SINFULLY YOURS

Chapter 60: Chapter 60. So Stubborn

Chapter 60. So Stubborn

The final rhythm of the song she had been playing finally flowed to a stop as she kept her eyes closed. Then she paused with a bright smile on her face, allowing the emotion the song had evoked in her chest to fill her up. She relaxed back against the chair, smiling contentedly with her eyes closed, and breathed out. She snapped her eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

Wow. That was great, she thought with a bright smile.

She tilted her head to the side and tapped the record button on the laptop to stop the recording. Then she glanced at her laptop screen to ensure that the file had recorded. She played the first verse and smiled to herself, chuckling, unable to stop the bubbly feeling in her chest. Her shoulders jerked, and her eyes watered.

Oh my God, Rosa, she thought. Why the hell are you about to cry over this little thing? she asked herself with a chuckle, shaking her head. She wiped her face.

She breathed out. "Well, I guess I’m done."

She looked around in satisfaction, her eyes darting left and right. Then, all of a sudden, her stomach grumbled. She frowned and placed her hand against her belly.

Oh shit, she thought.

The sharp pain of hunger instantly overrode her previous excitement. Fuck. Her fingers began to fumble. She looked around and suddenly noticed that the studio was darker than usual. The usual ray of light that flickered through the little window directly in front of her was gone. She blinked rapidly.

What the fuck? Did I lose track of time?

She glanced at her wristwatch. Exactly fifteen minutes to eight.

Holy fuck, she thought. It’s already getting dark.

Nervousness began to grip her. Her hands fumbled through her notes. She stared at the laptop and quickly downloaded the file directly into a folder. Once it was done, she connected her phone’s Bluetooth to the laptop and sent the file straight to her phone. Her fingers fumbled over the keys. She made sure the file was safely on her phone and played it in her music player.

She smiled when she heard the first tune, then quickly connected to her earpod, listening to the rhythm and nodding her head slowly with her right ear. It soothed her nerves.

Then she began to pack the rest of her belongings: her books and pen. Once everything was packed, she stood upright, shut down the laptop, switched off the recording devices, and ensured everything was safe and intact. She hugged the books to her chest, a smile on her face as the music continued to blare in her ear.

"Leaving already?" a sharp voice echoed in her uncovered ear.

She blinked rapidly and turned around quickly to see Don standing by the entrance, his arms folded, staring at her with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile. Her eyelids fluttered. She immediately avoided his gaze and looked to the side.

"Oh, um..." she began. She fidgeted and scratched her neck.

He frowned and tilted his head, his smile widening as he looked at her. She saw the amusement in his eyes. She scoffed and shook her head.

"Yeah," she said. "I have to... I have to be on my way. It’s late already."

He chuckled.

"Mia... Mia would be worried about me," she said quickly. "I told her I was going to be back earlier, because we have important things to do."

She was about to move, but his voice stopped her.

"Exactly. It’s late," he said.

She looked at him.

"What the hell are you thinking? It’s already dark, okay? It’s very dangerous to go out now. So why don’t you just relax and take a chill pill?"

She looked at his smiling face and chuckled, realizing what he was suggesting. She shook her head quickly.

"Oh yeah, right. I get you," she said nervously, her head shaking uncontrollably. "But you have nothing to worry about. Mia is coming to pick me up. Yeah, I’m going to call her right now," she said quickly, pulling out her phone and swiping through the screen.

Don leaned back against the doorframe, staring at her with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled, shook his head, and licked his lips.

"Mia is not coming to pick you up," he said all of a sudden.

Rosa froze. She blinked and slowly looked up at him. "What? What do you mean?"

He pushed away from the door and walked closer toward her, his hands in his pockets. Standing a few feet away, he pulled her phone from her hand, swiped away from her contacts back to the home screen, and switched it off. Then he gently placed it back in her hand.

She looked down at her phone, then lifted her eyes back to him.

"Mia already called me," he said. "Sounded like she was worried. She called to make sure you were safe. We had a little discussion, and she agreed that you can stay with me. So it’s not a good idea for you to be out right now. She has no intention of coming to pick you up."

Rosa frowned. She closed her eyes and breathed out.

Oh my God, Mia, really? she thought. Did you have to let your anger get the best of you and leave me in this situation?

She exhaled. Well, what could she say? She guessed Mia was still angry with her. She tilted her head. There was nothing she could do; she couldn’t fight this.

She felt him stepping closer and lifted her head to see him angling his head to the side, trying to get a better look at her face.

"So?" he asked.

There was a bemused smile in his eyes, as if he were waiting for her to refuse or put up a fight. She tilted her head to look back at him. His arms were folded as he stared down at her, his eyes raking over her face. Her eyelids fluttered as she quickly avoided his gaze again, looking off to the side.

Her arms tightened around herself, crushing the books held against her chest. She swallowed hard.

"Um, well, I..." she began, but she couldn’t formulate the words properly.

Jesus, why the hell does his presence completely fry my brain? she thought.

He chuckled and slowly stepped away from her. "Why the hell am I even waiting for a reply?" he said.

She looked back at him.

"It’s not like you have a choice anyway," he added.

She glared at him, her eyes narrowing, and scoffed. "Prick," she muttered under her breath.

He turned around. "I’m sorry, what?"

"Nothing," she replied, looking away, suddenly finding the ceiling fascinating.

He chuckled. "So, where are you going to sleep?"

She looked back at him, her head angled to the side as she shrugged. "I don’t know. Anywhere. Why are you asking me? Um, I will... I’ll sleep on the sofa."

The bright expression on his face instantly dropped. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I’ll sleep on the sofa in the living room. I mean, it’s quite comfortable. Very cozy," she said, closing her eyes and nodding to emphasize her point.

He stared at her, his mouth slightly open, then scoffed. "Ridiculous," he said, frowning at her. "I don’t understand. What about the room you were staying in before I returned?"

Rosa looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Why?" she asked. "I’m not a guest here."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you’re right. You’re not a guest." He stepped closer, forcing her to take a step back and look up at him. "You’re a close relative," he said with a smirk. "So why the hell would I let you sleep on the sofa?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Do close relatives touch their niece’s boobs?" she murmured.

He frowned, leaning closer to hear her. "What?"

Her eyelids fluttered as she shook her head rapidly. "Nothing. There’s no argument here. I will sleep in the living room."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I am more comfortable there," she said.

She side-stepped him and rushed out of the studio.

He frowned, taking a second to process what she had said. "What?!" he exclaimed, turning around to rush after her.

When he finally hurried down the stairs into the living room, he saw that she had already arranged her stuff on the sofa as neatly as she could. She had taken a throw pillow to use as a makeshift headrest. He stared at her in disbelief.

She turned to look at him and smiled. "Good night."

She took off her flip-flops, neatly tucked them beneath the sofa, and climbed up. Lying on her side, she stared ahead with her eyes wide open, tapping against the throw pillow. She could still feel him standing there, frozen at the foot of the sofa, refusing to move.

She turned to face him, her eyes darting left and right. "What?"

He scoffed, turning his head in amusement and disbelief.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He shook his head, trying to pull himself together. "Why the hell are you so stubborn?" he asked.

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