The Forbidden Desires 04

I tied my hair in a messy bun while typing my report on my laptop. It's already vacation now but Mrs. Monte left me some tasks that will help for the upcoming school year.

The chair I was sitting on spun around in surprise as the door to my room suddenly opened. I stood up when I saw Silas enter and only wearing his lower clothes. I couldn’t help but stare at his body. His hair was damp as his toned stomach with eight-pack abs were shining because of sweat.

I took cautious steps as I approached him. Even though I hadn't locked the door… I hoped he wouldn't just walk in so casually. I used to be quite childish back in the province, but after he brought me here, I became more careful about how I should behave. I'm cautious about showing my true nature because I'm afraid of his reaction—afraid to be scolded. It felt like his eyes, like that of a hawk, were often fixed on me, waiting for me to make a mistake.

“Would you please knock next time?” I asked with my low voice.

I didn't mean any harm but I noticed his eyes darken.

“Why? Are you hiding something in your room?” he asked ruggedly.

He glanced at my room. His gaze stopped at me. I quickly shook my head and closed my craft notebook, where I had been working on a report.

"No, not really. I was just startled by your entrance. I'm not used to—"

“What’s that?”

He approached the closed notebook and seemed suspicious as he opened it again. I avoided looking at his body because I could smell the mixture of sweat and his cologne. The window was open and the breeze from outside was touching his body, wafting towards me.

“What’s this?” he asked again, his eyebrows furrowed as he read what I had written.

"It's a report for one of my subjects."

I opened two more notebooks and showed him the other subjects I was working on. Although they weren't required, they were left for me to do before the vacation so I'd have something to occupy myself with since I wasn't allowed to leave Grandpa's hacienda.

“You won’t need it. You will study in a real school this year.”

He forcefully closed my notebooks and took them off my desk. His lips twitched watching me. I was taken aback by what he said and it must have shown in my eyes.

"I'll be studying at a school? A real school?"

I lowered my gaze to his arms. I wanted to touch him as I asked but I refrained from doing so as his arms were moist with sweat. I could see small scars on his stomach and arms and there was even a round scar. My gaze lingered on them which caused him to lower his gaze to his own body, following the scars I was looking at.

“These are gunshots . . .”

I let out a quiet gasp at his revelation.

'A gunshot wound? How did he get those?'

“We will go to your school. I'll accompany you for enrollment."

I smiled and nodded. I had been sheltered all my life. I was just confined to the hacienda-mansion. Even when I studied, I only faced my laptop. I have pictures of me when I was a child. Maybe I was about nine or eleven years old, but surprisingly, I don’t remember what happened during those times. If I count, it would be about ten years.

According to Silas, we met during those times, but he's absent from my memory. Could that be possible? At that age, I should remember something even if it was a long time ago. It's as if all the images from that time have been erased from my mind. If I could remember, could Silas have been there, as he claims?

“Get your clothes ready. You're coming with Gineth and I. . .” he said then turned his back.

I accidentally hit the chair behind me, making a noise as I let out a loud sigh. Silas paused before leaving. He turned to look at me with his cold gaze. My eyes widened as I stared at his back.

The scars on his back looked scary. There were so many of them, and they seemed to be caused by sharp objects. There were also small circular burns—smaller than the gunshot wound on his stomach and arms.

"What happened to your back?"

My hands trembled as I pointed at his back. I didn’t notice it when I almost fell on the stairs. It was probably because the light there was dim while the sunlight could get here from the window.

I forced myself not to stare and looked back at his eyes; they were cold. The corner of his mouth lifted for a smirk.

“You know where it came from...” He grinned coldly. “Pack your things. We’re leaving tonight...” He said then walked outside, holding my notebooks.

"What does he mean? I know what the scars on his back are from. But how would I know?" I questioned myself, staring at the closed door.

He's indeed a mystery. Why doesn't he just tell me so that I’ll know? He often implies that we met several times before he took me from the hacienda. Yet, even if I gaze into his eyes, I can't remember him.

I began to pack my things like he instructed. I was left thinking of the scar on his body so it was late when I realized he planned to take me to where he planned to go with Gineth. I smiled. I thought he would not take me because of what he said at the table yesterday.

“Give me your bag.”

I immediately handed him my bag. The last thing I want to do is to annoy him. I smiled and watched him put my bag in the compartment of his car. I bought a huge bag for a week’s stay there. It wasn’t their house but his grandparents were a caretaker of it. They often visit the house to help their grandparents.

“Get inside. We’re leaving. . .” He glanced at me once before he circled to get inside the driver’s seat.

I combed my long hair with my fingers before opening the door of the passenger seat. Neth smiled at me, who was also sitting there but Silas was glaring before I got inside.

“What do you think of me? Your driver?”

My eyes widened as I glanced at the front seat next to him. I closed the door again and moved to the front. Gineth should be sitting here instead of me. But she just closed her eyes in the backseat and seemed to want to sleep there comfortably.

“Sorry . . .” I asked apologetically while caging myself in place with the seatbelt.

He just snorted and started to drive. Neth was already asleep at the back when I glanced at her. Silas stopped at the fast food chain we drove by. He must have planned to buy some food. I planned to wake up Gineth but she sleeping soundly.

“They don’t have drive-thru. Come with me . . .” His voice had always been rough and seemed to always have been irritated at me.

I immediately stepped down before he gets mad. I moved behind him and we stood behind the line of other customers.

He stood there like a statue, not even sparing a glance at the people watching us now. I only get to see this on the television but this was the first time I stepped inside this kind of restaurant for the last ten years that I remember. Meeting Silas made me wonder why I hardly remember anything from my childhood.

“Move here in front of me . . .”

He glanced at me over his shoulder. I shook my head but he grabbed my arm gently. A man was standing behind me when I glanced behind me. I pouted after being moved to the front. I touched the arm Silas held. He was only using two of his fingers and he had grabbed me gently as if he was forced to touch me. It was as though he was disgusted to be closer to me.

The line moved and so got closer to the counter. When it was our turn, I caught the ladies working behind the counters’ audible gasps. They glanced at Silas and would stop from what they were doing for him. One of them was blushing when she asked about our order. Meanwhile, this man standing next to me looked so grumpy. He did not mind showing any emotion on his face at all when it was evident he noticed the women nearly losing it because of him. I had the same impression of him at first. Somehow, his image looks pretty unusual that you cannot just see it from anywhere.

We continued our trip. Gineth woke up a while ago to eat. So do Silas and I. He ate while driving. I couldn’t help but watch him while he took a bite from his burger. If he were telling the truth that I saw him before already, it would have been impossible to forget that face so why would I not remember?

He glanced at me and caught me red-handed. He looked grumpy as he looked away and did not question why I was staring. Some more minutes later and we reached our destination. It was inside a vast land and a tall iron gate. Inside it was also spacious but it was an asphalt road and the entire house was surrounded by land. It was a bungalow house.

I glanced at Silas when I caught him grinning while directly watching a short-haired girl wearing a black dress. There was something wrapped around her waist, and there was a gun there.

“Wow! Did Ate Elle cut her hair short? It suits her!”

I glanced at Gineth because of what she said. She glanced at me and noticed the question plastered on my face. But my attention shifted back to Silas as he stepped out of the car to greet the woman with a kiss on the cheek.

“Oh, you don’t know her yet! That’s Ate Elle! She’s the niece of this house’s owner. She’s staying here with her dad.”

I nodded and didn’t take my eyes off Silas and the woman. They were laughing at each other. He put his arm around her shoulder. Then they were out of our sight as they entered the house together.