Chapter 73 - Like an animal

She thought it was over, but it has hit her all over again. Five years back, she got carried away by fear and hatred towards him and never stepped into this place again. Her past has taught her a lesson to create and live a happy life and learn to be better. And she did it.

But the moment Leena saw the place which she visited with him, everything surged back in full force.

Her world was only computers and coding back then and she never craved for anyone's love or attention. But then Ethan entered and dragged her to hell. It was not the blue mountains hotel that made her traumatized, but the person. Even though she accepted Ethan on impulse after his endless wooing, Leena rarely spent time with him and she never yearned for his love. That is the reason, she has confronted herself multiple times if she has really liked him or not.

Five years back, he humiliated and tortured her to the core. He was like an animal on that terrible night giving her nightmares even now. He was the very reason she loathed men's touch, and to make her living life hell, they schemed against her to make her crippled for a lifetime. If not for her will to get up again, she would be sitting in the wheelchair till now.

She had expected it to be another pain coming to Seattle, but Leena was wrong. The man in front of her, his caring voice, his gentle touch, his warmth was wiping out all the bitter memories she once suffered here. Now that she realized, for the past three days, she was with him, never once she suffered those sufferings. His genuine caring was making her question if what she felt for Ethan in the past was real or not.

She never laughed with Ethan as she did with him, she never once felt her heart beat faster with Ethan as it does with him. Even now she is protecting herself to mask her emotions, fear that he would see.

"What is this foreign feeling?" Leena asked herself but didn't have an answer to her question and she did not want to search also when she was already sensing a strong emotion towards him which she couldn't explain in words. She never craved anyone's attention until he came into her life.

Leena gazed up and stared at the man clutching her hand protectively as if she was a baby since the time she stepped into the car. The sense of warmth he was providing to her and the silent supporting he was giving without asking the reason for her unusual behavior, Leena was touched.

"Why are you so sweet?" Leena stroked his face gently with the back of her hands. She wanted to know whether the care he was showing was only for her or he is sharing with other women too.

"Because I have enough sweet in my body." Chuckling, he grabbed her hand even before she could withdraw.

"Can't you stop teasing me at least for once?" Her lips pouted starting at him angrily.

"Alright, I won't tease you." Devin paused taking her reactions to test the waters. "Did something happen in the blue mountains hotel?" Devin finally sighed in relief when she was slowly turning back to her normal self. He knew it's not the time to tease her, but that is the only way he could bring back his sweetheart to her usual self. He knows nothing about her pain, but still, his heart ached to see her miserable state. Leena was the love that entered into his life without warning and before he could say no, she had already captured his heart and he fell for her so hard that he cannot imagine his life without her and just when Devin saw her unusual breathing at the hotel, he felt a tremor of emotion shaking him to the core. She was the most precious to him and when she was grieving in his presence, he was tormenting inside for his helpless state.

"Why did you get scared at the hotel?" Devin asked in a gentle voice.

"I didn't." She looked away.

"Really?" He turned her chin to face her towards him. "Now tell me what happened."

When Leena looked into his eyes, she could feel the genuine concern. His eyes were telling something more which words couldn't say and before she knew it, Leena confessed.

"I_I got scared by someone." Her thoughts always threaten to fall in front of him even before she could control them.

"Who is it?" His voice had a rough edge when he spoke now. Who dared to hurt her. She would not even into any arguments until she is provoked.

When Leena pressed her lips tightly looking away from him again, Devin sighed at the stubborn girl. He thought she would at least open up to him because of the bond they shared since they were living together. But she proved him wrong.

Devin retreated his hand and looked out of the car not to talk with this rebellious girl.

The atmosphere in the car was deafening. Even Drew could feel the tension between the two but he silently drove the car scared of Devin