Dearest Neighbour- Chapter 3

 ₊˚☁️⋅♡𓂃ִֶָ࣪☾。 Chapter 3‧₊˚☁️⋅♡𓂃ִֶָ࣪☾。

Shadows & Cigarettes

Elara lingered in the doorway, the wood cool against her fingertips. The other girls from her dorm had already left for Kai’s party, their laughter echoing in the distance. She glanced one last time at her reflection. The black tube top felt both daring and vulnerable - a stark contrast to the memory of Kai seeing her bunny-printed panties, a blush still rising in her cheeks. Ten minutes, she silently repeated, the mantra a brittle shield against her unease. I’ll only stay for ten minutes.

Pushing open the door, she found a group of guys loitering on the lawn, a few of them Kai's cronies. One, with a sneer, tossed an empty beer can onto the walkway, landing precariously close to Luna's prized rosebushes. A string of profanities erupted from Elara’s mouth, aimed at the uncaring street, since the boys were too busy laughing amongst themselves to notice her. They hadn’t even registered their blatant littering and casual disregard for her dorm-mate’s garden.

"Damn, so you’re sexy and you’ve got an attitude, I think I’ll keep you around.” The voice was smooth, laced with a husky amusement that sent shivers down her spine. Elara stopped her mission to retrieve the can, her spine straightening as she recognized the speaker.

"You..." she sneered, glaring at Kai.

“Me.” His smile was disarmingly cool as he swooped in to pick up the discarded can. “Let me get that for you. Sorry about the mess."

Elara rolled her eyes, a swell of annoyance washing over her. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be hosting your party?" she asked, the silence broken as they walked toward the edge of the property, a shared unspoken pull.

"I am." He shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching with a hint of a smile. "And, I’m a very good host, might I add." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. “I just came out for a quick smoke. I’d appreciate it if you kept it a secret.”

Elara scoffed, folding her arms tight against her chest. She hadn't realized they'd walked further away from the party, now stood in the shadow between her dorm and the neighboring one. “And why would I do that?” she sassed, challenging him.

The mischievous smirk that danced across his lips was her first warning. He cupped his hands around the lighter, the flame flickering, before he brought the cigarette to his lips. In that moment, she knew following him into the shadows was a mistake. The way he tilted his head back in bliss, a soft exhale escaping his mouth, was a dangerous allure.

“I’ll tell everyone about your voyeuristic tendencies and your cute little panties…” His smile widened, a tiny dimple appearing on the left side of his cheek.

Her world froze. How dare he threaten her?

“I might even post a picture…” he sang, the smoke swirling from his lips adding to his wicked charm.

Elara’s smile vanished, her eyes growing wide with a mix of panic and anger. “You didn’t!”

“Wanna bet?” Kai toyed, his eyes twinkling like a mischievous devil.

One moment he was a step away and the next, his chest was invading her space. Her back hit the cool brick of her dorm, her senses overwhelmed by the warmth of his closeness. His scent was an intoxicating mix of expensive cologne and cheap cigarettes, and his smile was a magnetic pull that she found impossible to resist.

“I’ll report you,” she said, her voice losing its usual bite.

His low chuckle made her squirm. He held all the power here, and she hated knowing he knew it. She felt utterly humiliated.

“I’m so scared…” he teased, leaning closer.

Elara involuntarily held her breath, her fingers gripping the wall as her entire life flashed before her eyes. Or perhaps she was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. She could swear that look in his eyes saw right through her. Kai’s gaze dropped to her lips and his voice softened to a low whisper, “Do you want a taste?”

Elara screamed internally, her hands flying up to his chest in a fruitless attempt to push him away. She opened her eyes - which she only realized she closed in the moment - and was met with a lit cigarette millimeters away from her lips and Kai’s amused smile.

She wasn't going to let him win. In a show of breathtaking recklessness, she grabbed the cigarette and purposefully swirled the lit end on his clothed shoulder.

He stared down at her, a mix of surprise and amusement on his face as if he was waiting for her reaction. Kai licked the corner of his lip, attempting to hide the obvious smirk.

“First of all, I don’t care if you smoke. Your lungs could shrivel up for all I care,” Elara huffed, proud that her voice remained steady. “Secondly, if you post that picture of me, I'm going to tell everyone what a dirty little pervert you are."

“Cool.” He said nonchalantly, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

His response made her grit her teeth. She opened her mouth to lay in on him, but he was quicker.

“Cute top, by the way.” A full smile finally broke across his face before he brushed past her, making her feel the heat of his body for just a moment.

She waited until he was out of earshot before letting out a string of profanities, her frustration boiling over. 

This isn’t over!

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

Later that evening, the music softened, the strobe lights dimmed to a warm glow, and Kai stepped into the living room with purpose. His eyes scanned the crowd before they landed, unashamedly, on Elara who stood next to her dormmates. 

"Alright everyone," Kai said, his voice smooth and captivating, "Time for a little game. Truth or Dare, with a twist."

Elara scoffed and rolled her eyes. This was her queue to leave. She would not play his little games.

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆≽^- ˕ -^≼⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆

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