Once, my paranoid love

“Ah! You are hurting me, Paul,” I shouted as well.

“Do you think I care?” Paul spoke, and I started trying to loosen his grip, but I was not able to.

“Paul!” I arched my brows while saying, “I think my dad is at home; if I shouted for help, you can assume what could have happened.”

Paul softened his gaze as he heard me. But suddenly he spoke out with a heavy tone, “as if I care, Elena? Do you think I am fucking afraid of your dad? Don’t ever think about it.”

I sighed as I squeezed my eyes slightly while thinking, ‘This mad boy will make me crazy like him. I need to manage him by telling him something.’

“Paul, I am tired. Can we talk in the room?” I said.

There was a 90 percent chance he would say no to me, which he urged me about last night. Paul kept his gaze on me and suddenly loosened his grip on my waist and said, “You look so tired. I think we should talk in the room.”

I was not expecting that, so I was a bit surprised and pleased to think that I got some time to think. I slightly nodded and said, “OK…”

I turned back slowly and just stepped a foot. Suddenly, Paul again grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s go together.”

I pulled my hand from his palm with arching eyebrows, thinking what dad would think if he spotted us holding hands. And Paul’s mom would doubt something.

I stammered, “N… No, we can’t, Paul.”

“Why?” Again, Paul came near my face with a stern and desperate face.

I sighed while thinking, ‘No, I should handle him nicely. Let’s do what he wants.’

I slowly grabbed his hand and said, avoiding his gaze, “Let’s get in.”

Paul did not argue, but suddenly I felt him lightly squeeze my hands. My heart skipped a beat as I felt his hold. It seemed I was his girlfriend, and he treated me softly. I took a deep breath and thought, ‘It’s just an illusion. He has his Nikita; I am just his time-pass, nothing else.’

I and Paul entered the mansion together. As I entered, I spotted that my dad and Anne were having a conversation about something. I narrowed my eyes as I noticed my dad’s gloomy face.

‘What’s going on?’

I tried to pull my hand away, but Paul grabbed tightly. I gave him a sidelong glance with an annoyed face. He was acting like a spoiled, stubborn child. He was looking at me with big eyes. I rolled my eyes and called my dad, “Dad.”

“Elena,” my dad said unexpectedly, as if he didn’t expect me at that time.

“Where have you been, Elena?” Dad asked with a gloomy face.

“Dad, I was with Eva,” I said, but Anne rushed up to me and started flaunting her phony love, “Elena, baby.”

“Paul, honey, where did you find her? Did you just go to college?” Anne asked.

“I went, but I did not find Elena there, so I came back.” Paul straight-up answered in front of everyone. I pressed my lips together as I heard. I spotted my dad arching his brows, then suddenly Anne said while trying to laugh, “Oh, you did a good job, Paul. I was worried about her as well.”

Paul rolled his eyes and looked at the other side, ignoring his mom.

“Elena!” Anne then called out my name with a smile and said, “I missed you, dear.”

With a disgusted expression on my face, I glanced at her. I had no idea what to make of this woman sometimes. When my father was around me, I guessed she enjoyed showing her affection.

“Dad, what brings you home this time? Did you take a day off today?” I asked joyfully, ignoring her.

I noticed his somber tone, and he said, “Baby.”

He paused for a minute and then said with a smile and tired tone, “It’s just that I am a bit tired.”

“Dad, yesterday, where did that man take you and why?” I asked.

Dad looked at Anne with a startled expression. I moved my gaze to Anne to see what she was going to say. But she only smiled at my dad.

Dad parted his lips and said, “Baby, it is just for business purposes, nothing else.”

“Elena!” Anne suddenly called out my name, but in the middle, my dad interrupted her, “Anne, I am tired.”

I was not getting a good vibe from my dad; it seemed something happened; he was trying to hide something. I parted my lips to say something, but suddenly I felt Paul tighten his hold. I pressed my lips together to suppress my groans.

Paul wanted me to go upstairs; that’s why he was squeezing my hand. I tried to be normal and looked at Dad with a smile, then asked, “Dad, then you should take a rest.”

“Yes, dear, I will.”

**

Anne’s expression changed when she noticed Elena pressing her lips, and the way Paul and she were standing together, it felt so weird for her. She moved her gaze to Paul when she understood what had actually happened. She took a deep breath as she moved her gaze.

Seeing her appearance, it seemed she was expecting their behavior. Ann touched her forehead while looking around. As soon as she got the chance, she spoke out in the middle of the daughter and father’s conversation.

“I think you guys are tired. We will talk later, right, honey?” Anne said as she turned to Robert.

Robert did not respond to his wife and moved his gaze to the other side. He was still thinking about how he could tell Elena everything.

As Paul heard his mom’s, he pulled Elena’s hand while saying, “Let’s go, Elena.”

“Paul!” Elena spoke.

Robert narrowed his gaze and turned back at Paul. Anne went near Robert and said, while smiling, “Don’t worry, love. They have a lot of things to share.”

Paul took Elena upstairs. While looking at them, Robert uttered with an unmindful tone, “I see.”

**

“Ah!” Paul pushed me on the bed as we stepped inside. I propped myself up with my elbow and said, while looking at him, “What the hell do you want?”

“I don’t know… I am feeling so tired.” Paul said as he landed on me. He put his body weight on me. I arched my brows and tried to push him. “I can’t breathe, Paul. Get up from me.”

But as Paul heard me, he cupped my face and touched his lips with mine. He started kissing me softly; at that point, I became so shocked that I could not even push him away. I slowly shut my eyes, responded to his kiss, and parted my lips for him.

‘Why?’

I cracked my eyelids and spotted his long eyelashes. His eyes were closed. I quickly broke the kiss and moved my face to the other side as his disrespectful words echoed in my mind.

“Just why should I?’

I said in a tired tone, “Paul, I studied the whole night. I am so tired.”

“Really?”

“Did you really go with Eva last night?” He asked.

I exhaled a heavy sigh and said, “Why would I lie to you?”

I felt his sharp eyes still on me. I was trying to avoid his gaze. What if he caught me lying?Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Elena!” He said as he started rolling my hair with his finger.

“Let’s shower together.” As I heard him, I turned my face to him. His ocean blue eyes locked on me.

‘Sometimes I feel I know this man. He is familiar with me. Then, when I start reaching out to hold his hand, he becomes unfamiliar. His words and his attitude toward me became strange.’ I took a deep breath and tightened my jaw. If I let him do whatever he wanted, he would take me for granted. And if, by any chance, he spotted the bite marks on my body, he would create another mess with me.

“N… No.” I held my head and stammered. I had to push him away from there as soon as possible.

“I don’t want to take a shower. I told you I was tired; please leave me.” I said.

I felt him slowly get up from me. I opened my eyes slowly and then heard Paul, “I… I am sorry. I didn’t mean to slap you. Did it hurt?”

I sat up and lowered my gaze as I heard him. I pressed my lips together while thinking about why he had to mention that. Was he trying to be nice to me again? I held my dress tightly and said, “I am not feeling well. Can you please leave me alone?”

Paul arched his brows, and slowly his expression changed. Without even a single thought, Paul grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him.

“Paul!”

“Are you trying to avoid me, Elena?” Paul asked, and his gaze was stern.