The Bully's Hated Mate
The Bully’s Hated Mate – Chapter 46

CASSIA’S POV:

The smell of bacon and pancakes made my eyes flutter as I woke up completely. I sat up, stretching as the smell continously made my stomach scream in hunger as I rubbed my eyes awake.

My nose felt the warmth from the food, and my eyes grew in shock as I saw the food whose scent had woken me up on my care table across from my bed.

I was confused.

Who brought in food?

I stood up from my bed and walked towards the breakfast tray as I realized there on a tiny piece of note was a cursive letter L.

Lucius.

I rolled my eyes so fast. It would have tripped him if Lucius was here to see my reaction. There was no way he thought he was going to bribe me with some bullshit breakfast in bed.

That worked in the movies, but this was reality and as such, I wasn’t going to fall for some lame tricks.

He was toxic and that was the end of it, but that wasn’t going to stop me from not eating the food. I never asked him to deliver a pallet of food but that didn’t mean I was going to let the food go to waste.

It was innocent and it didn’t deserve any form of my pettiness.

I smiled as the bacon touched my tongue in harmony.

I got dressed and got ready to meet Lucius so we could go to school together. The thought of having to interlock arms nauseated me.

I stepped out and nearly screamed in surprise as Lucius’ face greeted me.

“Hi.” He managed to choke out amidst my now developing frown.

I made to move past him but he brought a bouquet of roses from behind him. The smell of the plants seemed to calm me instantaneously.

“For you.” He said, stretching his hands towards me.

I stepped back, making it clear that I didn’t want the roses.

“Please?” He asked but I wasn’t buying it.

I bypassed him and walked toward where I knew the cars were packed.

However, he got there faster.

He held my door open, waiting for me, the roses already positioned in my car seat.

I looked him dead in the eyes as if to ask ‘why?’ but I didn’t. I simply closed the door myself and picked up the rose.

When I was sure we were on our way and Lucius was left to ride in his own car, I yielded to the temptation and brought it to my nose.

I inhaled the scent so fast, it made my eyes spin a little.

I began to smile as I looked at the flowers and a little flutter surged through my belly but then, I had to remind myself that he was a walking, breathing, ball of mass toxicity.

I stopped smiling and threw the flowers to the other side of the seat.

We got down at school and again, the urge to just walk past Lucius instead of interlocking arms and smiling till we were past the entrance of school nearly overwhelmed me.

I bore his scent and his existence as a whole until we were past the gates, where I unhooked our arms faster than Lucius could take his next breath.

He was stunned, I was sure, but I didn’t give a rat’s a*s whether or not he was shocked.

Classes began, with me taking the same pose as I did the day before. Ariadne still occupied the seat that sat between Lucius and I, and as usual, I didn’t care what happened between the two of them.

“Shut up, Ariadne!” Lucius suddenly shouted, surprising all of us and snapping me back to reality.

I watched as Ariadne quickly adjusted herself in her seat and pretended like nothing had happened.

I wore the same expression as I did before as I looked at Ariadne.I didn’t care.

Slowly, I looked back to the teacher without sparing a glance at Lucius till school closed for the day.

I walked out of the school premises, again forgetting we were supposed to lock hands and go out.

Lucius was once again standing, holding the door for me as I approached my vehicle.

I gave him a sneer as I casually slipped into the car, dragging the handle of the door and closing it myself.

The movement made him stumble a bit and I was satisfied by my actions.

Things at home were back to normal, with me staying in my space as I had requested for.

I decided to get a bit of shut eye before I would decided on what to have for dinner but as I snuggled into my covers, a knock sounded on my door, rattling me awake.

Who the hell could that be? I mentally asked myself as I made my way to my doors, opening it just a bit to see who it was.

It was Lucius.

Shocker.

I came out in full, hands crossed and brows raised. He better have a good explanation on why he was gradually becoming a pest.

He held a basket that contained some snacks and I looked at it with irritation.

“Cassia. Would you like to come out with me? The moon looks lovely tonight.” He said.

I stayed hands folded and not surprised.

His compelling gaze held a silent plea to give into the pull we shared, and I grew furious instantly.

“What exactly is your problem, Lucius? What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice growing higher than I intended.

He dropped the basket and drew closer to me, blue eyes holding a glint of regret and something else I couldn’t quite place a finger on.

“Please, Cassia. I know I f****d up, but…Ican’t do this anymore.” He said, his eyes holding tougher emotions than he had been previously letting on.

“Is that why you have been opening doors and car doors and gifting me flowers and making me have breakfast in bed?” I asked, crossing my arms even more to signify what I meant.

“Yes. I’m trying to be a better person for you. I’m trying to change. For us.” He said.

I scoffed.

” You’re trying to change?” I asked him, doing a good job at hiding my shock.

“Yes, I really am.” He said.

Myla growled in disapproval.

That got me even shocked because Myla had been his biggest advocate but for her to be against him, I was definitely on the right track on this.

“Men like you can never change.” I spat, venomously. Coldly. “And why should your self-revolution be any of my business anyway?”

Something in his demeanor shattered in that moment. It was unlike Lucius — the slight desperation that edged into his eyes.

It almost made me want to give in.

Almost.

“I…don’t know what to say. I just want your forgiveness, even if you want nothing to do with me after. I know we haven’t been the best mates but this distance between us…hurts. I know deep down, you feel it too, Cassia.” His voice took on this pained tone.

At first, his tone got me wanting him to move back in and tell him that I missed him at times.

But Maya growled even more and I was forced to recall everything he has ever done to me. Every insult. Every embarrassment. Every betrayal. Every time he has almost gotten me dead.

My heart closed immediately.

“Where were you when I needed you, Lucius? When I needed you to defend me, defend Marcus? Where were you every single time I NEEDED my so-called mate by my side? Where were you then?” I asked, my voice hollow and filled with malice.

My heart shot with excruciating pain. Every bone in my body crushed under its weight.

I wanted to cry.

He looked at me, the same look he had on that day, lost and miserable, and I scoffed again at the irony of events.

“I want to fix this, Cassia, believe me. I really do but I need your forgiveness, and I want to change. I want to be a better mate for you, for myself. I’ve seen the consequences of my actions and I’m willing to change now. All of the gifts and the little things you’ve noticed, I’m promising to do even better when I get your forgiveness. I want you to see me as you used to before. I want you to recognise me and not hate me as much as you do now. I want everything back to the way it was. Back to normal.” He finished.

“Normal? Are you hearing yourself? There was never a normal, Lucius. And I’d appreciate it if you leave me alone.” I said and stepped back into the room, the handle of the door already in my fingertips, wanting to close the door.

Lucius, fast as lightning, placed a foot just as it was about closing, distancing us once again. I gasped in shock as he pushed a bit further, letting the door widen a bit that his face came in full view.

There, I saw the extent of the pain he said he couldn’t bear; his eyes were as deep as a bowl, dark rings beautified his eyes and most of all, they looked haunted.

I felt sorry for him but he had hurt me, he deserved every bit of the demons that tormented him.

“Please, Cassia. Just tell me what to do, tell me what to say, I’ll say it. Tell me how to win you back and I’ll do it. Tell me how to get your forgiveness. I will do whatever you want, however you want it. I just need you back. I want you back. Please.” He pleaded, soft and compelling.

Now, the question fell on me, what was I supposed to do now?