23 Gutsy little lamb

Alexander's grip on the steering wheel tightened. A calculating expression flickered across his cold, intimidating eyes before another chuckle, filled with disbelief, escaped his lips.

"What a gutsy little lamb," he murmured aloud, then sighed, lifting his hand to run his elegantly long fingers through his hair.

"One month, huh…?" he leaned in on her and cupped her small face. "Abigail Lee, are you sure about this one month? Are you sure you don't want to start with small steps like a day or a week first?" 

"I am very sure!" Abigail said without hesitation. 

He appeared on the brink of shaking his head in disbelief once more, but then, he abruptly averted his gaze and stared out the window. Abi followed his line of sight, but she could see no one at the location he was fixated on; then again, the outside was shrouded in darkness. She returned her gaze back to him, only to find his expression once again encased in an icy chill.

"Fine. Do what you want." He gave in.

Abi blinked. This was totally unexpected. After rejecting her so fiercely before, he finally caved in. What?! Really? I heard him right, right? I didn't imagine that, right?

Radiant like a child who had at last recaptured her escaped balloon, Abi beamed, her eyes shimmering with unadulterated joy.

He had said it; given his word to her and that was that. He jumped out of the water and she caught him, or at least, he let himself be caught by her.

"Don't come crying to me afterwards…" he murmured as if he was more than certain that she would.

"I won't," Abi declared, lifting her hand like a girl scout reciting the preamble. Alex smirked, leisurely resting his head on his knuckles. The jellyfish seemed to be tired now from relentlessly swimming away from his persistent, vigorous and hell-bent little chaser.

"Uhm… where's the contract? I want to sign it now." Abi's big doe eyes looked at with excitement, rendering him speechless once again.

"Little lamb, why do I feel like you're treating this as an exciting field trip?"

"That's not it. I'm just afraid you'll change your mind."

His lips twitched. "So you actually do know that you can't trust people so easily, huh?"

"I just learned it a while ago at that bar." She shuddered when she remembered that man again but the sound of Alex's chuckle immediately pulled her thoughts away from that terrifying experience.

"Little lamb..." He sighed. "I really don't know how you survived in this world this long and not been broken or tainted yet." 

Abigail ignored his words again. She instead held out her palm before him, silently asking for the contract.

Alexander stared at her palm. "Abigail, actually… I think what you need to sign isn't a contract."

She blinked.

"I think… it should be a waiver." He playfully smiled and she couldn't help but be mesmerized. "But we're not going to talk about that now. I'll give you time to come to terms with yourself one last time. You're still under the influence of alcohol, after all, little lamb."

Her eyes stretched wide. 

"Don't worry, I already gave you my word."

Biting her lip, she reluctantly nodded. 

He brought out his phone and typed something in it and then, Abi heard her phone beep.

"That's my address," he stated, his eyes probing once more as they locked onto her.

"I can come here once I'm prepared, right?"

"Yes. And one last thing for you to know, Abigail…" his voice switched yet again to a serious and firm tone that left no room for any doubt or any other possibility. He was suddenly more authoritative than his aura already suggested, causing Abi to swallow in anticipation. 

"I require my girlfriend to live with me in my house," he continued, "so make sure to think about this properly, understand?"