𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐠'𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 | 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 1

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 9 - Falling for the Gang Leader

| Jayla's POV

“It surprisingly tastes pretty good,” I commended Aaryan for this exceptionally delicious dish. It's flavourful with a mouthwatering aroma capable of making a vegan a meat eater. “I like it!”

He smiled flatteringly, the look in his eyes soft and fervent – I notice he barely touched his food, only playing around with it with the fork. Each time he stirs the macaroni and cheese on the white plate he looks up at me, faintly smiling. His behavior is strange, not something I'm used to, but I don't mind. At least he's not bullying me.

“Can you stop looking at me with those eyes?” I said, frowning at the way he looks at me.

He cocked his head to the side, interlocking his fingers under his chin.

“What eyes?” he blinked ever so slowly, with a pricelessly innocent smile. “Watchu mean?”

“Don't play dumb you know exactly what I'm talking about,” I glare intensely at him, lifting a glass of orange juice to my lips and taking a quick drink before sitting it down with a clank. “Is this your house? Or are you renting it?”

“I grew up here, with my parents. They were shot dead at a gas station when I was eight,” Aaryan pushes the plate aside. “This place is full of memories, both good and bad, some worse. I don't live here, I just swing by to clean up and throw massive parties. That's how I make my bread.”

“Oh,” I look down at the half-empty plate, “Does that mean you don't work?”

“Of course I do. I work as a mechanic downtown and I volunteer at an animal shelter. Selling crack at parties just brings in more profit, and when I get paid to take someone out,” he articulated with an abnormal calmness. “I also play basketball.”

“You're a basketball player?” I almost choked on the food. “How? When? Where? Why?”

He blinked and looked away from me.

“Did I say something wrong?” I was worried if I'd offended him but he shook his head.

“Nah. I'm just surprised that you don't remember me, well, anything from that one Saturday. I'm the Captain of the Blood City basketball team that beat Fioreville's team. After we won you approached me half-drunk and asked me to kiss you,” he swept his thumb over his lower lip, then pressed on it.

“Ain't no way. I would never do that!” this is one of his lame jokes. There's no way I would've done that, I have self-control. Even if he is the Captain of the team that won, I would never – in a millennium – ask for a kiss from a total stranger.

“Ask Kendra then,” he smirked.

My heart plummeted.

“Exactly what happened that night, Aaryan. I want the truth,” I push the plate away and lean back on the stylish wooden chair. “Tell me everything.”

“After the kiss, your friend pulled you aside and tried warning you about me, but you were too love-struck to care. Not sure how I ended up here, but I did and I saw you dancing alone with some fellas eye-fucking you. I tried dragging your drunk ass to a room where you'd be safe but you pulled me on top of you and we kissed, again.

“I don't clearly remember what happened next, but I know we fucked, and I know you were in a lot of pain,” he tore his eyes away from mine, diverting them to a lamp on the counter. “I was drunk from all the booze the boys gave me, I wasn't thinkin' straight. After I woke up and saw the blood on the sheets I panicked and left before you could wake up. I took your virginity, unknowingly and unintentionally. And I apologize for that.”