The girl checked behind her shoulder to see if anyone had followed her. The streets were empty, bathed in the soft orange glow of lamps that only turned on at night. Her muscles relaxed.
She hurried up the walkway to a large house, the biggest one in the neighbourhood. The doormat had been changed. It was no longer black, but white. She peeked beneath it.
The key was still there.
She entered, careful to lock the door behind her. All the lights were off; she knew he preferred that. She pulled off her heels. Senses heightened with anticipation, she heard someone moving upstairs. Quickly, she fluffed out her hair in front of a mirror. It pained her to think that she had to look good for him, but she couldn't help it.
Lips brushed the back of her neck.
“I didn't scare you this time,” he noted.
She turned to face him. “I'm used to the fact that you can practically teleport.”
“People just don't pay attention to their surroundings.” His gaze slid from her eyes to her chest. “You didn't have to get all dolled up for me.”
“Some people enjoy looking presentable.”
“That's why we get along so well.” He trailed his fingers along her bare shoulders. “Not that we'll be wearing designer names in bed.”
“I've never slept with you!”
“That's a low blow.” He whistled softly. “But you've wanted to, more than anything. Haven't you?”
She was silent for a moment.
“I didn't want to come here,” she finally said, staring at the carpet.
“That cost $74,500. It's a ninghsia. What do you think?”
She rubbed her upper arms. “I didn't want to—”
“Then why did you?” He stared at her, blue eyes nearly black in the absence of light. “Tell me why you're at my house at one in the morning.” Noctis smiled suddenly. “Are you too cold for even Cloud to warm you up?”
“Don't mention him! Please. Say whatever else you want, but please don't speak about Cloud.”
“I love it when you beg like that.”
The girl kissed him, telling herself it was only to make him stop talking.
--
Another lazy afternoon. Karelos hated afternoons more than anything, especially when the clock hands passed 3 o'clock. Such an awkward time of day. Nothing to do. Too late for the novelty of morning breakfast, too early to start drinking away the night.
What was her purpose in life again? She didn't know. Did she even care?
She found herself wandering around the large manor. He wasn't home; away on some business trip, something or other. The house wasn't empty; seeing as their employer wasn't home, the maids took the opportunity to chat amongst themselves in the hallway. They quieted when she approached, but resumed chatting once she passed by.
There wasn't a reason to acknowledge one another, so they didn't. Everyone seemed to grow accustomed to her presence, and no one dared to question what her position was to their employer. Not if they valued their job.
After a while, the atmosphere in the house started to suffocate her. She knew where she would end up before she had decided on a place to go.
The coffee shop by the beach.
--
16/8/2013
I’m not entirely sure the reason for having friends. When we were having a barbecue party at Bruce’s countryside manor to toast the end of summer, I found myself wondering about this more and more.
I was always the type to keep to myself, thinking that life was better if no one could get close. After all, allowing people to become close to you would only lead to pain, because the closer someone was to us, the more we allow them the chance to hurt us.
Even the exception--the one person I allowed to become close to me--shared this belief.
I had managed to convince Noctis, who usually refused to attend any of Bruce's social events, to attend this party. He wasn't pleased at this, but how could he refuse? Actually, I was pretty surprised myself that he had agreed. I'm fairly certain the promise of unlimited booze at the open bar wasn't the reason for his change of heart.
Maybe because I was always the black sheep, and he was too. So we bonded over this fact.
"Here."
Noctis approached holding two glasses of wine, one red and one white. He held out a glass to me and I accepted it gratefully. We sat together on the patio, while the rest of the guests chatted amicably in the large field behind Bruce's estate.
"I hate these sort of events," Noctis muttered. He sipped from his glass slowly, swirling the dark liquid around.
"Socializing has always been a pain for you, hasn't it?" I teased. "You've been forced to attend these sorts of events since you were young."
He sighed, his dark eyes clouded over. "When you come from an influential family, that's just what is expected."
I laughed. "It's fine. Bruce's family and yours have always been close. I don't think you have anything to worry about here."
The summer sun was slowly moving across the sky, and soon the warm rays of sunset lit up the estate. I furrowed my brow as I drank, feeling the tingling effects of the alcohol warm up my body more and more with each passing sip.
How did I end up in a place like this? A normal girl like me, surrounded by public figures so powerful their decisions could change laws for entire cities?
Well, that wasn't entirely true. I wasn't exactly normal...
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar crown of blond hair that stood out from the rest of the crowd. My chest tightened slightly, because I knew all too well who the person was.
Noctis seemed to sense my apprehension, because he put his hand over mine.
"What's the big deal? He's here, so what?" There was a trace of irritation in his voice. "You don't owe him anything."
I hurriedly shook off my worries. "Who said anything was wrong? You worry too much."
"You knew he would be here. This shouldn't be a surprise for you."
--
She sat up. The silk sheets were soft. There was only one person she knew who indulged in bedsheets like this, imported from some foreign country or other.
"Noctis?" she mumbled his name, rubbing her head. Funny. She could barely remember anything from the night before. The spots in her memory were filled with a dull ache and a sort of blankness.
He seemingly stepped out of nowhere, looking as handsome and put-together as he always did. His ability to look impeccable, no matter what the situation was, amazed her. He was unbelievably attractive--and undeniably dangerous.
"You're finally awake," he said. "Here."
He tossed her a handgun. She caught it in surprise.
"Whoa! Why do I need this?" She stared at the weapon for a moment. "Wait, where are we?"
She looked to the window and saw the painfully familiar city that still haunted her dreams. The place she fought hard to escape from and swore never to return to. She twisted back to face him, eyes wide in shock and confusion.
"Why are we here?" she cried.
"Another mission," he said simply. "I decided to bring you with me. As a trump card, of sorts."
"I didn't agree to any of this," she protested, panic rising in her system. Then it clicked. "The drink you gave me. That's why I don't remember anything!"
"Let's not sweat the details." He dismissed her accusations like swatting away a fly. And to him, they were exactly that unimportant. "What matters is that you're here now."
"No, you can't keep doing this! Whatever shit you have against your family, you need to stop involving me!"
Her heart sped up as he approached her; she could barely breathe. He took a seat beside her on the mattress.
"Your naivety is adorable." He gripped her chin. "The truth is, you don't have a choice. I'm using you as leverage, whether you agree or not."
"So you're basically keeping me hostage?" She turned her head away in disgust. "You're really something else!"
"We had an agreement," he reminded. "I helped you disappear when you needed to. Now, you need to return the favour."
It was no use reasoning with Noctis. If she refused, she knew he would only bring down the world around her faster. He scanned her face, as if seeing the wheels turn in her head as she contemplated her fate.
"And how exactly do I do that?" she asked slowly.
"An old friend of yours has entered a partnership with my father. I need you to help me take them out of the picture. You wanted revenge, didn't you?"
Just like that, the painful memories she had fought hard to lock away came rushing back.
--
He was a monster.
She knew that much about him. Everyone did. He had an infamous reputation that preceded him. Though, his appearance resembled more that of an angel's than a demon's. He was handsome and tall, with striking eyes and pitch-black hair the colour of night. He looked nothing short of a prince in a fairytale book.
Then again, hadn't Lucifer been the most beautiful angel?
She closed her eyes and didn't want to think about it. She needed his help, needed him.
She always did.
"Miss Wilder? He will see you now."
A woman's voice broke her thoughts. She anxiously stood and stumbled in the direction the secretary gestured to.
There was an office down a long, dimly light hallway. Everything was always shrouded in darkness with him. The thick curtains in his home were always tightly drawn shut, too. As if he were a vampire.
He was dressed in a fine suit, looking every bit as elegant as he always did. She bit her lip and shut the door behind her. He eyed her surreptitiously and she could feel the way his gaze bore into her.
"Karelos. To what do I owe this lovely surprise?"
He flashed white teeth at her. That was odd. She didn't remember he smiled much, back in the day. She hesitated, wringing her hands behind her.
"Let's meet. Tonight," she finally said.
He always acted coldly, but he never could refuse anything she asked for.
--
"You're in the shower a lot lately," he commented as she stepped out of the washroom for the third time that day. He discreetly turned away as she stepped towards him, painfully aware of how the wet towel clung to the contours of her body.
"It calms me down," she said simply, shaking wet hair from her face.
"Is there anything you need?"
"No, I'm fine."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"You should go get changed," he said.
"Oh. Right."
She finished drying herself off and tossed the towel onto the couch. Rummaging through her bag, she fished out a baggy t-shirt and pulled it on. There was a hole at the front where the print had rubbed off slightly. She poked at it, frustrated at how her new shirt had worn out so easily. It hadn't exactly been cheap.
"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked as she ran a comb through her tangled hair. "I could leave if you want."
He turned to look at her frail form. Such a change from the vibrant, lively girl that he had met so many years ago. She had lost weight, and her hair hung limp from the many times it had been re-dyed.
"No, don't go." The boy was suddenly behind her. His arms slid around her waist and he buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin, unable to hold back any longer. She froze, heartbeat speeding up. The close physical contact unnerved her.
"Do you ever think that what we're doing is wrong?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't," he answered coldly. "People can keep killing each other in this city. It's no business of mine."
"I somehow knew that would be your answer."
I was always the type to keep to myself, thinking that life was better if no one could get close. After all, allowing people to become close to you would only lead to pain, because the closer someone was to us, the more we allow them the chance to hurt us.
Even the exception--the one person I allowed to become close to me--shared this belief.
I had managed to convince Noctis, who usually refused to attend any of Bruce's social events, to attend this party. He wasn't pleased at this, but how could he refuse? Actually, I was pretty surprised myself that he had agreed. I'm fairly certain the promise of unlimited booze at the open bar wasn't the reason for his change of heart.
Maybe because I was always the black sheep, and he was too. So we bonded over this fact.
"Here."
Noctis approached holding two glasses of wine, one red and one white. He held out a glass to me and I accepted it gratefully. We sat together on the patio, while the rest of the guests chatted amicably in the large field behind Bruce's estate.
"I hate these sort of events," Noctis muttered. He sipped from his glass slowly, swirling the dark liquid around.
"Socializing has always been a pain for you, hasn't it?" I teased. "You've been forced to attend these sorts of events since you were young."
He sighed, his dark eyes clouded over. "When you come from an influential family, that's just what is expected."
I laughed. "It's fine. Bruce's family and yours have always been close. I don't think you have anything to worry about here."
The summer sun was slowly moving across the sky, and soon the warm rays of sunset lit up the estate. I furrowed my brow as I drank, feeling the tingling effects of the alcohol warm up my body more and more with each passing sip.
How did I end up in a place like this? A normal girl like me, surrounded by public figures so powerful their decisions could change laws for entire cities?
Well, that wasn't entirely true. I wasn't exactly normal...
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar crown of blond hair that stood out from the rest of the crowd. My chest tightened slightly, because I knew all too well who the person was.
Noctis seemed to sense my apprehension, because he put his hand over mine.
"What's the big deal? He's here, so what?" There was a trace of irritation in his voice. "You don't owe him anything."
I hurriedly shook off my worries. "Who said anything was wrong? You worry too much."
"You knew he would be here. This shouldn't be a surprise for you."
--
She sat up. The silk sheets were soft. There was only one person she knew who indulged in bedsheets like this, imported from some foreign country or other.
"Noctis?" she mumbled his name, rubbing her head. Funny. She could barely remember anything from the night before. The spots in her memory were filled with a dull ache and a sort of blankness.
He seemingly stepped out of nowhere, looking as handsome and put-together as he always did. His ability to look impeccable, no matter what the situation was, amazed her. He was unbelievably attractive--and undeniably dangerous.
"You're finally awake," he said. "Here."
He tossed her a handgun. She caught it in surprise.
"Whoa! Why do I need this?" She stared at the weapon for a moment. "Wait, where are we?"
She looked to the window and saw the painfully familiar city that still haunted her dreams. The place she fought hard to escape from and swore never to return to. She twisted back to face him, eyes wide in shock and confusion.
"Why are we here?" she cried.
"Another mission," he said simply. "I decided to bring you with me. As a trump card, of sorts."
"I didn't agree to any of this," she protested, panic rising in her system. Then it clicked. "The drink you gave me. That's why I don't remember anything!"
"Let's not sweat the details." He dismissed her accusations like swatting away a fly. And to him, they were exactly that unimportant. "What matters is that you're here now."
"No, you can't keep doing this! Whatever shit you have against your family, you need to stop involving me!"
Her heart sped up as he approached her; she could barely breathe. He took a seat beside her on the mattress.
"Your naivety is adorable." He gripped her chin. "The truth is, you don't have a choice. I'm using you as leverage, whether you agree or not."
"So you're basically keeping me hostage?" She turned her head away in disgust. "You're really something else!"
"We had an agreement," he reminded. "I helped you disappear when you needed to. Now, you need to return the favour."
It was no use reasoning with Noctis. If she refused, she knew he would only bring down the world around her faster. He scanned her face, as if seeing the wheels turn in her head as she contemplated her fate.
"And how exactly do I do that?" she asked slowly.
"An old friend of yours has entered a partnership with my father. I need you to help me take them out of the picture. You wanted revenge, didn't you?"
Just like that, the painful memories she had fought hard to lock away came rushing back.
--
What do demons look like? There is no way to know for certain.
If they did appear, they would put on a masquerade.
Deception always wears a mask.
He was a monster.
She knew that much about him. Everyone did. He had an infamous reputation that preceded him. Though, his appearance resembled more that of an angel's than a demon's. He was handsome and tall, with striking eyes and pitch-black hair the colour of night. He looked nothing short of a prince in a fairytale book.
Then again, hadn't Lucifer been the most beautiful angel?
She closed her eyes and didn't want to think about it. She needed his help, needed him.
She always did.
"Miss Wilder? He will see you now."
A woman's voice broke her thoughts. She anxiously stood and stumbled in the direction the secretary gestured to.
There was an office down a long, dimly light hallway. Everything was always shrouded in darkness with him. The thick curtains in his home were always tightly drawn shut, too. As if he were a vampire.
He was dressed in a fine suit, looking every bit as elegant as he always did. She bit her lip and shut the door behind her. He eyed her surreptitiously and she could feel the way his gaze bore into her.
"Karelos. To what do I owe this lovely surprise?"
He flashed white teeth at her. That was odd. She didn't remember he smiled much, back in the day. She hesitated, wringing her hands behind her.
"Let's meet. Tonight," she finally said.
He always acted coldly, but he never could refuse anything she asked for.
--
"You're in the shower a lot lately," he commented as she stepped out of the washroom for the third time that day. He discreetly turned away as she stepped towards him, painfully aware of how the wet towel clung to the contours of her body.
"It calms me down," she said simply, shaking wet hair from her face.
"Is there anything you need?"
"No, I'm fine."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"You should go get changed," he said.
"Oh. Right."
She finished drying herself off and tossed the towel onto the couch. Rummaging through her bag, she fished out a baggy t-shirt and pulled it on. There was a hole at the front where the print had rubbed off slightly. She poked at it, frustrated at how her new shirt had worn out so easily. It hadn't exactly been cheap.
"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked as she ran a comb through her tangled hair. "I could leave if you want."
He turned to look at her frail form. Such a change from the vibrant, lively girl that he had met so many years ago. She had lost weight, and her hair hung limp from the many times it had been re-dyed.
"No, don't go." The boy was suddenly behind her. His arms slid around her waist and he buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin, unable to hold back any longer. She froze, heartbeat speeding up. The close physical contact unnerved her.
"Do you ever think that what we're doing is wrong?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't," he answered coldly. "People can keep killing each other in this city. It's no business of mine."
"I somehow knew that would be your answer."
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