Chapter 21: 21. Obligation

"You should be yourself around here. I am not angry, so... you can leave." Derek said. He was trying to be displeased but it wasn't working. What was all this?

Yes! She should just leave.

"Really? You're... not angry?" Her eyes lit up and a broad smile broke on her face.

Why was she happy? Right. She expected him to be angry. Did she think so shallow of him to get angry over such petty things? Was that how she saw him? A sudden urge to clear that idea she had about him rushed through him. He wasn't that bad, was he?

He found himself walking towards her in slow steps. He had no idea what he wanted to do or say. When he was about two feet close he stopped. That was the closest he had been to her so far, and it felt... What was this feeling?

He couldn't figure it out. He just knew he liked it. Strangely. And he wished he could take a step further, but he saw how surprised she was and her drumming heartbeat was a little too loud he could hear.

He towered over her with his tall stature and looked down at her. She now had her eyes darting everywhere else but on him. She seemed to have forgotten to breathe and she was almost trembling under his scrutiny. And that seemed to even hurt him more. Was this how he affected people? Was this how people feared his presence?

Suddenly he felt like taking a step back, but his legs did the exact opposite. He took another step closer. His body wasn't even listening to him in front of this lady. How interesting, he thought sarcastically. His hand itched to remove the strand of her from her face but he tried to stop himself by clenching his fists.

Rory gasped breathlessly and clutched her fists into her tunic as she panicked. Her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Was this what Esther warned her about? Was this why no one came up to him? Oh no! She would surely leave here with a broken bone!

Or maybe not. She would try to apologise. Yes! But then her breath once again got caught in her throat when she saw him slowly lifting his hand to her face. She instinctively flinched a little and slowly looked up into his eyes, intending to plead for her dear life, but their gazes locked and she forgot whatever she wanted to say.

Those grey eyes were nothing she had seen before.

Her lips slightly parted for air. She felt his hot eyes boring deep into her soul and melting her. Up close, his eyes looked like silver orbs, and his lashes made them look like the moon hidden behind some bushes. His perfectly trimmed brows seemed relaxed today, unlike other days when he had a serious expression.

Her eyes travelled down to his firm lips. She wished to touch them... She forced her eyes to remain on his face and not travel to his naked chest.

The rest of her thoughts got distorted when she felt his hand on her face. Her eyes widened as he slowly brushed some strands of hair from her face and carefully tucked it behind her ear. His fingers on her skin felt cold, yet her insides were melting. Her stomach felt funny and she quickly averted her gaze.

His hand gently cupped her face under her ear. And as if that wasn't shocking enough, he leaned closer towards the side of her face, an action that trapped all air around her.

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked the obvious, his hot breath fanning her neck. She slightly trembled and stiffened. Her shoulders raised as she tensed up. He pulled away and looked into her eyes for an answer.

Rory found herself thinking about the question.

Was she afraid of him?

She looked back into his eyes as if searching for an answer. She tried to find reasons to be afraid of him.

Why should she be afraid? What did he do to them? Her mother was still alive. And she was not being treated harshly like before. And he looked... He looked like someone who couldn't hurt her. How could she be afraid of someone like this? She suddenly felt light headed and dizzy. Was she thinking too much?

She slowly shook her head, answering his question while their gazes still locked on each other, but she felt uneasy and her chest tightened.

"Breathe, Aurora."

Oh yes, she wasn't breathing. That explained the uneasiness.

She took a sharp breath and closed her eyes, her shoulders slowly lowered and her muscles relaxed before she slowly opened her eyes again. His eyes were still on her. In hers.

"You're not afraid of me?" He asked as if he wasn't expecting that answer, and she shook her head again after a short while. His thumb slowly caressed her round cheek. His eyes travelled down to her lips but he quickly looked back into her eyes.

"Good. You don't have to be." He said in a tone that shocked both himself and Rory. His voice came out as gentle as never before. He had not heard that voice himself. Was someone using his body now? Was he possessed?

Rory found herself nodding stiffly at his words. She seemed hypotized and was just staring into his eyes inflinchingly now.

"I will never hurt you." Derek said again, his voice sounding firm and his expression serious.

Was that a promise?

Rory nodded again, this time, she was a bit relaxed. She rather felt emotional. She saw something in his eyes. Loneliness. He looked so lonely. She had not seen him interact with those in the mansion as freely as to be considered as his friends.

After knowing what happened to him, she felt like he was even lonelier and needed someone close by. Could she be that person for him? Strangely she wanted to.

She wanted to help him open up. If he had allowed her to his side of the mansion and had not been angry when he entered his room like Esther said, then maybe that was a good sign. She could start by bringing his food from now. Or maybe checking up on him every morning.

She began to think of ways to help him. She now felt a strong obligation to help him out of this shell he had put himself in.

----

Esther was pacing back and forth in nervousness. It had been almost thirty minutes since Rory when up there, but she was not back. She had gone to the stairs for the nth time now and contemplated on going up there to check up on her , but she was so scared to go.

Her nails were almost depleting from biting on them out of nervousness. She had already started blaming herself for not stopping her. She should have just ignored her and gone to look for Hayford. It would have even been better if she had gone there herself instead of Rory. Now what would she do?

It was a good thing she decided to wait till she was back before she would serve them else their food would have been cold by now.

She sat down in one of the couches in the parlour, facing the stairs, but she got up right after. She couldn't even think straight. What should she do? What should she...

Her eyes lit up suddenly as an idea popped up. Hayford. Why didn't she even think of him? She should go and look for him.

She quickly left for the backyard where Hayford sat relaxed at the pavilion. He saw her running towards him and he frowned. He got up and met her midway.

"What happened?"

"Um... Rory went up there." She said, panting a little from the short run coupled with nervousness.

Hayford's frown deepened. Up there? "Isn't that where she stays?"

"Yes. She... She sent food up there. And she's not back yet."

"What are you even saying? Can't she eat in her room?" Hayford's face was still twisted in a frown. "Calm down and tell me why you're so bothered with her eating in her room."

Esther took a deep breath. She was so hyped up she wasn't framing her statement rationally.

"She sent the boss' food upstairs to him. And she's not back." She finally said. "I'm so nervous. I told her I would call you to send it to him but she stubbornly decided to do it herself."

Hayford tried to understand the whole situation. The blonde girl sent food to the boss' room and she's not back yet. And then... What?

"Maybe she went back to her room after that."

"Please go up there and check on her. And confirm she's back in her room. I doubt that because she has not eaten yet."

Hayford felt a bit annoyed. So he got worried for nothing? He thought it was something serious. But it looked like the blonde girl sent herself into her own trouble.

Why should he care? He hated her because of her father. In fact, he still did. But after he was punished by Derek for slapping and mishandling her, he had learnt his lesson and tried to act nice. Only God knew how much he disliked being around her. She reminded him of her father's betrayal.

"Okay. I'll just go and check." He finally agreed and Esther sighed in relief.