I was on my way to Literature class when a hand gripped my wrist and pulled me towards a deserted corner. I would have screamed or lunged back if it was not for the familiar scent that enveloped me.

"Adam!" I shrieked when I found myself caged between his arms.

"Ssshhh." he put his finger on my lips and leaned towards me.

"I'm already late, in fact we both are. And you are thinking of making out in the corridor." I complained, pulling my hand out of his grip.

"Well for starters, I wasn't going to make out with you." he shrugged. "But if that's what you want." He leaned towards me once again and I felt his lips slowly brushing mine.

"Later Mister. First tell me what's so important that you couldn't wait." I asked cautiously and pulled my face away. Being with Adam, it was like a roller coaster. I couldn't guess what bomb he was going to drop at me.

"Your dad has invited me for dinner in your house." he said and I cursed under my breath. My nostrils flared and my stomach tightened in knots.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. He is going to kill you." I said breathlessly, slapping my forehead in anxiety.

"Thanks for the heads up." he taunted and rolled his eyes. "I thought he was inviting all your friends."

Sighing, I told him what happened last night. At first, a frown appeared on his face which was then replaced by pure fright as I finished.

He gulped before saying, "Well."

"Well?" I whisper-yelled. "Just well?"

A wave of nervousness flashed his beautiful face. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." he said, looking unsure himself. "We will be fine."

Saying this, he planted a brief kiss on my forehead and then we both made our way to literature class with our fingers laced together.

...

On my way to the Cafe, I told Emily and Sophia about the dinner. At first, they both looked just as shocked and worried but then they hid their expressions to calm me down.

"I don't think he would insult him. Your Dad is very nice." Emily said as she took a bite of her sandwich.

I kept playing with the straw of my juice, tapping my foot impatiently on the floor. "Nice to his daughter's friends, not to the guy who banged his daughter." I said and they both mimicked my worry.

From the corner of my eyes, I watched Chloe stealing glances towards us while sipping the kale smoothie in her hands.

"Don't worry. Just keep your focus on studies." Emily advised.

Today was our last day before prep leaves. The finals were a week away and we have been given holidays so that we could prepare well. I was already lagging in Calculus and now, with everything happening between Adam and me, I can surely say that I would mess up badly.

"You're right." I said, letting out an exhale.

While going towards my next class, my eyes fell on Noah who was leaned against his locker, his eyes zoomed in on his mobile screen.

"Hi." I said as I reached him.

He lifted his face from the screen and gazed at me with his bluish-green eyes, a layer of aloofness coated his expressions.

"Hi." he said flatly, no hint of frankness in his voice.

"How are you?" I asked, trying to maintain the smile on my face.

"I'm fine." he answered and then his eyes focused on someone behind me.

It was Adam, I could recognize his scent even in a crowd. He pulled me back towards his chest and rested his face on top of my head, ignoring Noah completely.

Stupid male ego.

"Hey man." Noah began, his eyes shimmering with hope.

"Hey." Adam said in a cold voice and shifted his head to my shoulder, nuzzling his nose on the bare skin. Noah's frown deepened as his gaze shifted between Adam and me. Excusing himself, he walked past us, his posture stiff and his jaw clenched.

"You are such a jerk sometimes Adam." I slapped his hand that was around my waist.

"Really?" he said and buried his face deeper.

"He is a nice guy. You should at least give him a chance." I defended Noah.

Adam groaned before pulling back to standing position. "Like you gave him after he almost raped you in the club." he gritted, his voice filled with contempt.

I tried to find words to defend him but I couldn't. At the end, I just sighed and made my way to my next class.

...

"Help him God. Keep him safe from Dad's wrath." I prayed while combing my hair.

The dress I wore once belonged to my Mom. Modest yet cute, just like her. Sometimes I wonder how she fell in love with Dad because honestly, they couldn't be more opposite. I have asked Dad many times about their story but he always avoided my question by changing the topic.

"It is a pretty boring story." he used to say. "I don't think you'd like to know."

Focusing my attention back to the issue at hand, I made my way towards the kitchen where Dad was busy in cooking Parmesan Mushroom Chicken. The scent of freshly baked bread reached my nostrils and I inhaled deeply.

Despite the nervous mess that my stomach was, my mouth still watered at the heavenly sight.

"It looks delicious." I said.

He turned around when he noticed my presence. His eyes widened when he noticed the dress and a smile made its way to his face.

"You look beautiful sweetheart." he praised.

"Thanks Dad." I thanked. Wearing the oven miffs, I pulled the bread out of the oven and sniffed it. Like I said, heavenly.

"Um Dad.." I trailed off when I realized that his mood was good.

"Hmm."

"Why did you invite Adam?" I asked, my voice low and nervous.

Dad stared at me with an observing gaze, his expressions incomprehensible to my stupid brain. "Well, he is our neighbor who has helped you a lot in homework and I heard that Tiffany was out of town. So I figured why not." he answered.

If only it was that simple.

I wanted to ask further but I knew better than poking the bear. So I just kept my mouth shut and waited for the dinner.

Half an hour had passed when I heard the doorbell. I hopped towards the main gate but Dad beat me to it. He opened the gate to let Adam in and when he did, I almost swooned. For the first time, his hair was gelled back and he was wearing a white shirt, not his usual dark attire.

His eyes averted to me and his deep gaze made my heart go berserk. I couldn't help but imagine tearing the shirt off him and feel his skin against mine while he...

Now is not the time for such thoughts Ali.

Dad welcomed him inside and led him to the dining room. Adam was nervous despite the calm expressions on his face, judging by the way his index finger was twitching.

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner, Mr. King." he smiled as he sat down on the chair beside Dad and I settled opposite to him.

"The pleasure is all ours." Dad said but there was no hint of pleasure in his voice. Instead, it was dripping with an unvoiced threat.

The air was thickened with tension while Dad served the dinner. Adam and I cast some glances at each other, communicating silently through our gaze.

"So Adam. I heard you have helped Alicia a lot this year." Dad asked him and he nodded.

"That's so nice of you. Helping a girl without demanding anything in return." he smiled and I licked my dry lips.

"Um... Ye.. Yeah." Adam shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"After all, It's not like you are trying to earn her trust or lure her in. Right?" Dad laughed humorlessly and I gulped.

"Yes sir." Adam said and forced a smile on his face.

The dinner continued silently after that. I kept pushing the food in my plate to the corners, my stomach lost all its hunger.

After the dinner, I brought the pudding from the refrigerator. Serving it in all three plates, I once again sat down on my seat. I had taken the first bite into my mouth when I heard Dad ask, "So Adam! Are you a virgin?". And just like that, I choked on the pudding in my mouth.

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