The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 520: Oh please, you always say that. Like you’re not constantly staring at me
The screech echoed so violently that Isabella felt the air shake against her skin. Osiris moved before she even registered the sound. His hand shot forward, gripping the front of her clothes, and he pulled her flush against him with a speed that made her gasp. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Her face hit his chest.
Warm.
Solid.
All muscle.
All phoenix heat.
Glimora yelped and ducked behind a rock.
Isabella didn’t move at first. Her mind hadn’t caught up yet. The cavern walls trembled for a moment, dust falling in soft trickles from above, then... silence.
Complete silence.
The screech faded into nothing like it had never existed.
Isabella blinked slowly.
For a second she thought the heat was messing with her. The cavern shimmered, the air thick, her heartbeat doing this strange little flip every time his breath touched her cheek. She could still feel the ghost of his hand on her clothes where he had grabbed her. She hated that she remembered the warmth. She hated even more that her body reacted before her brain could protest.
He was too close.
Too warm.
Too quiet.
And for the tiniest moment, barely a breath long, she let herself notice the way his chest rose and fell, how his eyes softened, how he looked at her like he was checking if she was hurt. It made something in her chest stutter.
Then she realized something. Something horrifying.
She was still plastered against Osiris.
Very tightly.
Very embarrassingly.
Her hands rested on his torso. Her cheek pressed against the warm, bandaged skin of his shoulder. Their legs were practically tangled. His breath moved through his chest and into her cheek.
Her soul left her body.
She shoved him hard.
Or at least she tried to. He didn’t budge an inch. She shoved again with her whole pregnant strength and he finally leaned back half a centimeter.
"Ew," she burst, wiping her face aggressively. "Get off me. Why are you touching me like that."
Osiris blinked at her, offended. "I was protecting you. Not like I wanted to hold you."
"Oh please," she snapped, flicking his hand away. "You always say that. Like you’re not constantly staring at me."
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You also stare at me."
She gasped dramatically. "I do not stare at you. I stare at you because you act weird."
Osiris shrugged with that infuriating calmness. "You stare because you are small and ugly."
Isabella stopped breathing.
Her head snapped toward him so fast the air cracked.
"Who," she said slowly, voice deadly, "did you just call ugly."
He blinked once. "You."
Her mouth fell open. "Me?"
"Yes. You are the ugliest person I have ever met."
She threw a stone at him.
"Bastard."
"I know."
"I regret even tending to your wound."
He lifted his burned hand protectively when she reached toward it. He yanked it back so fast it made the bandage glow. "Do not touch me."
She snarled. "I hate you so much."
He snarled right back. "I hate you even more. You are annoying and small like an ant."
"Your head is shaped like an ant."
"My head is perfect."
"Your head is stupid."
Glimora made a tiny squeak. The arguing stopped instantly.
Both Isabella and Osiris whipped their heads toward her. Glimora’s ears twitched. She pointed a shaky paw upward.
The sound wasn’t gone.
It was still around them.
Faint.
Distant.
Circling.
Isabella swallowed. For a long moment she said nothing, her chest rising and falling with frustration and exhaustion.
"We cannot leave," she muttered.
Osiris nodded stiffly.
"It is obvious the dark hour has already approached. The creatures will be awake."
She dragged a hand down her face. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted a nice bath, her bed, and a giant bowl of whatever food didn’t smell like monster breath.
Instead, she got this.
She waved her hand irritably. "Come on. Corner. We are sleeping there."
"Sleeping," Osiris repeated, confused.
"Yes. Sleeping. In this stupid hell cave. Until the sun rises or whatever fake sun you have in this dumb stupid mountain."
"That is not how the sun works."
"Shut up."
They walked toward the corner of the cavern. The stone there was cooler, the shadows deeper, the heat less suffocating. Isabella plopped down immediately and crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. Refusing to even breathe in his direction.
He sat beside her because there was no other space. Not too close, but close enough that she felt the warmth rolling off him like a stubborn furnace.
She glared into the darkness.
"I cannot believe you called me ugly," she muttered under her breath.
He didn’t reply.
He didn’t dare.
Even his wounded phoenix brain knew not to poke that wound again.
Isabella wrinkled her nose and started fumbling with her space inventory. She did not want to cook. Cooking was dangerous. Cooking made smells. Smells attracted winged demons. Winged demons ate people.
No thank you.
She reached into her space and found dried fruits. She sighed. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t delicious. It wasn’t enough for her soul. But she took some out anyway.
Just for her.
And for Glimora.
Glimora bounced happily onto Isabella’s lap, munching eagerly.
Osiris watched.
She ignored him.
He continued watching.
She continued ignoring.
He kept staring.
She looked at him from the corner of her eye like he was a disease.
He looked away quickly, pretending he was not staring.
Then he stared again.
She huffed so loudly the cavern echoed.
Osiris hesitated. His pride twisted like a knot inside his chest. He wasn’t used to apologizing. He didn’t like apologizing. He didn’t even like speaking unless he was being dramatic or mocking her.
But he also knew he was hungry.
And unlike Glimora, he did not get fruit.
He cleared his throat softly.
"I..." His voice cracked embarrassingly. He coughed to fix it.
Isabella didn’t look at him.
He tried again. "Maybe you are not ugly."
She froze mid-chew.
She turned her head slowly. Very slowly.
"Maybe I am not ugly," she repeated. "Maybe. Are you serious."
Osiris swallowed. His jaw clenched. His pride screamed. "You are definitely not ugly."
She raised one brow. "So who is ugly."
He stared at the wall.
She stared at him.
He refused to look at her.
She tilted her head, voice sweet like poison. "Who is ugly, Osiris."
He inhaled sharply.
He did not answer.
His pride held his mouth shut.
Isabella waited.
Osiris waited.
Glimora munched loudly.
The tension stretched between them like a vine ready to snap.
...
Hey loves, before you leave, go check out my website. That’s where I’ll be posting all my future novels, and right now you can start reading my latest story about a clueless mermaid falling for a human professor who wants nothing to do with her. It is chaotic, funny, romantic, everything.
And guess what, you don’t even have to spend pearls if you don’t want to. Just invite people. Every reader you bring earns you 5 percent of whatever they purchase. You can literally read for free.
Go take a look. I promise you’ll love it.
