𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚HAMDAN'S POV :

I stared at Rania's figure as she walked, more like running away from me. My jaw clenched as I ran towards my car and drove behind her, stopping when she was clearly in view.

"Get in," I ordered while sitting in the car, but she ignored me and walked faster.

"I said, get in, Rania!" I shouted from inside the car, and she decided to show me her middle finger. Taking a deep breath, I rushed out of the car towards her side.

I grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the passenger seat. "Leave me alone, Hamdan!" she wriggled, trying to loosen my grip on her wrist.

"Not even in the next life, hayati," I opened the car door and forcefully shoved Rania in.

"Fuck you!" She rolled her eyes.

"Sure! Hop on the back seat," I said with a straight face while she paled.

She didn't utter a word anymore, staying silent as if she's frozen or zoning out. I put the seat belt on her side, closed the car door, and moved to my side.

I started the drive, and she didn't even utter a word, just stared at the glass windows as if she's ruminating something.

"Okay, I'm sorry! I genuinely thought you asked me on a date, and I was definitely on cloud nine, but thanks to you for humbling me," I apologized with a slight mock.

But she didn't reply.

"I said I'm sorry! Are you hearing me?" I waved my hand in front of her face to see if she's okay.

She suddenly gazed at me as if she's back to life. I stared at her with furrowed brows.

"Oh yes, I heard you!" She gazes at her shivering hands.

"What's wrong, hayati?" I ask as I placed my hand on hers to stop it from shaking.

"Your existence in my life," she spoke while staring at our hands.

My eyes widened at her words.

I stayed silent while continuing to drive.

The ride was silent with thin atmosphere.

"You know when I was little, I would watch Disney. My favorite princess was Beauty, and my favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast," she started speaking lifelessly.

"While I was a kid, I always wondered to have a beast for myself! The beast I would heal with my love. The beast whose real form I'll bring back to life. Because I always knew everyone has a heart that beats; you just need to breathe oxygen into it," her words making my breathing stiffen.

"You know how beasts are, in my opinion, they're just scary and bad from the outside, but from the inside, they're soft like candy floss. They have a good heart; it's just that you have to melt the ice with your love," a smile adorning her face as I take glances at her from time to time.

"I was all ready to find my beast and heal him. But my destiny wasn't in my hands. I didn't find any beast; rather, a Prince Charming, sweet, kind, and amazing from the outside but hollow from the inside. He was worse than any beast could be. Yet I fell in love with him, but it wasn't any love in his point of view. He was worse than any monster. He used me as a key to get what he wants. But until his last breaths, which I snatched away from him, he told me he loved me. But you don't threaten someone to kill if you love them." Her eyes glistened with tears. The Prince Charming she was talking about is Armaan.

"Then I found you! A soft sunshine boy who completely changed and turned into a beast to destroy me, to suffocate me with some shit called love. If your love doesn't let me breathe, screw your love. You definitely are the beast I wished for in my childhood. But when I met you, I realized I can never heal you nor anyone else because I'm no beauty; I'm a beast too." She chuckled like a maniac, hurt and pain evident in her voice.

"I think I lost the old Hamdan. I surely rejected him brutally, and I'm not even guilty for it, but I would still prefer him over a suffocating dominant Hamdan." Her words pierced my chest as a lump formed in my throat, which was even hard to gulp.

I had no words to even say, Rania jerked my hand away and opened the car door when she reached our apartment building. This time I didn't stop; I followed her behind and barged into her apartment.

"Stop following me!" She screamed in frustration when I shamelessly followed her inside her room. I was being the clingiest annoying person anyone will discover on this planet.

But I will do anything to make it up to her.

She took out her clothes from the closet and a suitcase and started stuffing her clothes inside it. My eyes widened as I wondered what was happening.

"What are you packing for?" I asked.

"For a break," she spoke while still packing her clothes, not meeting my gaze.

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"And don't even dare stalk me. Let me live," she glared at me, her eyes telling a story.

"Stalking you is my only source of breathing, hayati," I smirked, and the next second, a cloth was thrown on my face.

"I'll scratch your whole face if you smirk at me after your to-be-gagged-at words," she rolled her eyes, and I laughed because I found her cute.

"The urge I have to ruin your handsome face is insane," she gritted out.

"So you find me handsome, of course you do! The 'H' in my name stands for handsome after all," I smirked again, only for her to throw something hard on my face as I hissed at the unpredictable hit.

"I said don't smirk," she warned.

"As you say, ma'am," I smiled this time.

"Good! And listen, the 'i' in my name stands for 'I loathe you,' and the 'n' in my name starts for 'not yours,' Hamdan Waseem. Now, fuck off," she grabbed her suitcase and turned around.

"You're not going anywhere!" I stood in front of the door.

"Stop being a dick and mind your own fucking business," she scowled, glaring at me.

"I won't let you go," I didn't leave space while concealing the door.

"I'm asking you for the last time, Hamdan! Stop with this crap you're doing, or else you won't really like what will happen next," she warned, making my eyes dark.

"Move away!" she yelled.

"No," I did too.

"Okay, fine then," she said, lifting her leg up to kick my balls, but I understood the math and dodged her kick.

Her eyes widened in terror and shock while a smirk played on my lips.

I walked towards her, and she took steps back. I moved even closer until her back hit the wall.

My hands moved towards her face, my skin touching her soft, velvety skin. My hands moved from the side of her forehead to her cheeks, sliding down towards her lips where my fingers were too desperate to be shoved inside. My hands moved down to her chin, and I lifted it up, our faces mere inches apart. I could smell a lily-like scent.

Her soft breathing and her heart beating against mine. "Sure. You can go wherever you want, take a break, or whatever! But if I find you, I'll catch you, and if I catch you, I fuck you." I whispered while biting her earlobe.

"You can't run away from me, hayati."