoreline.
“I don’t know what business you have with my fiancée, but she just told you that she’s not interested,” Anthony repeated.
Bill looked visibly shocked at Anthony’s unexpected and sudden appearance on the scene. Before he could say anything, Anthony wrenched his hand away from my wrist and pulled me behind him protectively. I never properly realized just how tall and manly Anthony’s body had become up until that moment that he shielded me with his body away from the man who looked like he was about to rip my neck off of my shoulders.
--To be continued...