Given how fickle and stubborn women could be, men would never voluntarily play against them without the preface of courtship. Gone was the mischievous and lively Heather who had been on the tennis court earlier as she gazed at him pointedly. It was clear that this would be the end of their tennis-filled escapade.
Matthias, on the other hand, had only just started to see the fun of tennis when she flippantly declared that she no longer wanted to play another set. Seeing as she had the final say for their date today, he had no choice but to assent to her decision to carry on their date elsewhere.
As they went to retrieve the car, he asked in concern, “Are you hungry? Shall we grab a bite?”
Her gaze flickered over to him and she teased, “I think you’re the one who’s hungry!”
He chuckled at this. Truth was, she was right to say that he was hungry. He hadn’t eaten much during lunch with the Langstons, seeing as their food disagreed with his palate.
Following their tennis match, Matthias felt as if he had been hollowed out. He wasn’t proud of this, hence his subtle invitation for a meal in the first place. He certainly did not expect her to call his bluff.
“But I’m not hungry now, so why don’t we go play a round of golf?” Heather suggested excitedly, her lips curving up into a devious smile. She had to admit that these little digs were oddly satisfying.
“Alright, then.” He looked at her with endearment, finding it adorable that she could look so pleased with her little evil schemes.
They began to drive over to the golf course that she had deliberately chosen, and it happened to be the best one in Bradfort City. However, she did not want to step foot on the premises at all.
She grew grim as she thought about how the manager of the golf course had always leered at her and as one thought led to another, her expression only soured when the image of Caleb’s menacing face flashed in her mind. As far as she was concerned, he was the epitome of evil and she bristled whenever she caught sight of his insidious looks.
Meanwhile, Matthias was looking at Heather oddly as he took in the changes in her expression. He wondered what she was thinking of and why she looked so conflicted. They were only going golfing, after all. It was only when the car rolled to a stop at the traffic light that she noticed he was staring at her and she shot him an affronted look.
He was observing her so intently that it was a surprise he hadn’t pressed his face against hers. Heather frowned and eyed him with disgust, then feigned nonchalance as she touched her face, hoping that there wasn’t any dirt on it. That would have been embarrassing.
“Stop staring at me and keep your eyes on the road,” she warned him irritably. His behavior today had been erratic and secretive, as if he had embodied every bit the despicable villain.
“A penny for your thoughts, my lady?” He was just as affable as he had been since the beginning of their date, having kept his temper under lock and key. He was hoping that his warm compassion would eventually cajole Heather into changing her mind about him.
“I have no thoughts worthy of a penny,” she answered uneasily, fidgeting slightly in her seat. She was merely thinking about Caleb and what he might do next.
“Are you thirsty?” Matthias took the bottled water from the cupholder and passed it over to her with his free hand.
She turned down the water, waving her hand dismissively as she said, “I don’t want it.” Heather didn’t like drinking bottled water. Besides, she felt fine and wasn’t feeling thirsty at all.
“Then could you please help me open the cap?” he asked, pretending to be really focused on driving with one hand.
“You know how evolution has given us this?” She pointed to her mouth, indicating for him to use his to twist the bottle cap open.
Once again, she turned him down. Still holding onto the water bottle, Matthias thought better of it and decided to put it back into the cupholder. He should be used to rejection by now but that didn’t mean he would stop trying to talk to her. This was one of Evan’s suggestions—chemistry came from conversation.
Heather, on the other hand, felt her heart twist at Matthias’ awkwardness as he tried to make small talk with her. He had never been that skilled in making a good impression and when it came to romantic pursuits, he could use a manual or two. As a matter of fact, he looked like he was having a hard time trying to ease the tension between them, and she might even go so far as to say he was helpless.
As the car continued forward, she stared calmly out the windscreen while his gaze occasionally flickered over to her. At some point during the drive, she began to find his curious looks irritating. She had grown so used to seeing his wicked side that his sudden transition into a lovesick schoolboy was making her uncomfortable. It was as if their dynamics had taken an abrupt and strange turn.
“Maybe we should talk about why you’re trying so hard to put up an act and the purpose behind it,” Heather said blatantly, seeing as there were still a bit of ways to go before they reached the golf course.
The golf course she had chosen was known for its expansive acres, but its geographical location was, unfortunately, not ideal. It was set in the outskirts to accommodate its sprawling landscape, which means it would take a long drive to get there. The journey would be insufferable if Matthias were to continue giving her those unreadable and meaningful looks, and she wasn’t sure what he was trying to imply through his gaze.
“How are you so sure that I’m putting on an act? What if this is my true self?” His lips tipped up into a mocking smile, though she wasn’t sure if he was being self-deprecating or sarcastic toward her.
“Am I supposed to believe that you’re showing me your kind and compassionate nature?” She burst into a small laugh, thoroughly amused. “Come on, Director Locke. You’re in charge of the Locke Group, are you not? You can’t rule over the company with kindness and compassion.”
It wasn’t as if Heather was completely oblivious to the internal conflicts that were rife within the large Locke family. She had done enough research to know that it was no easy feat for anyone to hold power in his family—they did not favor brawn over brains, after all.
“I’m just trying to be myself in front of the person I like,” Matthias replied honestly. However, Heather froze when she heard this.
“The person you like,” she repeated stiffly. She did not like this term and she disliked it even more when Matthias used it to describe her. There was no way she could ever reciprocate his feelings despite the many occasions on which he had made them known, and she knew that feigning ignorance was no longer a viable option at this point.
Not wanting to beat around the bush, she asked, “Are you saying that you’ve fallen for me?”
“Yes; I have,” he confessed plainly. Denial was but futile effort at this point.
“Well, don’t. Don’t fall for me. I’ve told you as much from the very beginning,” Heather countered imperiously. They had been young when she warned him not to fall for her, and she remembered having done so during their first meeting.
“Yes; I know you’ve told me that a long time ago,” he agreed. The memory was still imprinted in his mind and he recalled how she had looked as beautiful as an angel and been as wicked as the devil.
“But you know how unpredictable these things are, and it’s not as if I could stop myself from falling for you. I can’t even stop thinking about you,” he added, feeling emboldened by his earlier confession. He wanted to tell her how much he liked her but he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye.
“Why would you ever fall for me? You, out of all people, know exactly how wicked I am. After all, I basically ruined your chances of having a love life.” The barest hint of a smile played on Heather’s lips. She couldn’t quite figure out men and their feelings; how could he fall for her while still holding a grudge against her?
“Then give me back those chances at love, even if things might turn out differently,” he said softly, his voice thick with implication. At that moment, it felt as if the air in the car was getting warmer.
His words shot through her erratically-beating heart like an arrow. If he kept going on with his bold and heartfelt confessions, the walls around her could very well come crashing down and leave her vulnerable.
“No way,” she bit out with absolute resolve. The dark and sentimental gaze with which he regarded her was truly meant for Myra, and it would do her well to remember that.
Pride was what stood between them. Try as she might, she could not forget the way he had been head over heels for Myra, and Heather did not want to become her replacement.
“I ruined your chances at love and I took Myra away from you. Those aren’t things I could ever give back to you,” she explained slowly and tiredly. Matthias might have lost his mind and been spewing nonsense for all she cared, but she could not allow herself to stray from reason.
“You keep bringing Myra up. It seems as if you’re dwelling on the fact that the person I used to like was her instead of you,” he pointed out forthrightly. He eyed her steadily, making her wish she could hide from his piercing gaze.
“The person you’re in love with has always been Myra. Think about it, Matthias—why would you ever fall for me in the first place? It’s practically impossible.” Heather felt like she was drowning and was desperately trying to hold onto the driftwood in front of her, worried that if she let go, she might be pulled into the depths of the icy waters.
“I have once told myself with the same fierce certainty that I would never fall for you even if you were the last person on Earth, but fate has a twisted sense of humor and before I knew it, I found myself having feelings for you, falling for you.” Matthias wished he could escape this terrifying loop wherein his thoughts revolved around Heather, and there had been a time when he decided against making his feelings known to her. However, at the end of the day, he still wanted her to know the truth.
This was especially so when other men started sprouting around her, and only then did he realize how bracing and bitter jealousy could be. He would much rather make the first move than watch her walk away with someone else. He couldn’t bear the thought of it.
He might regret it if he never tried to pursue Heather romantically. It was exactly how he had missed his shot with Myra, and he didn’t want a repeat of that now that he finally came to terms with how he felt about Heather.
“Have you really fallen for me, Matthias?” she questioned once more, wanting to make sure that she was still firmly rooted in reality instead of some fever dream.
He nodded at her firmly. “How many times do I have to say it in order to make you believe me?”
“Turn the car around and drive me home this instant!” she shouted. She no longer wanted to go golfing and she had lost interest in doing anything else—all she wanted was to go home and be with her own thoughts.
“But we’re not done with our date yet,” he reminded her gently. It had taken him a lot of effort to finally get a date with her, so it was only natural that he didn’t want it to come to such an abrupt end.
“I need to calm down and process all this.” Heather blinked her doe-like eyes as she felt the desperate need to anchor the emotions swelling within her. Her chest tightened with the urge to cry, though she doubted if the tears would come at all.
“Is it so hard for you to choose to love me back?” he asked disappointedly.
Incredulous, she retorted, “Could you ever love your enemy?” Then, she realized that her words had come out wrong because judging from the looks of it, Matthias really had fallen in love with his enemy.
Upon hearing her retort, Matthias was at a loss for words. Well, this is awkward, he thought ruefully. While he was torn over having feelings for somebody he ought to hate, she was determined to never fall for him. Moreover, she had continuously doubted him and suspected he had ulterior motives. I must have been blind to fall for her in the first place.
“Did you put a spell on me or something?” he blurted out without much thought.
Heather glanced at him in bewilderment. If I put a spell on him, why on earth would I make him fall for me when I could make him get away from me instead?
“Look, I can’t think clearly now so it would really help if you could give me some form of encouragement or assurance, just to let me have the strength to pine after you shamelessly with all that I have,” he pleaded with her with such earnestness that Heather felt her heart twist.
“Don’t fall for me. It will never work out between us,” she replied with finality, putting an end to this conversation. This relationship was cursed from the beginning and she had to cut off its roots before it grew into something worse.
