Ch 3— I'm stuck with you.

SAMANTHA

“Oh, shit,” I grumbled, grabbed my phone from the bedside table and hurried down the stairs.

I had stayed up late the previous night to rearrange my stuff after spending a quality time on the phone with my Dad. Completely forgotten that I had an early class the following day.

Gotten downstairs, I scanned through the living room but couldn't see traces of Matthew Cruz. A low grunt escaped my mouth. “That fucker must have gone to school already.”

I slowly bit down on my bottom lip and stared at the phone in my hand to check the time. “7:14 a.m.” I read aloud, shoved the phone in my bag and rushed towards the exit.

“I suppose I'm going to miss my first class.” I groaned, obviously, I was not the type that skipped classes.

I let out a heavy sigh as I opened the door and stepped outside, only to see Matt leaning against his car. He had his arms crossed in front of him and his head hung low. I stood frozen, my feet seemingly stuck to the ground, as I stared at him.

I didn't realize how long I had been staring until Matt lifted his head and looked my direction. His eyes met mine and he let out a deep breath that I could only assume was a sign of relief.

“You’re finally done.” he smiled, rubbing his upper arm.

I gulped down nothing, moving my gaze away from him. I didn't know what might happen if I stared at Matt’s biceps for another second.

“Y—Yeah, good morning.” I cleared my throat, wondering if staring at Matt was a good thing in the first place.

“I thought you left?” I mumbled out the thought that had been eating me up. When he didn't say anything, I realised I might be crossing the line, so I added,

“I’ll be going first then.”

“Huh?” Matt grunted, and I turned to stare at him.

“Where are you going… On foot?” he raised an eyebrow and I was tempted to chuckle.

I hope he didn't hear it.

I cleared my throat, realising he needed an answer to his question. “I’m going to hail a cab to school.”

Matt stepped away from his car, dipping his hands in his pocket. “Don’t be silly, I'm taking you to school.” He let out and I gasped loudly.

“Don’t worry, I can manage on my own.” I protested, shaking my head in disapproval.

How can I let him drive me to school? Not like I didn't want to, but I should not. Doing so would fetch me nothing but hatred from the girls. They would assume something was going on between us, not like I wouldn't want that, but I can't let it happen.

“Are you joking?” Matt scoffed, pulling my attention back to himself. “It will take you approximately 15 minutes on foot to get to the front gate and another 10 minutes, waiting before you'll get to see a cab. So,” he took a step forward, “Still want to manage on your own?” he asked, he narrowed his eyes to examine me closely.

I could swear I won't be able to resist him for long after giving me that stare.

“I–I think I can manage.” I gulped, resisting the urge to run to his car.

I still have some dignity left right, right?

“Now you must be kidding me?” Matt sighed, throwing his head to the back.

“Don’t make this hard for me, we both need to get our damn ass to that fucking school.” he snorted, gritting his teeth.

I felt my chest tighten as Matt moved back to his car, opening the door to the passenger side of the car.

He turned to face me while holding the door for me. “I believe I'm babysitting an adult here, so stop acting like a toddler and be a good girl.”

“Come here,” he ordered, I didn't know what happened because I found my legs moving towards him without my consent.

“Okay,” I bit my lip, trying to protect the dignity that I wasn't sure if I still have in me.

“I will let you drive me to school but I'm going to drop a block away from school.”

“Really?” Matt chuckled, grabbed my hand and pushed me to his car, my back crashed against the car and I watched him press his hands to the body of the car besides my head, caging me to the car. “Now you're cracking a joke.” he scoffed.

My breath seized as I felt his hot breath fanned my face. Making colour drain from my body.

“Mr King made it clear that you're now my responsibility, what does that mean? I’m stuck with you.” he groaned to my face and I could feel the vibration of his throat.

“Now get your ass inside the damned car.”

He released his hands from the car and walked over to the driver's side of the car. I released the breath I never realised I had been holding.

This guy didn't know how much effect he had on me. He fucking didn't know how intimidated I felt when I was in his presence. Gosh! I sucked in a sharp breath before entering into the car.

“Dad and Mom could not make it again. I think that would make it just us until whenever they think they would return.” he hissed, ignited the engine and drove out of the villa.

I grappled with a mix of emotions at the thought of staying at Matt's house for a few days, without his parents. On the one hand, it would be nice to have some time alone with him. On the other hand, the idea of being in such proximity to him for an extended period was daunting. I couldn't help but wonder if my sanity would survive the experience. Would I be able to handle being around him for that long, without the buffer of his parents?

The silence of the drive offered me a chance to reflect on the thoughts swirling in my head. I let my mind wander, considering the events of the day and what they might mean as time goes on.

As we drove to school, the minutes seemed to stretch on endlessly. I breathed a sigh of relief when the car finally came to a stop in the school parking lot. But my relief was short-lived, as I was quickly confronted with the reality of the packed school grounds. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw a group of girls approaching Matt’s car, their eyes fixed on the car. I could feel their stares, and I knew they were curious about who was inside. It was the last thing I wanted, but there was no escaping it.

“Hey?” a knock came on the window, I gripped my bag and heaved a tired sigh before opening the door. I forced out a smile when I came face to face with Natasha, Matt’s monthly girl.

Her eyes widened upon seeing me and her lips curved into an angry smile. Before she or her friends could say anything, I gently moved her aside. “Please excuse me.” I blurted, scrambling out of the parking lot.