Chapter 23: Alarmingly Different
Music Rec.: Dasha – Austin (Boots Stop Workin')
Soft rays of sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the room. The light slowly crept across the bed, illuminating the tangled sheets and the figure lying in them.
Eira stirred and shifted before letting out a comfortable hum as she turned on her side to the right. She snuggled into the soft sheets beneath her and smiled faintly then one of her hands brushed against something warm and solid. Her smile faltered, and her brows furrowed in confusion. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, the grogginess of sleep still clouding her mind.
She blinked, trying to clear her vision. What she saw made her heart almost fly out of her chest.
A pair of violet eyes, illuminated by the sun, stared at her coldly, their gemstone-like brilliance catching the light in shades of purple, silver, and gold. But the warmth that was there before was gone, replaced by a distant, unreadable expression, as if all emotion had drained from him.
Lyle's gaze was detached, indifferent, his face devoid of any softness or familiarity. Eira's breath caught in her throat as she continued to stare, her hand still on his cheek.
Her pulse quickened as she locked eyes with him, confusion setting in. The violet eyes that once burned with overpowering warmth and possessiveness were now cold, lifeless, like glass reflecting the sunlight without warmth. His expression remained utterly detached, as if she were a stranger lying beside him.
Eira's hand trembled on his cheek, and she quickly withdrew it, her body hurriedly pulling away and turning to the sidetable where she picked up the night lamp and hurled it towards him. However, she was slow compared to him.
Without flinching, he held her hand that descended towards him and threw it aside effortlessly. But Eira didn't stop, the anger from yesterday erupted when he stared at her like she was nothing.
How fucking dare he?
After practically abducting her yesterday and making her feel after practically abducting her, making her feel trapped and almost helpless—a feeling she'd never felt even when her 8-year-old self was on the streets begging for food or even when they caught her stealing. And now...now the bastard was staring at her as if she was nothing?