CHAPTER 69: A DISPLEASED HUSBAND

Chapter Sixty Nine

**OLIVER WEST**

Three. . .

Two. . .

One. . .

The bell finally rang, cutting through the tension suffocating me for the entire class.

I’d spent the last fifty minutes hyperaware of Kieran’s presence behind me, my shoulders rigid with the effort of not turning around. I felt his gaze burning into the back of my head the whole time.

Why did I have to sing that ridiculous song while clinging to him like a drunken koala?

Talking about awkwardness, what the hell was Xander doing in our school?!

Ignoring Kieran was already hell, but I’d also had to try as much to avoid looking in Xander’s direction. I could feel him glancing my way more than once.

As if that little wave he’d directed at me in front of the whole class wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to seem rude, so I managed a smile, but I still felt very awkward.

It was just the first period, but he had already fit in quite well, the girls were all gushing about him in not-so-quiet whispers.

With his good looks, I bet he would become popular.

William, who was beside me, seemed to be oblivious to everything.

Just like me, I didn’t think he grasped anything the teacher had been explaining. He hadn’t even written anything in his note.

RED ALERT: TOTALLY NOT WILLIAM

Don’t tell me my genius bestie’s new awakening involved becoming an awful student like me. I saved the thought for later, right now, I had a more urgent need.

"See you later!" I said to William, shooting up from my seat, hoping to make a quick escape before Kieran could corner me or just in case Xander decided to approach.

I should have known better. Running had never saved me. It never did, why did I even always bother to waste my strength?

A firm hand clamped down on my shoulder just as I reached the door.

"Going somewhere, pet?" Kieran’s voice was low and dangerous in my ear.

The familiar nickname sent an unwanted shiver down my spine. I squeaked - actually squeaked like a mouse - as he steered me away from the crowd of students filing out.

"Kieran, I have to get to my next class..."

"No, you don’t." His grip tightened possessively on my shoulder.

Before I could protest further, he was guiding me down the hallway. Not dragging - a bare minimum that I was eternally grateful for.

His hand never left my shoulder, his fingers pressing just hard enough to remind me that resistance wasn’t really an option.

My feet scrambled to keep up with his longer strides, and I shot panicked glances at the other students who were watching with obvious interest.

"Kieran, people are staring...!"

He didn’t bother with a response as he steered me into an empty classroom, and the door clicked shut behind us with a finality that made my stomach drop.

In one swift motion, I found myself backed against the wall, his hands braced on either side of my head.

The position was achingly familiar. How many times have we stood like this over the years?

Except before, his eyes had been filled with cold hatred. Now they burned with something else entirely, something that made my mouth go dry.

"You turned your phone off." It wasn’t a question, his intense gaze trapped me just as much as his body did.

"The b..battery d...died." I stammered the words; he was watching me too closely. It was a miracle I even managed to speak when I felt as though my soul was being drilled.

Kieran’s head tilted slightly, and the gleam in his gaze was exactly like a predator studying prey.

"Try again."

My throat felt even tighter now. "I... I was busy with family stuff."

His gaze studied me for extra seconds, and I could see the moment he decided to believe this explanation.

I hadn’t even been lying in the first place, so why were my legs shaky with relief?

"Your mother drove you to school today. After I specifically told you I’d pick you up every day."

The way he said it, like I’d committed some grave sin by not being available to him, made something twist in my chest.

"You don’t own my schedule!" The words flew from my mouth before I could stop them, something dark flickered in Kieran’s gaze, a look so intense that it made me suddenly want to take back the words.

I tightened my lips before an apology would slip out, I wasn’t wrong!

"I thought we were making some progress already?" His eyes searched my face with a scrutiny that made my knees weak, there was also a spark of impatience in his voice.

Progress?

Is that what he thought it was?

Just because I had mistakenly confessed to liking him and kissed him back at the park, and also ’coincidentally’ named my teddy ’ K ’, didn’t mean our relationship was different from before.

Hmph!

"Why are you ignoring me, Ollie? What’s the problem?"

My breath caught in my throat when Kieran’s hand moved from the wall to cup my face, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone with a gentleness that had my stomach squeezing tight.

"There’s no problem!" I could barely recognise my high-pitched voice "Why would there be a problem? Everything’s fine!"

I tried to turn my head from Kieran’s grip, but his fingers tightened on my jaw.

"You avoided me this morning." His thumb traced my bottom lip now, and my breath hitched. "That’s not very nice, Ollie."

His voice was too low, barely above a whisper, but something in it spread a chill through my whole body. I was squirming on my toes now.

Did he have to be this close?!

"I didn’t avoid you—"

"Don’t lie to me." The words were whispered against my ear, his breath warm on my neck. "You’ve disobeyed me before, let this be the last time."

The demand in his voice made something inside of me bristle. Independence raged within me. At home, I had to face Mom, and right here, in school, Kieran was my Mom, but the Pro Max version.

"I don’t have to do everything you tell me. Just because you want something doesn’t mean I should listen to you. I am my own person and I can make any decision I want without you forcing it on me!"

Something flickered across his expression - surprise, maybe, or irritation.

Like he wasn’t used to me pushing back, or he wasn’t used to being refused generally.

"Actually, you do." His hand moved to the back of my neck, not quite threatening but definitely not gentle. "We’re together now. That means you should listen to your husband."