Ch.22: My Feelings For You

"Take a seat while I patch you up." The male nurse dragged over a chair, to which Dia took a seat. After disinfecting and cleaning the scar, the man slapped on a bandage without a single ounce of tender care.

"I'm about to go out and take a cigarette break. So you can stay here or leave. I really don't care." With that said, the man got up and walked to the door, only for it to open for him.

"First, the Princess of House Floarea graces me with her presence, and now you?" Placing a cigarette in his mouth, the man noticed that the boy's attention was on the girl he just patched up and glared darkly at the raven-haired teen, who finally caught onto the sour presence of the male nurse.

"Brat, if you dare think about doing anything inappropriate in my office while I'm away, you're going to live to regret it. Vampire or not," the man threatened before going on his break. With him gone, Ethan rushed into the room and took the man's chair for himself as he reached out for Dia's hands.

"I could smell the faint scent of your blood from the second floor. Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?!"

Dia wasn't expecting to see Ethan so soon again, leaving her unprepared to face him. Despite how much he wanted answers, he could see something was wrong with her. He knew forcing the issue would get him nowhere, so he reluctantly let go of her hands.

"Sorry if I crossed lines. It's just when I got a whiff of your blood, I panicked, thinking someone hurt you, and came rushing to your side! I know I shouldn't jump ahead. My instincts are built differently than regular humans."

Ethan calmed down and apologized as he tried to explain himself, a sentiment that touched Dia's heart as she peeked at him through her bangs.

"I'm not mad. Well, I am, but… Why have you not told me the truth?"

"What are you talking about?" Ethan's handsome face crinkled into confusion.

"You! That night when I rescued you!" She was no longer able to stay calm. "The ambulance didn't pick you up! You messed with my memories somehow and drank blood straight from me! Without my consent! How could you do that to me!?"

Faced with betrayal, lies, and the reappearance of an old enemy who trudged up memories that were best forgotten. To Ethan's surprise, the cute girl felt so overwhelmed that she began to cry. Guilt and franticness crashed into the vampire. The reaction he showed towards her tears was a first for him.

"Don't cry! Please stop crying! I'm sorry, but please let me explain first."

Ethan begged, his large hands wiping the stray tears from Dia's eyes before handing her a Kleenex from the desk she used to blow her nose. After calming down her emotions, she patiently waited to hear his explanation.

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression. I'm not some rogue who goes off and does whatever he feels. But that night, I was ambushed out of nowhere. I fought back and managed to fend off my attackers, but my injuries were severe. I lost so much blood, and before I knew it, I stumbled upon you."

The smile that bloomed across Ethan's handsome face stirred her heartstrings.

"I remember the sweet sound of your voice. When I saw your face, my cold dark world exploded with colors. You were so beautiful that I couldn't keep my eyes off you. Honestly, I wish our first meeting had gone better, but my thirst got the best of me. Leading me to do something that I painfully regret." His tone was remorseful.

"But why mess with my memories?" The betrayal Dia felt before lessened by a lot, but she still wanted to know why Ethan decided to mess with her mind.

"By law, vampires are punished for the stunt I pulled on you. Especially if word of it reached the Hunter Association. Besides, humans unaware of our 'world' aren't supposed to know people like me exist. I was scared, but I admit that didn't give me an excuse to mess with your mind like that. Do you think you can forgive me?"

The look Ethan aimed at Dia reminded her of a sad puppy. 'So cute!' She had to fight to stop herself from smiling like a giggling idiot.

"You had a reason. One I can understand. I don't like what you did, but I can forgive you." As soon as these words escaped Dia's mouth, Ethan eagerly leaned forward, eyes brimming with happiness.

"Really? Do you mean it?" Dia felt terrible at the way the anxiousness in his voice made her happy and smiled.

"Yes! But you can never do that again!"

"So does this mean I get that date now? I mean, I did come to your rescue. Doesn't that give me a little credit?" Such blunt shamelessness and the fact Ethan was able to keep a straight face left Dia speechless.

"Really? At a time like this, you're still trying to get a date from me?"

"I don't give up easily when comes to something I want. So prepare yourself 'cause I'm going to keep asking until you finally give in," vowed Ethan as Dia felt her heart do somersaults.

"What if you fail? And you realize I'm not worth the effort? What happens when another girl ten times better looking than me tries to seduce you? What happens then?" She knew these questions might sound bizarre to Ethan, but a part of her couldn't help but think about her ex-boyfriend.

In the beginning, he too used to whisper honey-sweet words to her but look at how things turned out for them. Who could say the same things wouldn't happen again? The fear of what happened with her last relationship and its tragic ending gripped her heart never wanting to go through such a tortuous experience again.

Due to her low self-esteem and her ending with Alex, she had difficulty blocking the voice that whispered that girls like her weren't meant for a fairytale romance.

Each second that passed with Ethan saying nothing, Dia's heart thumped with nervousness until he opened his mouth to speak.

"I know we don't know much about each other, but don't belittle my feelings for you. I know what I want." Cupping her cheeks with his large hand, Ethan made sure their eyes held contact so she could see how serious his feelings were for her.

"I want you. No one else will matter because they all pale in comparison next to you. You're adorable. Like a cupcake, I want to take a bite out of." A snort of laughter came from Dia towards this remark.

"That kinda cringy, you know?" Mirth filled Dia's big brown eyes.

"Sorry, flirting isn't my strong suit, but I promise to get better during our courtship."

If she had just drank a jug of water, she would've spat it all out. Mouth gaping like a fish, she said, "Courtship? Who still uses that word, and when did I even agree to that?!"

"Dia, I can sense fear along with that adorable shyness you possess. It's holding you back from taking the first step, but I won't rush you. No. I'll just spoil you by giving you everything you deserve. I'll spoil you so much. You'll lose yourself to happiness and have no choice but to become mine."

The sinful and possessive way Ethan uttered those words made a tingle of pleasure race down Dia's spine. Her eyes widened as she watched him move his face closer as if he was about to kiss her, but instead of touching her lips, he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"I would love to stay longer and continue our little chat, but I picked up Alice's footsteps. No doubt she's worried about you." Standing up from his chair, Ethan made his way to the door before glancing back at Dia, who was still lost over the kiss on her cheek.

"Please try to take better care of yourself. I'd hate for you to see what becomes of me when someone dares inflict harm upon you." Ethan's icy blue eyes flickered dangerously before showing Dia a small smile as he closed the door after him.

A minute after Ethan left, the door burst open again, showing Alice, who immediately rushed to Dia's side.

"What happened to you? I searched for you at the end of class only to find out a student brought you to the infirmary! Did Leena do something to you?"

Alice pulled a chair next to the Dia, fingers softly touching the bandage near the brunette's temple.

"Leena is the definition of a mean girl. The same goes for her little squad. I should've warned you." Guilt was written on the girl's face.

"Alice, I'm fine. Plus, she and I have a little bit of history." She could understand how her words confused Alice.

"It's a long depressing story, but now I want to go back to the dorm and get some rest." She was tired both mentally and physically.

"My wound is starting to act up anyway, so let's cut today short,"

Alice agreed with Dia's sentiments. Both girls left the infirmary and went in the direction of their dorms. Later that night, images of a cute Prince Charming with raven hair and icy blue eyes rescuing her from a castle tower embarrassingly filled the brunette's dreams.