Chapter 79: Thin line between love and hate

Chapter 79: Thin line between love and hate Abrielle went stiff at the sensation of his warm breath against her skin. She didn’t understand why, but lately, being close to him has been difficult; she stepped back to create a distance between them. A nervous laugh left her lips so as not to make it awkward. She was not completely dumb not to realize what was happening. What was wrong with her? She could not stand the ticklish feeling of his breath or the subtle warmth of his closest. She was not heartless. All she thought about was ways to escape and just get far away from him. People lost their lives at Danbury; women lost their husbands. All she could think about was how to escape the fate in front of her, despite the fact they had caved into their carnal desires. Abrielle was scared, and fear kind of made people do stupid things at times; the attack at Danbury was a mystery. It happened as she predicted but things were slightly different. This means the plot might still take place without her interference but why was her heart skipping a beat in his presence? Why did she crave his warmth despite saying over and over again that she hated it? He was a psycho she didn’t understand and extremely dangerous. He has so many red flags he is a walking red flag. "Is something wrong?" Cedric asked her, confused by her sudden reaction. "I am having cold feet, sorry. I don’t know how to return the favour." She answered instead, her fingers gripping her coat tightly. Cedric’s eyes narrowed at her but he didn’t push further. He gave her his hand, which she accepted. He was wearing gloves, but his hands were warm to the touch. A soft blush crept up her face without her even realizing it. "You still haven’t given me a wedding gift," he mentioned. Abrielle’s gaze dulled; Evelyn mentioned the same thing yesterday. "I don’t know what you will like so it’s been hard picking one." She answered. "I know you can think of something, I just want a gift in return." He requested, at least, a gift that didn’t include her schemes. They got to their carriage, and he assisted her in getting in. Abrielle was expecting him to leave and get on a horse, but he followed after her Instead of sitting by her side. All of a sudden, she was extremely aware of his presence. His rich sandalwood and vanilla scent filled the carriage. Unlike a couple of days ago when his presence sent chills down her spine, it was different this time around. It felt comforting; she gripped the hem of her fur coat tightly, trying to get herself in check. Her actions didn’t skip his notice; nothing about her escaped his attention from the moment they met. She was shy to be around him, not as scared as she felt before. The soft blush was still on her face although it might be the cold. "Are you alright? Your face has a warm shade of red. Do you want a thicker coat?" He asked her, trying to reach out for her face, but she evaded his touch. She was scared of touching his skin, which gave her warm sparks instead of cold chills. "No, I am fine; the cold is biting into my cheeks." She lied, and Cedric’s gaze softened. He pulled off his gloves and then held her face, not giving her a chance to escape his touch. His hands were warm against her cold cheeks; Cedric frowned, thinking she was cold from her short exposure to the cold. "Your cheeks are indeed cold." He answered then the carriage started to slowly move in the snow. His gold eyes held a tender gaze one she was not sure he was capable of. Cedric signed, those blue eyes were so clear. Who would have thought someone who looked so innocent and harmless had a very vicious heart that lacked empathy? "You can’t trust her." He heard a voice say in his head. "She is the worst; what are you thinking? She tried to kill you twice and still smiles at you like nothing happened." Another sneered; the voice was back. Which was true, what was he doing? Why was he drawn into those clear sapphires despite knowing it was a fake? She was good at masking her feelings, this might be an act to get him to lower his guard. She was the same as all of them who saw him as a curse even when he did nothing against them. But why? He wondered. There was no hatred or fear in those eyes. It was very clear, but it didn’t seem real. He withdrew his hand. "You should not stay too long in the bathing water." He mentioned averting his gaze from her. He felt her move away to the edge and a smirk graced his lips. He was right, nothing changed. He was still a monster in her eyes. Cedric thought. "Yes, you are a monster not capable of feeling love or being loved, only fear, hatred and bloodlust." He heard the voice say again, edging him to sink deeper into his thoughts. He had questions in his mind but didn’t know whom to ask. Why did he still hold a slight hope in his heart? Why was he drawn to her in ways he had never been to another? Her actions and the voice all said another thing that he should hate her. He should just use her according to the plan he had. Nothing would ever change. He was a monster; he knew that more than everyone else. She saw him that way; he found trill in making her scared, and at times, he couldn’t hold back himself from hurting what he should not. At this moment, both of them thought it could not be any further. ’ Why is this happening? I must be a psycho.’ Abrielle’s thoughts screamed. It was happening. Is it the plot that made her feel this way, or was she truly a psycho that she wasn’t scared of him anymore and was getting dependent? It was like the hatred and fear she felt was turning into something that it should not.