WHERE HATE MEETS HEART

"Well, I guess that's your karma for purposely stepping on me earlier," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Karma?" she snapped, her voice laced with pain and fury. "You were the one who bumped into me without even apologizing, you jerk!"

"Hey, watch your mouth," he cautioned, irritation flickering in his eyes. "How did I even bump into you"

"You don't even remember?" she cut in, the annoyance rising in her chest. "You know what? I'm not sorry for what I did, and I won't apologize. Now, are you going to help me up or just stand there staring like a statue?"

"Well," he said firmly, arms folded, "I'm not going to help you up until you apologize."

She blinked. Was this guy serious?

He found her interesting and frankly, he wanted to see just how far he could push her.

Now she was really mad. "I need to apologize before you help me up? You're the reason I'm down here!"

"And you'll stay down there for a very long time if you don't apologize," he said with a cool shrug.

"Well, then I'll stay here," she hissed, folding her arms stubbornly. "I'm sure someone else will come eventually."

"I wish you luck with that," he replied casually, brushing off his shirt and turning to leave.

She blinked again, stunned by the sound of his retreating footsteps.

"I can't believe that jerk actually left me here," she muttered, feeling a wave of disbelief and regret.

"The nerve of that guy."

But deep down, she knew she had no other choice. With a resigned sigh, she sat back down, pulling her knees to her chest, her head resting on them. Exhausted from the long day, her ankle throbbing with pain, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

---

He hadn't truly meant to leave her.

He knew she couldn't climb out on her own, and he certainly wasn't going to drag her out without something to help. Still, he wanted her to begnthat had been the plan.

But her fiery resolve caught him off guard. When she mentioned he'd bumped into her earlier, he'd been confused. Surely, he would've remembered someone like her.

Then it clicked.

He had bumped into someone earlier when he was distracted on a phone call. He hadn't even looked up. Who would've thought she'd take it that seriously?

He smiled to himself at her pettiness.

After making a few inquiries, he found a ladder long enough to reach her. Carrying it back to the hole, he was surprised to find her curled up, seemingly asleep.

He set the ladder down gently and descended.

There she was curled on the floor, soft curls framing her flushed face. He couldn't tell if the color on her cheeks was from exhaustion, anger, or something else. Her lips were a soft pink, and her lashes fanned beautifully across her cheeks.

He reached out, unable to resist the urge to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking it might be bothering her. But just as his fingers brushed her hair, her lashes fluttered open.

Startled, he quickly withdrew his hand, straightened his shirt, and stood tall like nothing had happened.

"Finally, you're up," he said nonchalantly. "You were sleeping and snoring. I almost thought there was a monster down here."

She blinked up at him groggily, heart skipping at the memory of someone touching her in her sleep. Hoping it wasn't some wild animal, she looked up and groaned.

It was worse. Him.

"I wasn't snoring, you obnoxious jerk," she snapped, pushing herself up only to yelp as pain shot through her ankle. She wobbled, about to fall, but strong arms caught her.

She froze.

He helped her find her balance, and the moment she could stand, she pulled away from his hold.

"Why did you come back?" she asked sarcastically. "I thought you weren't going to help until I apologized."

"I know," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Honestly, leaving you down there sounded like a great idea. The world doesn't need more petty people like you. But I'm not about to take the blame if anything happens to you. So, as much as I don't want to... I have to help you up."

He turned around and bent slightly. "Climb on. I'll take you to the hospital."

She stared at him, reluctant. Every part of her pride screamed no, but her ankle throbbed with a dull reminder he was her only way out. Grudgingly, she climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Ow, be careful! Are you trying to strangle me?" he groaned dramatically.

"The world would be a happier place if I did," she muttered.

"I think you're forgetting something... I'm your only hope out of here," he reminded with a smug grin.

She loosened her grip slightly and stayed silent.

Together, they climbed up the ladder slowly, and once at the top, he carefully carried her to his car. Gently placing her in the front seat, he slid into the driver's side and started the engine.