CHAPTER TWENTY

THIRD PERSON'S POV

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She was scared now after slapping him.

It was all evident in her eyes. The fear was clear in her brown orbs.

And he could see it too. Too clearly.

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't grasp that she has slapped him.

But as usual her anger overpowered her.

Her emotions, she was unable to control them.

She knew she shouldn't have done it. They were outside the store and thus reminded her that Maria was also supposed to be with them.

With a frantic look around, she sighed in relief on not seeing Maria anywhere.

She must have already left.

There were so many people out in the street who might have witnessed this incident. And provided what Xander's reputation is, she feared what he'd do now.

Slapping such a known celebrity in public was not a small thing.

He could clearly see how scared she was and he didn't like it a bit.

He know what she was thinking but he didn't care about that, he didn't care about people staring at them, he didn't care about the whispers starting to form in the crowd.

He was looking at her straight.

Beating himself mentally for saying such things to her, he unknowingly stepped forward towards her shivering form.

And she consciously stepped back.

Her stepping back made him still.

He didn't know why he said those words to her.

He was mad at something else but he vent all his anger on her. He tried, he really tried to control himself.

But just like her, he also didn't have a control on his emotions and in the process he hurt her.

He never wanted to do that but he doesn't know how to make things right now.

He could see she wanted to say something.

And by the looks of it, it seemed that she wanted to apologize whereas it should be him who should say sorry.

They were getting comfortable with each other during these past few days but nah, he had to go and ruin everything.

He stepped forward again to which she took a step back.

He doesn't want to make her more scared than she already is.

So in an attempt to maker her stay still at her place, he put forward his hands so as to try to grab her shoulders and the key word being tried.

'Cause she suddenly flinched on seeing his hands up in the air like that and covered her face with her hands, palms facing towards him.

And this hurt him.

Did she serious.... seriously think that...that he , he would hit her?

Shutting his eyes tightly for a second, he opened them again so as to speak in a much calmer manner.

"I...I didn't.....I didn't mean to...."

He slowly tried to put his hands on her shoulders.

Scarlett was also carefully listening to him but she was still trembling.

"I didn't mean to say...." he again tries.

Never got to complete what he wanted to say, nor did Scar got to listen to it because she herself started to wiggle out of his hold on her.

She didn't say anything. Her eyes were saying it all. She was still afraid, still thinking he might do something bad to her and her mind was making up all the worst case scenarios.

On seeing her trying to get out of his hold, his grip only tightened on her.

"Leave....me" she croaked out.

Even her voice was shaking.

Scar doesn't cry easily but if someone shouts at her, her tears gather themselves in her eyes.

She desperately wanted to go somewhere away from him.

His hold loosened on seeing how he messed up big time.

When his grip loosened, she quickly turned around and walked fast, ran would be a good option too to describe how quickly she went away from him.

The left side of his chest pained a little on seeing this. He didn't know why the heck he said all those things to her? Why?

Why ?Why?

He convinced himself there wasn't a reason. But there was.

His rose doesn't love him.

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Scarlett walked away from there as fast as possible.

She was trembling with fear. She didn't know what made her slap him.

Maybe she did, maybe the way he showed his superiority triggered her anger, maybe his accusing tone made her slap him.

But what's done has been done.

After reaching quite far away from the store and him, she stopped for a moment to take a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes, a vintage looking store came in her view. It looked beautiful and warm and welcoming.

Scar immediately made her mind to go there. It will give her something else to think about other than what just happened.

It was a bookstore. And one can't stop a booklover from going into a bookstore.

She went inside and was in awe at seeing all the hardcovers inside. They were so pretty and beautiful and it seemed as if they were calling out to her to buy them.

She reached for her purse but then feeling around she realised she didn't carry her purse today.

Sulking a little, she decided to talk to the store owner if they could let her select the books she want and keep them aside so that she can come back later and pay.

This seemed like a good idea.

She walked towards the counter. An old aged lady was sitting behind it with her spectacles placed on her nose. It looked like she was immersed in reading a book.

"Good morning" Scar smiled.

Upon hearing her voice, the old lady looked up and gave a kind smile to her.

"Hello, dear." She had a distinct accent in her voice and Scar was curious about it.

"That accent....."

"Yeah, you noticed?" The old lady was a bit surprised as many people don't notice such things.

Scar nodded slightly.

"I'm Brazilian." She said with a smile.

"That explains the strong accent." Scar smiled along with her.

"I'm Scarlett." Scar offered her hand.

"Marcia" The old lady answered shaking her hand.

"So what does a young lady like you is looking for? A Steamy hot romance book?"

Wiggling her eyebrows, Marcia playfully asked.

Scar blushed at her words.

"I actually don't know what I'm looking for."

"Why dear?"

Scar just shrugged her shoulders a little. They talked a little more about random things when Marcia suddenly asked her,

"Okay tell me, do you have a boyfriend?"

The question was so unexpected that Scar was silent for a moment but maybe her mind wasn't cause it immediately went to a certain black haired man with bluish green eyes.

Her mood dampened a little in thinking about him.

But she quickly composed herself and said, " no, I don't."

Marcia didn't look convinced but she let that go. She could feel that Scar was upset but she didn't question it.

"I... I wanted to ask.." Scar started.

Marcia nodded along telling her to continue.

"I actually don't have my purse with me right now....and ...so ...I mean ...." She took a deep breath.

"CanIchoosethebookstokeepasideandIpromiseIwillpaylater"

Marcia was confused. She smiled a little but a frown was placed on her forehead showing she didn't understand a bit.

"I mean... Can I choose the books if you don't mind and keep them aside. I promise I'll come back later to pay."

She nervously asked looking down at the tiled floor.

Marcia smiled on hearing her.

"Of course, you can. Now go fast , select your books." Flicking her hands, she gestured in a going away manner to her.

Scarlett's mood visibly brightened on hearing this. She immediately turned around and went towards the last row.

She always did this, it was a habit of hers to always start from the last row.

Wondering through the last row, she was in awe to see it all covered with hardcovers.

Glancing around, she saw a kid in the second last row on the left side.

Scar wondered what he might be doing there as the children's section was in the other end of the store.

It looked like he needed help.

She walked towards him.

"Hey, little guy." She greeted him bending down to his level by sitting on her knees.

The little boy, on seeing her, smiled.

"So, looks like you need some help. Which book do you want?" She asked ruffling his hair a bit.

He pointed his small finger in the direction of the bookshelf.

It pointed towards the fourth shelf in it.

"This one?" Putting her finger on the black hardcover which was the first book in that row, she asked.

Shaking his head, the boy again pointed his finger.

Scar did the same with a few other books but everytime he answered with a shake of his head in negative manner.

Sighing, she again crouched down to his level, "what's the colour of the book that you want?" She softly asked.

He was a bit hesitant but answered in a whisper, "golden".

"Got it" again standing up, she looked for that book.

On finding it, she asked with a smile on her face, "You didn't find anything in children's section?"

He just looked up at her in confusion.

"Why this book only?" She asked hoping this time he would answer and he did in his cute baby voice.

"It is....pwetty" He looked so cute saying that.

Before Scarlett could say anything else, she heard a rumbling. It sounded like it came from behind her.

Everything happened so fast that she couldn't even grasp anything, it was a like a blur.

A body was on top of her covering her back and she was covering the little boy like a shield.

Heavy breaths hit her left ear and she immediately sat rigid.

She could feel him behind her. His breath, his cologne, his presence. It was all so powerful and alluring.

For a moment she even forgot where they were.

She forgot how the bookshelf behind them was rumbling. It was a very old shop and the shelves here were also much obsolete and rusty. It was why with a slight unintentional push the shelf behind them came descending on them.

But fortunately, her saviour, Xander was there. He covered her body with his.

Because of being old, the wood also was broken at places and it came shattering on his back.

A few minutes after when the books stopped falling down, Scar turned to look at Xander.

To her surprise, he was already looking at her.

The store staff helped them to get up.

The little guy's mother took him with her but not before profusely thanking Scarlett and Xander.

Scar was also thankful to Xander and she did say a silent thanks to him.

But she was still upset about the morning incident.

She couldn't just forgive him.

And she knows she shouldn't have slapped him but she wants him to apologize first , then she'll say sorry.

She's being stubborn but he has to say sorry first, she thought.

Xander and Scarlett, both were silent were silent for a few minutes. He kept looking at her and she found the tiled floor to be the most interesting thing to look at in the whole bookstore.

But she was also worried about him being hurt. The wooden shelf was old but not light, it was heavy and the wooden pieces that came breaking down must have hurt his back because as she noticed, he was only wearing a white shirt that stretched his muscles which also attracted a lot of female attention to him and Scar didn't like that for some reason.

His thin shirt could not have shielded his back.

Scar was itching for him to turn around so she could see how much he was hurt but he was continuously staring at her without saying a word.

The silence was broken by the ringing of a phone , it was Xander's.

Scar thought now he might turn around and walk away to take this call.

But to her surprise, he didn't take the call, instead he declined it.

Wow!! First time he didn't take his call,

As I said miracles do happen ....haha..

And for the first time since he saved her, Scar looked straight at him, surprise evident in her wide eyes.

He wanted to laugh in seeing her like this but he controlled himself.

"What?" He asked, amusement clear in his voice.

She immediately realized she was openly staring at him so she quickly turned around and tried to walk away, the key word being tried as the moment she took a step forward, her wrist was grabbed by a strong , warm hand.

A current passes over both of their bodies.

When she didn't turn around, he pulled her towards himself.

Her back collided with his chest.

"Come with me" he whispered in her ear sliding his tongue over her earlobe distinctly.

She wanted to listen to him but she know she shouldn't, he hasn't apologised yet.

So listening to her mind, she tried to get her wrist out if his hold.

But he only tightened his grip on her wrist but not to the extent that it would hurt her.

"Why should I?" She asked him back.

"Becaaaause" he dragged it long with his tongue gliding down her ear.

"I am hurt." Saying this, he turned her around to look at him.