82–The One Who Hates Me The Most
Nora:
After lunch, we headed back to our rooms, and I got down to my homework. Natalya was sitting by the window, and I was on my bed, both of us deep in our work when my phone started
beeping.
C: Come to my studio, I need to talk to you.
I sighed, lifting my eyes to see
was sneaking glances at me to,
talya, who, as it turned out,
“Who’s texting you?” she asked, pretending to be busy with her notebook. Her legs were pulled up on the couch, and the notebook rested on her thighs.
“Um, just a friend,” I fibbed.
“Who even are your friends?” she raised her brow.
“Just some acquaintances,” I fibbed again. I just had a feeling that if I told her I was talking to Cain, she’d start pestering me to ask him to paint her naked.
C: Do you want me to come to your room and drag you out myself?
I clenched my jaw, watching Natalya shoot me questioning glances nonstop. It was tough to dodge her when she was watching me with those eagle eyes.
The
I closed my book and rolled off the bed without announcing my departure. Her constant interference was starting to bug me. I wondered if letting her stay here was the right call. If she were back in her hostel already, I’d be so free. But then again, I might have ended up making so many mistakes too.
As I neared the door, I watched her close her books and jump off the couch, smiling at me.
“I’m so glad you decided to go for a walk. I was beginning to feel suffocated with all the pending homework in my lap,” she laughed, joining me. I stood, holding the door, with my jaw agape.
She can’t be serious. I can’t eve
now?
eave my room without her
“I was going to spend some time in Silas‘ library though,” I lied, noticing her face light up. Should have said Nash?
“I would love to visit his library!” she clapped her hands together excitedly.
“Um, I’m not sure library. I haven’t
if he likes anyone to be in his seen it myself. I just know that sometimes he brings in his patients for sessions there.”
“If he allows you, he’ll let me go in there as well. Let’s go,” she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of my room. The minute we were outside, I watched Cain stand in his doorway, cleaning the brush and frowning at Natalya in view.
“Oh!” she giggled, sticking close to me. As we began to walk past Cain’s studio, I mouthed, “What to do with her?” I knew he would be angry that I didn’t comply and went to talk to him in
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his study, but instead, I found him lower his head and shake it in disappointment.
Silas‘ study was on the third floor a floor I had only been to a few times. This was the same floor where his bedroom was.
“The brothers have their rooms here, right?” Natalya asked, her arm wrapped around mine and her body tightly pressed against
me.
“Yes,” I dryly replied, mentally thinking about how Silas would treat me when he sees me in front of his study.
“Hmm! What about Cain’s room?” she looked around, counting the rooms, her finger pointing a e doors.
“He has two bedrooms,” I replied.
“Does he have a bedroom in his studio too? Do you think he maybe… sleeps with his models? Once she said that, I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore. I freed my arm and faced her, raising my eyebrow.
“No! That’s not why I want him to paint me naked,” she instantly explained, before pushing me forward toward the library.
“Natalya! I’m not sure if we should be going there. Silas is very possessive about his stuff. I’m not even sure if he’ll allow me,” I laughed awkwardly to make it less intense, but as expected of her, she wasn’t going to let it go that easily.
“Then why were you coming here before I joined you?” she asked, hands on her waist.
“I thought I would ask him for his permission,” I lied again,
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feeling horrible that I had to give so many explanations because she was on my back now.
“Then ask him,” she grunted, and without even informing me what she was about to do next, she knocked on his bedroom door, and my heart sank in my chest.
“Natalya!” I held her hand and pulled her away from the door, but the damage had been done. The door opened, and a much disheveled version of Silas appeared. His hair was messy, and he was quickly trying to fix it. His sleepy eyes told me we have interrupted his nap.
“What is it?” he asked, his voiceunding even lower pitched.
“We were thinking if we could use your library?” Natalya took over, making me wince in agony. He’s going to kick us out of the mansion, isn’t he?
Silas stared at her and then at me before he replied, “Okay!”
I was in shock, and Natalya was jumping up and down happily. Did I just hear Silas agree to letting us use his library?
He went inside his bedroom for a brief moment and came out with a key. As he walked ahead of us, we followed him in silence. He unlocked the library for us, and the minute we stepped inside, we heard the door lock behind us and the lights being turned off.
“What the heck!” I grunted, attempting to knock on the door while also running my hand around for a switch.
“What’s going on? Why did he lock us inside?” Natalya panicked as we couldn’t even see each other in the dark room.
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I heard her hit some table or stool and winced in pain. There was a light switch in there, but it didn’t work either.
And then I heard a voice from outside, “How many hours do you want to use my library for?”
It was Silas, trying to teach us a lesson.
TH
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B3 My Sieprothes Auid My Naked Friend