Unfamiliar feelings

“Rose…” he uttered her name, calmly. His eyes looked at her with a seemingly steely decision–a decision to send this girl away, as far away from himself as possible.

Since the night he first laid eyes on her in that forest, he had felt that she was likely a kind-hearted, gentle, and virtuous girl; an aura she appeared to ooze.

He discerned it from the way she talked and their interactions – a hint that she might have lived a sheltered life. He would even wager that she had been raised with strong values and he matured into a person of decency and compassion.

That's one of the reasons he had initially dubbed her “little fox” - she just emitted an aura of purity akin to freshly fallen snow, a striking contrast to his nature. The girl’s eyes were so clear. Unlike his, her eyes spoke of life, they weren't dead, and it was as if they were unable to hide any secret at all.

His first impression of her was that she was like an untouched river, clear and pure but also vigorous. But then she suddenly told him she wanted to experience his world of hell, even offering herself to him despite his warnings. What made her do it, bravery or stupidity?

He didn't know, but her actions just kept on contradicting his judgment of her he decided to believe that he might be wrong this time, even believing that she was just acting timid and innocent to try and get close to him like so many other women had previously done.

So now that he had finally confirmed that she wasn’t pretending to be coy, anger welled up within him, directed at both himself and her. A girl like her belonged to a comfortable, peaceful, and bright place. He couldn't fathom the idea of dragging her into his dark, dangerous world – his hell.

“I am not the man for you,” he whispered with a stern expression on his face, and before she could even respond, he picked up her dress and gave it to her. “Dress up. I'll wait for you in the garden,” he added and just like that, he left, leaving Rose alone in the huge room.

Looking at her crumpled dress in her hands, Rose but her lips. The words ‘I am not the man for you’ echoed repeatedly in her head and she didn't know why but it stung her hard. She had failed.

So this was how it felt to be rejected… this stinging feeling in her heart; she didn't know that it felt like this.

Rose had always been the one to rebuff her would-be admirers. She had never been on the receiving end of rejection before maybe because no one had ever sparked her interest. She had not met anybody who was able to evoke that desire in her, to want to be with them.

No one had ever made her behave this fearlessly until she met this mysterious Mr. Caleb. She heard him – he didn't want her, which was supposed to be a good thing in the first place.

As she quietly put on her dress, Rose’s thoughts were in chaos. She had told him that she would come back once she gained more experience so that she could pass his test, but the rejection that followed crashed her resolve, hard.

She was caught so off guard by all these unfamiliar feelings and new experiences that she didn't know how to even cope. Rose felt like crying. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes but she wouldn't let them. Closing her eyes, she pushed her tears and took deep, steadying breaths to calm her mind and her heart.

Once she felt more in control of herself, she walked to the door and left the room. When she reached the garden and saw him standing there, facing the dark sky, Rose bit her lips.

Mr. Caleb felt her presence and immediately walked toward her. He led her silently down the stairs and out of the building until they reached the car that Mr. Man in the black jacket drove to fetch her. They both sat inside the car; she, in the passenger seat, and he, in the driver’s seat. Still, no one spoke a single word.

After some minutes, the car finally stopped in front of Amelia’s apartment. The car sat idling but Rose didn't move to climb out of the car.

“Miss Rose,” he finally broke the silence and Rose lifted her face to look at him with a determined look on her face.

“Mr. Caleb, what's your name?” she asked, and the man’s brows slightly creased. “I'm not going to climb out of your car until you tell me,” she added, causing the man’s lips to curve up slightly. His smile mirrored the one from the night they had initially met. His intention seemed clear – to intimidate her once more and drive her away.

“Miss Rose, I don't see any reason why you still want to know my name but okay, I will indulge you one last time. I might as well introduce myself before we part,” he stated a sense of granting her parting favor evident in his tone. “Caleb Nightshade,” he added.

“Caleb Nightshade,” she echoed under her breath.

“It's late,” he then sighed.

Reluctantly, Rose opened the door, casting one last glance at him before stepping out of the car. After shutting the door, an abrupt impulse seized her, prompting her to circle back and tap on the driver’s side window.

As the window rolled down, Rose signaled him to move close to her because she wanted to whisper something to him. The man did what she wanted, with a deadpan expression.

Out of nowhere, a kiss landed on his cheek. His eyes widened for a split second.

Abi offered him a smile. “Goodnight, Caleb. Until we meet again, soon I hope,” she said, then swiftly turned and darted away.