It Comes In Three's

Chapter 28

Alex’s POV

“Lottie?! Can you come out and speak to me?” I announce loudly to make my presence known, closing her bedroom door behind me as I enter – only to find that she was in the bathroom…

I wait a minute or so, before approaching the door, and just as I am about to knock-

“Y–Yeah?” The door opens, as she pokes her head out first, before exiting fully.

She was still in her cheer uniform, which I’m assuming meant that she had been wondering around in the cold like this for hours…

I frown at the thought, as she watches me before quickly diverting her gaze down to her feet – something she tends to do often. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Her face looked puffy and swollen from crying, as I tilt my head to study her for a minute before speaking-

“Why did you run off?” I ask, although I felt that I already knew the answer…

“Uh… I… just felt sick… yeah so I thought it would be best to leave… then I… kinda got lost.” Lottie babbles out, avoiding all eye contact as I bite back the laugh that rises in my throat.

“Really? But you didn’t go to the bathroom? Instead you just wandered around town – in the cold – wearing that tiny uniform.” I state, unable to hide my disapproval.

With that, she looks up at me, the confusion buried deep behind her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter where I went or why I left.” This time she surprises me, as she holds my eye contact and attempts to be firm with the sentence.

Feisty…

I can’t help myself but smile now, enjoying that she had, for the first time, tried to be stern with me… maybe this means she’s no longer terrified of me?

I was dead certain that after Saturday night, I had completely scared the shit out of her…

“Well doll, I think you are bullshitting me right now… I think you ran off for another reason.” I cock, a brow, as I lean forward to be more on her eye level – causing her mouth to drop ever so slightly.

“W–What?” She quickly returns to her nervous self, suffocating under my dominance, as I nod slowly.

“You want to know what I really think?” The sentence comes out slowly as she nods once being held under my trance.

“I think… that you were jealous.” I state, before breaking the tension and taking a step back to observe her fully.

Her eyebrows knit together, as her eyes dart around the room – anywhere to avoid my gaze as she becomes increasingly uncomfortable and overwhelmed with the accusation.

“N–No… I wasn’t… we were never…” Lottie attempts to scamper for words, using her hands in an attempt to string a sentence together – failing miserably.

“Admit it.” I state, feeling somewhat guilty for the game I was choosing to play with her, however I was devilishly enjoying the effect I seemed to have on her at the same time…

She falls silent, shaking her head as she looks down at the floor, as I wait a moment for her to respond.

The comment was for fun, a lighthearted joke, all until I saw the single tear fall from her face landing on the floor beneath her.

F**king hell!

“Are you crying?” I find myself asking the obvious, as she remains silent and refuses to answer me.

Why did I have to come up here and make her cry again? I thought we would somehow laugh it out and just get over it!

“Come here!” I command, my tone soft yet stern, as she shake her head and refuses me.

“Lottie don’t cry… just come here!” I demand, waving her over to me with my hand as she shakes her head again and wipes her wet cheek – evidently now embarrassed.

The girl has clearly been through a lot in the past and here I come in playing mind games with the poor thing!

With that thought, the sharp stab of guilt strikes me, causing me to storm my way across to her – wasting no time before embracing her in

my arms.

I hold her, as she lets out a small sob, causing my hand to instinctively rub her back in comfort.

“Stop!” I tell her, not liking that I had made her cry again tonight.

“This… is silly…” Lottie cries into my chest, as I inhale a deep breath hearing her broken tone.

It is f**king silly she’s right…

“I know.” I agree, as she shakes her head and attempts to push me back however I don’t allow it.

I grip her tighter, not wanting to break contact just yet, and instead feel a stronger need to protect her again.

“We aren’t together… I was just being… stupid!” She whimpers again in to my chest, as I grit my teeth.

“You weren’t being stupid.” I confirm, as she shakes her head to disagree with me.

I sigh, eventually deciding to break away from the embrace, as she takes the chance to wipe at her face again. I then grab her wrist, before leading her over towards her bed – which she surprisingly doesn’t protest to.

We both sit, before I wrap an arm around her and pull her close to me again…

I’ve never comforted a female until I met her… I never cared enough until I met her….

“I overreacted!” Lottie sniffles and admits, as I smirk slightly to myself knowing that in actual fact it was me who overreacted…

“Lottie listen… I’m the one that overreacted and lost my shit!” I turn slightly to study her reaction as I speak, unsure of why I was actually admitting to my own faults.

Probably because I felt guilty for upsetting her now…

“You want the real truth?” I ask, as her eyes look up at me, her long dark lashes blinking a couple of times before she nods once.

I don’t know why, but this girl drew me in like nobody ever has done before…

I clear my throat, preparing myself for the shame of my admission, as I straighten up-

“When I watched you dancing around on that field in that tiny uniform. letting that dude lift you up and touch you… I lost my f**king shit.” I admit, gritting my teeth at the memory, knowing now that I had fully overreacted.

She’s not my girlfriend…

“W–What?” Lottie looks astonished by my words, as I nod once to show that I meant them before continuing-

“I was the one that got f**king jealous… I’ve never felt jealous the way feel with you… It felt like you were betraying me even though we aren’t together!” I rant, clenching my hands into fists to control my temper in an attempt to not scare or upset her again.

“I wanted you to feel the same way I felt… I wanted you to feel betrayed… and so I kissed that b*tch in–front of you for a reaction!” I look away from her, feeling disgusted with the thought of kissing Tiffany of all people.

Lottie was different, she wasn’t a slut. She has standards unlike myself!

“I was selfish and wanted to keep you all to myself!” I’m shocked at my own words, unsure of where they came from, however I don’t deny

them.

I do want her… I don’t want anybody else to touch her… I don’t want anything bad to happen to her… ever since I kissed her, and seen

those marks, I feel a strong need to keep her safe now!

“So with all of that… I’m f**king sorry.” I turn to her, seeing her watering eyes staring back at me as she remains in total shock from everything I had just said.

I wait a second, a slight embarrassment growing within me, feeling as though I had exposed my weakness for the first time in my life…

before she offers me a small smile – making the honesty worth it.

“Will you… stay the night and cuddle… just like Friday?” I nearly collapse at the request, feeling my heart rate pick up as I instantly agree.

1

I pull her to me, laying us both back on her bed as I hold her – rubbing small circles on her arm until her breathing becomes steady and she falls asleep…

–

What the f**k are we at this point? Who knows? But all I do know is, I won’t let anybody else have her – she’s now claimed mine without knowing it!

Mine…