I sat quietly in the back seat, watching the city lights blur through the window. The silence between us was heavy, only broken by the smooth sound of the car engine.
A BMW. Seriously? I didn't even expect that from him. I knew he was doing well, but not this well. For a second, I wondered what kind of job he even did to afford something like this… but I wasn't going to ask. I didn't want him to think I cared.
"Sit in the front," he had said before we left.
But I didn't. I sat in the back seat instead, just to annoy him a little. Or maybe to keep some space between us.
When the car finally stopped in front of my house, I didn't even wait for him to open the door. I got out from the other side before he reached me.
He looked at me with that small, teasing smile. "You really don't make things easy, do you?"
I ignored him and went inside.
Mom was waiting in the living room. The moment I saw her, my chest tightened. "Mom," I said softly, trying to sound calm, "is this really necessary?"
Her eyes softened, full of that gentle kind of love that always made me weak. "Yes, dear. This is the right thing to do. You two need time to understand each other. I know you're upset now, but one day you'll see he's a good person."
"I don't think so," I mumbled under my breath.
She smiled like she knew something I didn't. "Your granny decided this a long time ago. When Kael was born, she made a promise that if I ever had a daughter, she would marry him."
I froze. "What?! That's ridiculous, Mom! If I was born late, why should I be stuck with some old promise?"
"There's more to the story," she said quietly. "You'll understand when it's time."
Before I could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Kael leaned on the doorframe, calm as ever. "Did I interrupt something?"
I turned toward him, half surprised. So he does know how to sound polite…
Mom smiled warmly. "Not at all, Kael. We were just talking."Then mom left the room leaving us alone
He stepped inside, glancing around my room. "So this is your room, little fire?"
I frowned. "What did you just call me?"
He smirked. "You heard me."
"Don't call me that," I snapped, annoyed.
He didn't answer, just looked around like he was studying everything. I picked up my bag and walked past him without a word. Behind me, I could hear his quiet laugh.
Mom followed me out, hugging me tightly. "Take care of yourself, dear. You know I can't travel much anymore, but I'll try to visit."
My heart ached. "No, Mom. Don't worry. I'll come visit you instead. Just… take care of your health, okay?"
She smiled softly. "I will. And dear—try to see the good in him. He's not as bad as you think."
I gave her a small nod, then got back into the car. Of course, in the back seat again.
Kael laughed lightly, shaking his head, and even Mom smiled at that. I gave a small flying kiss to my mom before we drove away.
The road stretched ahead of us, long and quiet. I didn't say a word. Talking to him always ended in an argument, and I didn't have the energy for another one.
He kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
"Excited to see our house?" he asked after a while.
I looked at him through the mirror and gave a short answer. "No."
He laughed softly. "I knew you'd say that."
I rolled my eyes. "Is it far?"
"Far from your home," he said, "but not from your school."
"Oh," I replied quietly, pouting without realizing it.
He smirked. "What? Do you feel like I'm kidnapping you or something?"
I glared at him, but I didn't reply. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
After what felt like forever, we finally arrived. I froze the moment I saw the house. No—mansion.
"Why is it so big?" I asked, almost whispering.
He gave a small shrug. "Guess I like space."
Inside, everything looked expensive and perfect. He had already moved all my things in. Everything was organized neatly, like he'd planned this for weeks.
"There are a lot of rooms here," he said, his tone casual. "You can choose whichever one you want."
I crossed my arms. "I'll handle it myself. You just do your own thing."
He smiled slightly, like he found my attitude funny. I turned away and started walking up the stairs.
"So how are you going to open the door without keys, my little fire?" he asked behind me, his voice teasing.
I stopped, trying not to look embarrassed. "I was just going to check the rooms, okay? Now give me the keys."
He chuckled and tossed them to me. "your so stubborn little fire"
I caught the keys and glared. " Don't call me that that name ."
He walked a little closer, that same smirk on his face. "I'll try… but I can't promise."
"Stay there," I warned, pointing at him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Keep two meters distance." I said
He grinned. "It's only us in this house, you know."
"So what?" I shot back.
He leaned slightly closer, voice low but teasing. "Then no one will know what happens here."
My heart skipped. "There's nothing to happen. And my mom said not to try anything stupid."
He laughed quietly. "Relax, little fire. I was just teasing." His tone softened. "But it's cute when you get mad."
I turned away quickly before he could see my face. "You're impossible,"I muttered, climbing the stairs.
Behind me, I could still hear his quiet laugh echoing in the hallway—calm, deep, and annoyingly warm.